Happy New Year Everyone.
Has anyone else gotten an email from this outfit: XB90
I got a kind of generic "this is not spam" email from them claiming they have syndicated my blog and looking from some kind of reply.
Anybody have any insight into this?
Thanks for your help.
Faith of Blog Appetit
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3 comments:
Faith,
This is a curious reaction from xb90. They're one of the many companies that do what Om Malik (http://gigaom.com/2005/12/25/wholesale-blog-plagiarism-alert/)
calls "blog plagiarism." Basically, companies subscribe to your RSS feed, and then repost the content on their site. While it's probably true that they credit you, if they run any ads, the money goes to them, not you. So basically, they're taking your content so they can make money off it.
Search for xb90, and you'll find plenty of commentary.
It's pretty common among Internet pundits to argue that Google's Page Rank system -- while revolutionary in its time -- has been pretty well compromised to the point of almost being useless (see Jeremy Zawodny's post: http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/000751.html). xb90 is one symptom of it, and it behooves all us bloggers to know about it, since we (and, if you run ads, your clients) pay a lot of attention to a number that has less relevance all the time.
As for xb90's reaction, I find it curious, but I wonder if they're working off the assumption that most recipients of that email won't know the larger issue. But when a very prominent blogger fingers you as a bad guy, I guess you can't just lie in the shadows and hope to avoid notice anymore.
Also, do a search for "splogs". Another side effect of this phenomenon.
Derrick,
I just checked out the site and it is liberally using me, you, Choc&Zuc, Taste Everything Once and just welcomed Delicious Delicious as a participant.
I think the email gave a way to halt him if you want. I'll let you know.
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