Kathy Ostman-Magnusen writes:

Gary,

What a fantastic title and play on words.

I really enjoyed your article.

Write, write, write!

Paint, paint, paint… 10 36×48 before 4/1/07

Yikes!

[Reply]

Ed Howes writes:

Eeeek!

Gary used to be such a nice guy. Now Lance has him thinking in military terms and writing in them too. Eeeek!

[Reply]

Christopher M. Knight writes:

My gut feel is that Gary was this way before any influence from Lance…

But yeah, I get what you mean Ed…

A decade ago, I studied *transformational vocabulary*, the concept that we can change our lives based on how we talk to ourselves and others…by the choices of our words.

My concept of calling it “Your Article Inventory” is designed to be non-emotionally attaching and business focused… whereas Gary’s viewpoint has taken on military and war terminology…and a different level of ‘aggression’ or passion, depending on how you look at it. :-)

[Reply]

Lance Winslow writes:

Carl von Clauswitz noted that the State must build up their arsenal in order to protect their dominion. Failure to do so indeed risks the entire civilzation. Thus the human saga contiues.

[Reply]

Allen Taylor writes:

Good article. I picked up it for my website.

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Hey Guys,

This is SO funny.

I have to thank Ed Howes for alerting me to this blog. I wasn’t even aware that it was here. So thanks Ed for the PM (Private Message). Private? Is that a “military” term?

My reactions:

Kathy,

Thank you for those nice comments. Keep painting! More soldiers.

Ed,

Used to be? Used to be? LOL!

Christopher,

Very perceptive. Lance just pours a bit of gasoline on my smoldering fire from time to time.

Lance,

See what I mean folks?

Allen,

Thanks. You are proving the article content correct. Another soldier in the field!

General: Oops! Did I say “General?”

Really, I was just trying to slant the article in such a way that it made a bit of fun out of the subject – in a strange sort of way.

Now I must get back to my command post.

“I don’t know but I’ve been told…”

See what you have done Chris?

****Gary****

[Reply]

Kathy Ostman-Magnusen writes:

I’ve broken out of the barrack men!

Yet alas! I see that the enemy is not far behind.

Humm I am waiting to see the white in their eyes but realize I have not painted that in yet.

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Kathy,

As they said in “Zulu” … “don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!”

Or was that Beau Geste?

Very good Kathy.

By the way, have you shored up the flanks? Never allow yourself to get outflanked.

I bet – right about now – Chris wishes that he never made that post – LOL!

Gary

[Reply]

Allen Taylor writes:

Does this also apply to article marketing?

“As you know, you go to war with the Army you have. They’re not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time.”

Donald Rumsfeld

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Hi Allen,

Let me try to decipher what that means in relation to article writing…

The more articles you write the better you get – therefore, the better the quality becomes. So, your later articles SHOULD be more powerful than your earlier articles.

Speaking for myself (like, who else could I speak for?), I am ALWAYS trying new ideas.

One thing that I have been trying lately is what I call the “NOT” technique. That is, if you want to (fill in your own idea) then here is what you should not do.

You see, I figure that people are told so often what TO DO that maybe they might like to get an opposing view. I have done a few of these lately and they have been good fun to write.

My most recent ones have featured some fictitious characters – Fred Nurk and Joan Fonebone. This allows me to really go to town and say things that I otherwise would not.

Regards

Gary

[Reply]

Christopher M. Knight writes:

Kathy,

Perhaps you can paint the future… and you’re one of those ‘HEREO’s’ types (See Anthony Chatfield’s article for more info: Heroes Review: The Start of Chapter 2).

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

If I had to choose a “hero” power I’d like to be able to write as many articles as I could in record time and knock Lance off that #1 spot.

Somehow I don’t think that is gonna happen.

Oh, oh… I hope I haven’t “offended” him. We’ll see another 100 articles submitted – LOL.

Gary

[Reply]

Allen Taylor writes:

Gary, I like the “Not” technique. Maybe your next article can be “How To Tie A ‘Not’ Around Your Subject And Keep Your Fleet Sailing For Eternity.”

