Friend Friday #16: Blogger Copying

"imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"

-- Charles Caleb Colton

**Please note: this is a re-written version of the original as blogger decided to delete the original post - if anyone happens to have a copy they could email me, I will be so so grateful**

In previous weeks the Friend Friday collective have discussed Copying in the Fashion Industry, this week the topic is brought closer to home with the issue of Blogger Copying. In an industry which has very little in the way of regulation over copying and where something that was shown on the catwalk one week turns up in the high street just days later, it should come as no surprise that fashion bloggers are influenced by a similar desire to stay current and fresh. As fashion bloggers it seems natural that we should be inspired by others: from the styles and fashions we see on the streets, on the catwalks, in magazines and on other blogs. Jennine of IFB, wrote a post a few weeks ago - What To Do If Everyone Else Has Posted It - which addresses the dilemna that fashion bloggers often find themselves in when blogging about an event that has been blogged about again and again. It often feels as if, you have to be the first one to post something or the moment has already passed. It is little wonder then that there is so much talk of "fast fashion".

1. What are the 'unwritten rules' about coping content that we bloggers should all abide by?

Someone left a comment on a recent Friend Friday post, saying that they felt, blogging should be a pleasure, rather than a list of 'must-dos'. It's true. However it is simply, in my opinion, polite to credit another blogger if you have "borrowed" an idea/outfit/photograph location from them. This post by Leia of Leia's Delights give all bloggers a Crash Course in Blogger Etiquette.

2. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. But when it a post imitation and when is it copying?

If you have been inspired by an outfit that you have seen posted by another blogger or the location in which they have been photographed then I think the blogger should feel flattered. In an ideal world one might expect to be credited for the inspiration but I don't think this is essential. If written content and/or photographs are simply copied and pasted into another post with no credit to the original post, then this is copying and highly unprofessional.

3. Taking another blogger's idea (perhaps for an outfit, or DIY tutorial) is pretty common in the blogging world. Do you think it is necessary to credit the original source?

I always (or nearly always!) credit the original source for an inspiration on my blog. I like to have a little story, where possible, of how an outfit was put together and the inspiration behind it, so a reference to another blog or street style site is often necessary for this. As an undergraduate at university the idea of referencing my sources was drilled in during "lectures" on the pitfalls of plagerism. Again, as a postgraduate student we had a two hour lecture on the subject and even an exam question asking us to define plagerism. I am all about the references as a result. [Plagerism = academic theft. In case you cared!]

4. How have you improved your blog by comparing it to other bloggers? Have you made changes due to something you have seen others doing?

I am constantly striving for new ways to improve my blog and this includes comparing what I am doing with what others are going on theirs. My About Me page was created after reading those of other bloggers. My daily blogging schedule has also been influenced by the types of blogs I like to read which tend to have a good structure to their posting. In a relatively small community, like fashion blogging, I think a little healthy competition is only a good thing as it means no one is sitting back on their laurels, we are all making our blogs as good as they can be.

5. Have you ever had one of your posts copied by another blogger or publication? How did you handle the situation?

I haven't but I would like to think that I would handle it with grace. I would hope that if a blogger did copy my content, they would credit me and if this was the case then I would have no real problem as it would be an opportunity for a wider readership to have access to my blog.

Are you a blogger? What are your thoughts? Have you copied someone else's post? Have you used other posts as inspiration? What is the difference? Has anyone copied your posts?

Remember to head over to Modly Chic to check out the other contributions to this week's discussion and for more information on how to get involved in the weekly Friend Friday conversations.

Last week we discussed Blogger Self Promotion and coincidentally Jennine of IFB has this week written a post on this very subject herself: Self Promotion 101: It's Not About You.