About once a week, I get an email offering me money to write a blog post about a new site, or an offer of a free product if I will review it on my "influential fashion blog", or an offer of cash or a gift certificate if I will place a banner ad on my website or blog. I guess it's nice to know that my blog is popular enough to warrant such offers, but my response is to delete the emails.
Lately, another issue has presented itself. Splogs (or spam-blogs) are blogs that exist solely to create revenue from advertising. A seemingly educational or informative post will be surrounded by advertisements that the splog owner is hoping you will click on, as each click earns them money. The problem is that these sploggers copy other's hard work and infringe on the copyright of the original blogger. I recently found a splogger that has copied over 60 of my original posts and has passed off my work as his own.
I started this blog almost 5 years ago as a way to share my love of vintage fashion. I have a huge selection of books and magazines here in my office that I've collected over the past 25 years, and I want to share the wealth of knowledge that they offer. I consider this blog to be strictly educational, and it is my way of giving back to the community of vintage lovers who have supported me, worked alongside me, and who have purchased from me over the past 10 years. It is truly a labor of love. It does not exist to bring me revenue.
It is the policy of the Couture Allure Vintage Fashion Blog to not accept advertising in any way, shape, or form. If you see a link to another website here, it is strictly because I think you will find it interesting, not because I have accepted money from the site owner to do so.
So, all you website owners and PR firms who want me to write about you, your product, or your website, don't bother to email me. All you sploggers, please take note that I will fight you by filing a DMCA complaint if I find that you have copied my work. And readers, if you see a blog post of mine surrounded by advertising, please let me know.