Then you could follow that up with “Be A Master Of The Seven C’s.” You can choose what the C’s stand for.

And my favorite: “Progressing Through The Ranks of The Article Navy: From Yeoman To Admiral in 100 Days”

[Reply]

Kathy Ostman-Magnusen writes:

Idea: I notice one of my new ezines has a writing ‘contest’ that covers needed articles every month.

On another note:

I have been thinking about my soldiers working for me. I am keeping a notebook nearby as I paint for ideas. When creative juices flow they touch everything.

I think I have resolved that if I write an article using a good keyword that really has little to do with what I am actually writing about, it is OK. (…?? )

In art my niche is maybe every-man? Everyone needs art?

I worry that perhaps my soldiers are out there not sure of their mission because maybe it is misdirected or misrepresented by the keywords used?

The main goal is to get an army together and then fine tune it? Or just let it flow and not worry about misrepresenting myself?

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Allen,

I LIKE the navy title – very NOTical.

Gary

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Hi Kathy,

You asked:

=========
“I think I have resolved that if I write an article using a good keyword that really has little to do with what I am actually writing about, it is OK. (!?? )
=========

I would call that soldier a spy or maybe a double-agent.

personally, I don’t like spies and double-agents.

Gary

[Reply]

Lance Winslow writes:

In the new paradigm of the net-centric battlespace the Future Fighting Force will need to have more than just camoflauge, armor, superior weaponry, as it will be much about information, data, bandwidth. Using remotely piloted UAVs, space age laser attack scenarios and good geo-spatial intelligence these tools will utilize all the latest innovations in technologically advanced sensors.

In other words you must be all-knowing on land, underground, on the sea, under the ocean, in the air and in space and be able to transmit thru all dimensions of the battle field bubble. I hope each online article author understands that winning, takes a streamlined strategy to insure that the tip of the sword is precise, targeted and accurate. You must use your smart munitions to win. This is not a game to be played lightly and the stakes are too high to pretend. Understand the mind of your enemy, prepare for pre-emption, expect a limited recipricol response, beware the natural guerilla war tendencies and fight the battles you can win at the speed of thought.

Press on Article Authors, give 180% and Expect to Win! Take no prisoners.

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Lance,

The most pertinent part of what you said above, in my opinion, was:

===========
“… beware the natural guerilla war tendencies…”
===========

It is the people who sneak under our guard who do us the most damage. They are like termites. You don’t see the full extent of their activities until your house starts to fall down around you. Then, it is TOO DAMN LATE!

In the case of article writing, the guerillas are certainly out there. They disable resource boxes and delete the names and website addresses of authors so that they may STEAL copyright.

I have written several articles on this.

I IMPLORE ALL authors at this excellent repository of articles to go to their Article Report control panel and look at their most viewed articles. Copy the headline/title of that article and enclose it in apostrophes. Then do a Google search.

I did this with one of mine as follows:

“Wealth – The Prime Reason Why You Are Always Going to Struggle For Money”

Enclosing it in apostrophes ensures that Google will only return EXACT matches.

You can then visit the sites that carry those exact words – YOUR words.

When I did that I was appalled at the level of copyright theft – no link back, disabled links etc etc.

This practice is far more widespread than what I first thought when I wrote those articles.

Folks, we have an ARMY of authors here – 40,000+ of them. If everybody did this and complained to the rogue ezine owners and guerilla website owners many of whom seem to be bloggers, then we could put a stop to it.

Am I talking to an army of active article writers or a ragtag band of passive roll-over and play dead partisans? Huh?

Like Lance said:

========
“I hope each online article author understands that winning, takes a streamlined strategy to insure that the tip of the sword is precise, targeted and accurate.”
========

Well, are we a force to be reckoned with?

Add your name to the list – IF and only IF this theft of YOUR proprietary information is of concern to you.

What is the point of putting a soldier into the field of battle if all his weapons are disabled?

I’m really mad about this. (as if you can’t tell!)

