Thought Picnic: The cattle rustlers on my blog

My fresh tomatoes

I cannot say that I am the best self-promoter of my abilities especially those that pertain to writing and that might inform why I have not made a living from it to date.

In some ways, I have taken this as a pastime even though many have tried to persuade or encourage me to take up technical writing in relation to my professional expertise, general writing as can be seen on my blog or even writing my own story which appears as snapshots in the many blogs I have written.

As a proof-reader, there is something natural first and then academic about how one feels for the English language, I have found myself offering that service many a time for free.

A farmer at heart

Now, I have been blogging consistently for over 7 years and that is good while longer than many more popular blogs and meeting places within the social networking environment, I believe that probably must count for something and maybe it is a testimony and profile of the things I cover.

The other day, I added a page to my http://akinblog.nl site which I called Blogging Trophies to showcase citations I have received from different websites by reason of what they might have found useful about my writings.

There is a reason why I jealously guard my material, I like the way it appears, I like the way I format my copy and I like to maintain control over what I write without the threat of it being edited, misrepresented or excerpted out of its particular context.

Sowing on my land

I can only enforce such strict control on my blogs or on blogs were I have been given a modicum of administrative control to ensure that the material does not lose my fingerprints.

I am usually inspired as I write and so there first publication might contain errors that need correcting over time, I have been known to review blogs that have been published for over a year and more because they are all posted for posterity, I publish and damn the consequences, like Pontius Pilate, I have written what I have written contextually but refinement is required in spelling correction, inscrutable grammar and some other foibles that writers might be prone to.

Rustlers on my corral

I have gotten into a good few spats about seeing my complete blogs appear on websites I have not given the permission to use my material. It grates when consent is implied by offering back-references to the original material, it is just not good enough – there is a reason why my blog exists, it contains itself well enough not to have to be replicated for the bolstering of other lack-lustre duplicators of material.

The links below show how much of a fuss I am ready to kick up.

NaijaLive - PS. Aggregation not poor duplication

Sahara Reporters has infringed my copyright

Courtesy demands that express permission be sought and it is my prerogative to grant permission if I am so inclined, at the very least, those who wish to showcase my blogs or my writing have engaged me in conversation and communication to determine if our goals and objectives are suitably aligned.

No matter how inconsequential, I do have a reputation that I guard jealously, it would be advisable to those who have crossed the bounds of ethical conduct to make amends or expect consequences – I always win the battles I chose to fight.