Topic: IsMyHome.com
Yesterday's post had a few comments I wanted to respond to and since I know some folks blow right on by the COMMENTS section, I brought 'em into their own entry on the main blog.
Jus Wunderin chose to advocate for the dark side:
"is it just me or does it seem like there is one voice missing in this debate? i scrolled back to the beginning of the dallas blog and it was only raine posting from about mid-june. based upon what david was telling you, what is it that they could have been telling her? if she's been involved since day 1 and is the editor, she would have the right to modify postings. sorry to be devils advocate but just tossing in my opinion since i've been accused of stuff i haven't done in the past and it sucks."
You make a good point, Mr. Wunderin. When David Peralty gave me the job, he made a comment in his email stating, "We require at minimum 25 posts a month from the editor."
Because I assumed David was the editor, I asked for some clarification around this term. He responded with, "Yes, you would be an editor."
I gathered from this that both Raine and I were editors. Neither of us were the editor. We were just editors together, I guess. I think it's some awkward terminology to be honest.
You also are correct to wonder what they were telling her. David Peralty never indicated that he was unhappy about what I was reporting to him. As illustrated earlier, he encouraged it. I've no doubt that he was communicating poorly with her as well.
That said, it does not excuse Raine from the previously cited acts of plagiarism. David never denied that some of her content was lifted verbatim from other sites. But apparently he supports the theft of other people's work because those posts are STILL over there on Dallas.IsMyHome.Com.
Thanks for your input, Jus.
David Peralty, IsMyHome site runner, weighed in with comments of his own:
"Hi Aron, while these e-mails were sent privately, and not intended to be posted, what comes across here is the lack of respect and a lashing out that I hoped we could avoid."
First, you gotta give the respect to get it, Dave. You dealt with me in a less than professional manner - though you said it all in a very nice way. Second, I neither regard this discussion as disrespectful nor inappropriate. I'm disagreeing with you and supporting my position with facts and documentation. But I forget, you don't care for facts and documentation. You just care about the web traffic.
"In working with isMyHome, the only negative situation I have thus far had to deal with all comes from you two.
"All of the other writers are doing well together and are having a good time with this."
Question: Have the other writers had their posts deleted and altered by their co-bloggers? Because if they haven't, you're comparing apples to oranges.
"At any other workplace this type of attitude would be grounds for dismissal, and I gave you both a fair bit of time to work it out. Instead I got daily e-mails from the both of you complaining about each other."
I couldn't agree more. But at any other work place, the manager would have told the two parties to get it together or they're both out. You never did that, David. If you'll recall the email you sent after I shared one of Raine's particularly offensive actions, you said: "This is EXACTLY the things that make me glad you are around."
A poorly crafted sentence, true, but one in which you told me that you valued the feedback I was providing.
"I really thought long and hard about this. I almost wanted to open two different Dallas related blogs because honestly, I think you are both great people, great writers, and could do very well not only for me, but for yourselves. It is a shame how things turned out."
Zach posted a comment to this that I wholly agree with: "You thought long and hard for all of thirty seconds about how to make this Raine person happy cuz she brings you more hits at the moment. It's short-sighted."
Zach went on to say: "You don't have to change your behavior at all, and ismyhome.com will be just as big and wonderful and glamorous years from now as it is right now. If that's all you want, don't change a thing."
I couldn't agree more, Zach.
But let's get back to David:
"I do wish you well, and I hope that everyone who reads this will learn from this."
I'm sorry. What's the lesson, again? If you report unethical activity you get shit-canned? Nice lesson. I think I saw that episode of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.
"When you work on a blog that isn't your own, and isn't solely published by you, then you must find a common ground, communicate, and be accepting. Anything else will create conflict."
I said it before, Dave. You know I'm going to say it again. If at anytime you had told me "get along or move along," you would have gotten exactly that from me.
Thanks for everybody's comments.
I've flown 3638 miles this week, been in three different airports twice, and rode the center seat home tonight wedged in between two sweaty guys. I'm hot.
I'm tired.
On top of all that, I got fired this week.
I am going to bed.
After I shower, that is.
Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net