Gary Simpson

[Reply]

Lance Winslow writes:

But Gaaarrryy dear, you’rrr cha too attached to you’rrr cha articles cha. You need to detach and be more politically correct cha. Your opinion and perception are not really what You See, you see? Cha. You need to calm down right now and act like a whimp and do nothing and be nice cha. These people you call theives just want a better life for their families cha.

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Hey Lance,

How much is a gallon of gasoline in the US now?

Stop using it to inflame my fire, my friend. Put it in your Hummer/mobile command post. LOL.

Gary

PS: Political correctness is not one of my finer attributes. I probably didn’t need to say that, did I?

[Reply]

Lance Winslow writes:

Oh Gary, then you must need social reconditioning, therapy to get with your inner child and ask yourself; How does that make you feel? Ohhh? How sweet?

Yep, there are very few men left and the complete disregard for reality and decadence while pretending the rest is absolutely absurd. Sometimes I wonder if all these folks actually even hear their own chit chat? I want to by the world a Mirror.

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

heh… heh…

Lance,

I think the only bloke who could give me “social reconditioning” would be Jack Bauer. He is a REAL person, isn’t he?

I’m gonna be in Florida and New York and Las Vegas and a few other places in May.

Maybe we need to meet and solve all the world’s problems over a couple of nice cold beers.

I meant to ask you this last time… what is “cha?” Non comprende senor.

Gary

[Reply]

Lance Winslow writes:

I think if you listen to some Girlie Men talk and tell you how things should be in the world you will understand the “Cha” thing, I do not know how to make lisp in email language. Maybe someone else can tell me?

[Reply]

Allen Taylor writes:

What? You can’t write in a lithp?

[Reply]

Lance Winslow writes:

Awesome, thanks. Then as I was saying;

But Gaaarrryy dear, you’rrr lithp too attached to you’rrr lithp articles lithp. You need to detach and be more politically correct lithp. Your opinion and perception are not really what You See, you see? lithp. You need to calm down right now and act like a whimp and do nothing and be nice lithp. These people you call theives just want a better life for their families lithp.

There thank you very much, now have learned something very worthwhile?

[Reply]

Kathy Ostman-Magnusen writes:

Good grief men! Get a grip!

Silliness has overcome you all!

There is absolutely no way the fort can be protected while the soldiers are off to the side a stuttering. Gads!

he he he…

Ahhh don’t ya just LOVE it!

[Reply]

Allen Taylor writes:

Gary, I took your suggestion and looked into my own articles. I found a website that had several of my articles posted on it with no link backs. My resource box was totally stripped out of the articles all together. I tried sending a message to the webmaster and my e-mail bounced back undelivered. I don’t guess there is anything I can do about that. Or is there?

I could post on several blogs I manage and hijack their keyword rankings on Google, but short of that, what would you suggest?

Here’s the website in case you want to look for your own articles:

[DELETED BY MODERATOR]

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Allen,

I think that site that you listed has a very appropriate name – CHEAP!

This thieving is absolutely RIFE. My own investigation has proven that and others will find EXACTLY the same thing.

These people are committing copyright theft and fraud. They are cretins (or as Lance might want me to say… cretinth – that’s cretins with a lithp).

You can always look up who owns the sites at places like Alexa and Whois then contact their ISP’s as Chris recommended somewhere on another blog.

My thoughts are that this entire thieving is due to Google Adsense commissions. The rogues strip and/or deaden the links so that the only way off their site is via the back button, by “x”ing out or following their Adsense links. Obviously, they want you to click on THEIR Adsense links so they make a commission.

I’m estimating that up to 30 to 40% of all articles that are lifted are actually stolen. I base this assumption on my own linkback statistics at http://www.marketleap.com.

Imagine that – you write 10 articles and 3 or 4 are stolen and used by rogues with no accreditation to you. THEY are making MONEY off your intellectual work. Does that rankle you? Coz it does me.

Kathy,

You mean tholdierths? That’s soldiers with a lithp.

