Monday 30 July 2012

pla·gia·rism/ˈplājəˌrizəm/ Noun: The practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.

I'm interested in your views.

I've had my website copied (images and content), my LinkedIn connections systematically trawled through and used, and my clients contacted.

Now I know this is the real world. Stuff happens. And I've been known to look through the web for inspiration myself. Yes, LinkedIn is all about connecting to new people via connections but what about netiquette, doesn't that count or is that being a tad naive?

Here's the thing (in the words of that truly ground-breaking PR from the telly, Siobhan Sharpe, Head of Brand at Perfect Curve - "2012", BBC): should I get irritated by this flagrant copying, should I be flattered, should I be saddened that such people have no original ideas themselves nor ways to get their own clients, or should I grin knowingly, shrug my shoulders and get on with something more important?

One thing I've noticed though - the perpetrators have all been women. Come on sisters, shouldn't you be doing it for yourselves?

You know who you are. Actually, and please note, so do I.

Other folk out there in social media land - what do you think?