You refer people to the original content, that’s how.
I’ve been writing a post about the idea of “scheduling time to think”, but then I saw that Ben beat me to it, so I won’t write it now. Go read his.
I have nothing new to say at the moment, so why should I paraphrase it?
Less recognition for myself, sure. But that should stop being our main goal.
Referring may not feel as good as coming up with our own version of the same content.
But it sure helps us all a lot more.
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Love this Carlos! ‘Specially since I’m often much better at referring than writing, retooling, finding the one hidden kernel of insight not already there.
That’s my new goal: Refer the idea and the writer asap. Value add one extra inisght: the lagniappe, if you will.
I just like saying “lagniappe,” and since it’s taken me long enough to remember what it means, I’ll explain–it’s a tchothchke you get with purchase of a larger item. You buy shampoo, conditioner, body wash, cologne, aftershave pack, they throw in a stylish travel kit to hold it all. The last is the lagniappe. “lan – YAP.”
Hey, I’m an English teacher.
“It’s always about team, and there’s always better.”
Great post, Carlos.
You seem like a fun person.
Yes yes yes!!! This always happens to me! I think sometimes other bloggers are in my head reading my posts before I write them and then swiping them for themselves. A couple times I’ve debated rewriting my entire post to be the complete counter argument, just for the fun of playing Devil’s advocate, but usually I’m too lazy and too infatuated with my honest point of view that I don’t.
Damnit, I was just about to write this very same article.
Ah, isn’t that funny when someone writes about what you were just about to post? With the millions of blogs out there, that happens frequently, probably when you don’t even realize it.
So I ask you this. If someone writes about an idea or topic, should you not write about it from your point of view? If that were the case and you scoured the millions of blogs out there, maybe many of us wouldn’t have ‘original’ content or have a source. It’s not as though Ben’s post was the source and you probably had interesting tid bits that were different than his. No two people think the same.
I love it Carlos and great point, Grace,
I think you should write about it from your point of view.
Personally, I’ve been concerned with echo and have been very strict with myself trying not to regurgitate the same information. Like you, I realized the blogospehere is too huge to think I was being original.
For example, I see a lot of bloggers out there trying to change the world, they may have the same views and methods about doing so. You have this community with this common goal, so of course it’s going to be rambled upon endlessly. Since we’re bloggers and we probably read other blogs we’ll come across a lot of the same information or things we were intending to write. But I think if the goal is written with the honorable intention to change the world and help others, then write your article.
There is an audience of people looking for help and then you have your audience of fellow bloggers. The fellow bloggers may have heard it all before, but for the person looking for help, for that one article to guide them, your article may have hit the nail on the head. The same idea can be translated, made more practical,more concrete or more identifiable to a different audience based on the author’s perspective, common background and choice of language. Maybe you can explain an idea with Seinfield analogies, or maybe by relating something to music.
BUT, I do think that if you know it’s somewhere out there and you can reference the source, than give give credit where credit is due.
Agreed with both of you. Mainly what I’m saying is that if you have NOTHING to add, then don’t say it. Just refer people to the source. And I’m not saying you should look for everything before writing about it just so you canf ind who wrote about it first. But this approach would prevent people talking so much about how to blog, use social media, and all that nonsense.