I guess we need to keep our sense of humor – until some pustule finds a way to steal that too.

Gary

[Reply]

Lance Winslow writes:

Interesting that site did not put my articles on it and you know why? Because my articles have EMOTION and ENERGY and I am not detached from them. I let them have it, pow! BaBoooom! HA! And there it is.

We need to unplug these thieves and cowards.

[Reply]

Allen Taylor writes:

Update: I did find a customer service e-mail link on the website. I sent them an e-mail and they agreed to put my resource box with the articles but added “they may not be there much longer anyway because they are changed bi-weekly.”

In other words, we often scam people for three or four days so we can sell our stuff.

And, you know, most of the articles are my oldest ones. Yes, Gary, it irks me as well.

I use marketleap also. You really think article theft is that high? If so, it would sure be higher than average for theft of intellectual property off line.

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Allen,

It’s just so much easier to steal online – a few clicks and you can take whatever you want.

Did you like the ATTITUDE of that mob?

“Yeah, we knocked your stuff off. Oh, you caught us out, did you? Too bad, were getting rid of it anyway!”

I regularly check linkback on MarketLeap. When I have SO many soldiers out in the field – not just from this site but quite a few others as well, I KNOW that something has to be wrong.

I base that percentage on the number of articles that have been “taken” versus the linkback increase. They do not match – not even close. So I get suspicious and I go looking to see why.

When I do my random searches I find that for every ten of my articles that I locate on sites other than mine three or four have no resource box or the links back to me are disabled. I have done this every week for the last month and the numbers are consistent.

The problem is – it is a massive waste of time. I could be doing so many more important things.

The attitude that you witnessed is the same as what I get WHEN I get a reply – which is not all that often. People think that by ignoring you that you will eventually go away. This is the current way of thinking. And it works. All but the most determined people DO go away.

When proprietary copyrighted music is being downloaded in the Megabytes every minute of every day by kids who want 10,000 free songs on their I-pods, the attitude is – if you CAN steal it then you SHOULD steal it because EVERYONE else is doing it. Get in while you can.

It’s attitudinal – driven by music theft. Steal music. Steal articles. Who cares? The MORE thieves who are doing it – the more accepted the practice becomes.

I hate to say this but we might just be witnessing the start of the death of article marketing. At the moment it is still in cancer phase.

When critical mass is achieved then people will stop writing so many articles because they know that the ultimate benefactors will be thieves who pillage and plunder unabated.

Gary

[Reply]

Lance Winslow writes:

Indeed, I actually had someone tell me, that the articles they took 60 or so of them, were not of the quality they were looking for and they were already slated to remove them. In fact they never had any links on them, botched the format and then read me the riot act for quality? Well if that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. They were good enough to steal in the first place? Typical cleptos.

There is no penalty for this. There should be.

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Lance,

That would have been enough for me to remove my kevlar helmet, take off my flak-jacket, unhook my utility belt, fold up my Raybans (Aviators – as in Top Gun) then take off one glove and hurl it at the miscreant’s feet.

“I challenge thee to a duel. An article shoot out at ten paces!

You let this swine get away with that?

Gary

PS: I kept the aviators so long that they are back in fashion.

[Reply]

Allen Taylor writes:

Yeah, and get this, they e-mailed me back. I didn’t expect a response, but I got one. They asked me to send them the links to my website AFTER I had included my resource box with links in tact. In other words, “we can’t copy links, please do extra work and jump through hoops for us so we can continue stealing your stuff.”

I sent the URLs and, Lo and Behold, the e-mail bounced back. I’m going to jack these guys up – My soldiers fight back!

[Reply]

Christopher M. Knight writes:

Gary,

You’re statement:

When critical mass is achieved then people will stop writing so many articles because they know that the ultimate benefactors will be thieves who pillage and plunder unabated.

Just isn’t true.

You’re focusing on the MINORITY of publishers and giving them attention as if they ruled the marketplace. They do not rule and there are plenty of market forces designed to ensure they won’t rule.

