Just a bit of AMUSING conversation to share with you all. I am posting it in OFF TOPIC because it is the only place I felt it belonged.
By now I am sure many of you have heard about this new ‘RE-POST’ feature that WordPress has installed and whether you are “for” or “against, this bit of “reposted” conversation should be eye-opening to one and all. Read on and tell me what you think.
The day this was introduced to the WP community within the “comment section” of the release Andy P was seen saying the following things about this new feature when asked about whether or not RE-POST would copy and paste an ENTIRE COPIED BLOG to the Reposters “like list”
Andy P
June 1st, 2010 at 4:59 pm
The whole post is displayed in their like list, to comment on the post you’d revisit the original. Stats are only measured on the original post.
Andy P
June 1st, 2010 at 5:01 pm
You’ll need to like it first, but we’ll be looking at more ways to integrate the reblog feature around WordPress.com in the near future.
When Andy was asked about an “OPT OUT” Option he kindly reminded us all that we are FREE TO MAKE OUR BLOG PRIVATE (which defeats the purpose that most of us are here blogging for in the first place) while trying to convince us that this nifty little feature will really HELP us drive traffic to our blogs in his response.
Is there an opt-out option or are we compelled to allow others to reblog our posts?
Andy P
June 1st, 2010 at 6:21 pm
There’s no opt-out as it stands, but allowing others to reblog your posts will ultimately bring more people in to read your blog. If you’re concerned then you can still make a post private, or your entire blog private.
On the issue of knowing who is "re-blogging" your posts via the Stats Page:
Hi guys – can you tell if someone has ‘liked’ your post?
Andy P
June 1st, 2010 at 7:13 pm
At the moment likes are simply tallied, but we may extend this to show basic details in the future\
In fact on the very Release page where Andy P explains this feature you will find him clearly stating that the ENTIRE BLOG IS COPIED right under his screen shots of this feature in action.
FIND IT HERE: http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/we-all-like-to-reblog/
NOW…On Day Two of this release, it seem that after some pretty hard questioning about the FACT that when you “RE-BLOG” why is it allowed to take the ENTIRE POST and if you RE-BLOG it A SECOND TIME, why does it strip ALL the original Attributes to the ORIGINAL AUTHOR…
THIS FORUM DISCUSSION CAN BE FOUND HERE: http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/reblogging/page/5?replies=147
THE QUESTION ASKED:
If I reblog a post from another site, and then reblog the reblog, all links to the original article are gone in the second generation reblog. The first generation blog gets the links and the credit for the reblogged post in the second blog, but there is no link back to the blog on which the post was originally published.
31. apeatling
Key Master
Jun 2, 2010, 9:36 PM
ANDY P REPLIES:
You're forgetting that reblogging does not post the whole article. If the user actually wants to read the entire post they must always revisit the original blog. It doesn't matter how many times a reblog is reblogged. In reality, the person reading the reblog is going to visit the original post, read it, then reblog from there. It makes very little sense to reblog a reblog.
What?? Wait a minute Andy….just Yesterday you told us all that the entire post IS copied? Less than 24 hours and your backpedaling already?
ON DAY 4, A discussion in the Forums was taking place about this feature and when the discussion turned to the coping of Images and Videos and the concern that while this RE-POST offer a “thumbnail” only no mention had been made that those Thumbnails could be easily converted to FULL SIZE images once copied.
THE QUESTION ASKED:
Yes, only part of the post is reproduced. But "part" includes the first image to be found in the post, and it also includes videos and any other shortcode objects (for instance an audio player) if they are at or near the beginning of the post.
61. apeatling
Key Master
Jun 4, 2010, 1:36 PM
ANDY P’S REPLY:
Yes, it includes a thumbnail of the first image, no it does not include audio or video or other shortcode objects. Why not try it first?
QUESTION ASKED:
Because a huge mass wants to reblog others post, but doesn't want theirs to be reblogged.
ANDY P’S REPLY:
How did you come to this conclusion? I'm only seeing around 30 unique posters on this thread concerned with reblogging, out of multiple millions of WordPress.com users.
On Day 5, it appears that there is a “bug” in this feature as more people are investigating it and finding that it DOESN’T NOT do as we were told.
COMMENT MADE by Member:
Check my posts on themes ( http://wpbtips.wordpress.com/category/themes/ ) and tell me if it looks like I don't try features... The splog post does include audio or video (if the shortcode is at or near the beginning of the post, as I already wrote after I tried it) - why don't you try it first?
ANDY P’S RESPONSE:
I've just tested a post with video at the start and it definitely didn't come through on the reblog post. Do you have any example posts to test? The code should strip all short codes, so if it isn't I can fix that up. Thanks.
AND FINALLY….When it appears that the valid questions being ignored and with misinformation coming from WORDPRESS itself, the “master” MATT had no option but to SHOW UP and CLOSE the discussion thread providing us all with this explanation.
121. matt
CBBQTT
Jun 6, 2010, 10:40 AM
I usually don't like closing threads, but there seems to be a spiral of misinformation going on here. People are confusing our feature, which drives traffic to your blog, increases engagement, and builds your community, with spammers who leech off the internet.
I would like everyone to try out this feature for two weeks. See if your blog disappears from Google, if aliens come and attack you, if your traffic goes up, down, or stays the same. Reblog a few posts and see what it looks like. Like a few things. In two weeks I'm happy to have a discussion with everyone on their concerns, ideas, bugs, and hugs, but we really need people to actually use and comprehend the feature first!
Now I don’t know about any of you but I am offended that Matt took it upon himself to CENSOR a conversation he didn’t like by closing a thread. Instead of answering important questions that affect everyone here at WordPress.com he simply tells us to SHUT UP for 2 weeks and see what happens. He doesn’t acknowlege that in 2 weeks thousands of Blogs could be plagiarized all while WordPress turns a blind eye and facilitates those actions.
He again insists that this is going to “drive traffic” to blogs but dismisses any notion that spammers, and splogs will be a problem. He clearly encourages us all to RE-BLOG others works and wait to see if ALIENS come and attack us and he closes it with a concedcending attitude implying that WE the users are just to stupid to comprehend this feature without this trial period.
Sorry Mr. Matt…but this SCREAMS loudly WordPress’s view of its members and their importance beyond your bottom line PROFITS!
Well dang…lets see how long it takes for them to close down this post as well now. Wonder if they comprehend “freedom of speech”?
euphonicanon
nobodyouknow