No one has yet to make an argument with proof that the downside to syndicating a percentage of your articles is greater than the upside.

The upside benefit is far greater to you, the article marketing author, than the downside because if you didn’t agree with me… you’d have left this blog and had us pull your articles down, right?

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Good on you Allen,

If more Generals commanded their troops in this manner then the insurgents would realize that their pathetic attempts to con the search engines will result in failure.

“On-ward Christian so-oldiers marching as to war, with the cross of article writers going on be-fore…”

Heh… heh… heh… I just proof read that first paragraph and wondered whether I plagiarized it straight out of the mind of Lance!

E-gad! What is happening to me?

Gary

[Reply]

Lance Winslow writes:

I had one Democrat Party malcontent site steal some articles and so I wrote some very attacking articles and they stole those too? HA HA HA. They do not even read them, they look for heavy key wording and cool titles. So I got them back and now those articles without my name on them slam their own party. HA HA HA.

There are ways to get them.

[Reply]

Allen Taylor writes:

Good one, Lance!

My way is to use the search engines against them. Using keyword tools and back links on several blogs, I can steal their rankings at the search engines or move my “you’re stealing” post to grab the top spot so that when the name of their site is searched for, my post about them outranks their own pages.

But you’re right, Lance. They don’t read the articles. They probably have crawlers than scour the web looking for keywords and when they find them they just “snatch.” It’s an invasion of the booty snatchers, booty being the gold within our articles.

So I just send out bounty hunters to track them down and shoot them like dogs.

Chris, I agree with you. The upside is much more valuable than the downside. Back links, traffic, recognition … article marketing is here to stay, though it may change and adapt as all good armies do.

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Howdy Chris,

You must have been composing that post when I was trying to amuse Allen with my repartee.

Actually, I agree with what you have written but the KEY point to my comment was “critical mass.”

When the efforts of thieves outstrip the efforts of your good self and other repositories such as this then people will vote with their actions. They won’t tell you that. They will just do it if they feel that their efforts are not getting the reward that they once did.

The internet is a continually evolving medium. It doesn’t take too much foresight to see that the crooks and thieves are doing their utmost to ruin ALL the good systems. Look what they have done with emails.

I now get more spam than I do anything else. Providers like AOL have now become so sensitive to spam that they now mass-ban emails from people that their own customers actually WANT. AOL and even Hotmail (can you believe that? Hotmail!) are now judge, jury and executioner.

I don’t want this sort of thing to happen to article marketing. And I’m damn sure you don’t either. From our various exchanges, public and private, I know your views very well. So…

… let’s fix the cause rather than trying to treat the symptom.

I know you have plans but I just want to alert other people to take up the cause BEFORE the cancer spreads.

These thieves aren’t going to go away because most article writers sit in the corner twidling their thumbs and go “boo-hoo.”

If we hammer these ****heads then one by one they will get the message that what they are doing is illegal, morally and ethically WRONG and there are consequences for their actions.

OK. Maybe I am too militaristic in my stance on this but if you allow somebody to slap you hard and then just turn the other cheek then all you are doing is presenting them with another target to hit. They will just keep slapping to see how far they can go.

I don’t see that the critical mass I spoke of as being reached yet but you would have to agree that the number of rogue operators out there is INCREASING, not decreasing. If we do nothing then we are giving these types the imprimatur to grow in number and size.

As you pointed out – there are far more benefits by engaging in article writing… at the moment.

Gary

[Reply]

Lance Winslow writes:

We strike at dawn. We cross the river as they sleep, we plan a pre-emptive strike on their underground hideouts and we deny the insurgents and the terrorist sponsoring websites from getting weapons of mass detachment.

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Lance and Allen,

Those last two posts by you guys were so darn amusing.

“So I got them back and now those articles without my name on them slam their own party. HA HA HA.” – Lance… brilliant strategy.

“So I just send out bounty hunters to track them down and shoot them like dogs.” – Allen… maybe you just hit a weird spot in my brain but I really laughed out loud when I read that. In fact, I’ve read it about half a dozen times and I have guffawed every time. TOO funny.

Gary

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Lance,

My ninja training tells me that 3am is a better time. That is when they will be in DEEPEST slumber.

“Weapons of mass detachment”

Oh dear, you guys are providing me with a good deal of mirth. I should have left here (my command post) half an hour ago but this blog is just too much entertainment!

Gary

[Reply]

Lance Winslow writes:

Indeed at 3 am is when the human biosystems circadian rythm is the lowest good point. We attack at 3 AM. We need some Black Helicopters and the FCC, FTC and FBI to write it all down. While we take care of business and take out the Bad Guys! Bonsai !

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Bonsai? Mr Miyagi plays bonsai tree clipping when he is meditating his next move.

You mean “BANZAI!” – Die for the Emperor.

May the kamikaze (divine wind) guide our efforts and see us emerge victorious over this scourge.

Gary

[Reply]

Allen Taylor writes:

lol

Yeah, the WMD made me laugh.

Glad I could get you rolling, Gary. I had a captain, years ago when I was active duty Army, tell me, “Taylor, if you mess it up I’ll hunt you down and shoot you like a dog.” He was from Arkansas so it sounded more like “dawg.”

I guess I’m feeling a little frisky since I spent 11 months in Iraq and didn’t get to kill anybody.

Oop … did I type that out loud?

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Lance,

Do you know how to get in contact with Chuck Norris? Chuck would be good on our team to kick some article thief a**.

Chuck is so tough that he eats 4 inch nails for breakfast. Now, what article thief would not be intimidated by that?

Gary

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Er Allen,

I think Mr Moderator might come and take another sniper shot at that.

Gary

[Reply]

Allen Taylor writes:

Bonsai? lol

That’s a good one Lance. I thinking Gonzo as in Hunter S. Thompson. Can you fight a war like that?

[Reply]

Allen Taylor writes:

Gary, let him have it. It’s a decoy.

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Decoys are good.

I might write some real trash articles and offer them to some of those dweeb websites that steal my good ones.

Gary

[Reply]

Lance Winslow writes:

Actually I did mean Basai, because these throw back Tree Shrews of evolution are not humans they are plagiarising scoundrels must be cut down

[Reply]

Allen Taylor writes:

Tree Shrews! roflao

Now, that’s funny! Makes me want to branch out.

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Guys,

I was going to leaf this one alone but since we are now at the root of the problem I thought that I would show that my bark is as good as my bite.

Doesn’t that just make you pine for more?

Have I article-u-lated myself well enough?

Gary

[Reply]

Ed Howes writes:

E Gads!

My inbox is filling with martial spam. So how about an alternative approach?

Mr. Website operator. You no longer have my permission to publish any of my work on this website. Remove all of them now. Further violations will be punished.

Very Sincerely,

Ed

[Reply]

Allen Taylor writes:

Ed, that approach would work well if you can get in touch with the webmaster. But I’ve sent messages to violators that bounced back. That’s not good. Not only are they thieves but they can’t even provide a viable e-mail address to handle customer service issues, which means they are not a valid site. They’re like the man who walks into the liquor store to get a bottle of whiskey but bypasses the cash register going in and going out.

[Reply]

Gary Simpson writes:

Ed,

How intriguing, not to mention co-incidental. Pretty much that is what I have said to some of the rogues.

Gary

[Reply]

Lance Winslow writes:

Indeed these website owners cloak themselves at the Domain Register and use other cloaking tools. If you threaten them they attack you. The Internet is almost completely out of control. They attack our Online Think Tank forum all the time. We have tried various formats and still these punks get in.

Several folks made mention of this at Davos 2007 this year. All the regulatory bodies promise to do something? But in reality there must be a 1000 bad guys adding to the scammers a day? It is overwhelming the Internet. They hijack servers, send out spam, load viruses and spyware, it is unbelievable.

These little prickley tree shrew vermits are nothing compared to the rest of the issues, so it is a low-priority. But it is causing issues. Upsetting information flow and destroying this great communication device.

[Reply]