To think that a website shouldn’t steal your post and use it as an editorial without express permission?

[PinkyU]

More than a decade ago I posted a response to someone, on a parenting forum, who was questioning the benefits of breastmilk after 6 weeks. The post was fairly long but well thought out and structured (if I do say so myself).

A couple of years after posting it I found out that the parenting site has taken my post, verbatim, given it a headline, some pictures and advertising and had published it as an uncredited editorial. The format suggests that each section is factual and scientifically based (it’s not, I know because I wrote it).

It’s been over a decade now and it’s still standing, bringing in advertising revenue and touting itself as researched facts. The information has also been used, verbatim, on other breastfeeding sites, which blows my mind.

Periodically it pops into my brain, I check if it’s still there and get annoyed and consider if I can sue them?

Am I being pathetic and should let it go after all this time or AIBU to think website shouldn’t steal posters content?

Have you considered actually contacting the website?

They should not have done it, but you have left it too late.

Why did you not speak up at the time?

So you're posting about it on MN rather than contacting them because??

Part of the T&Cs of forums is (usually) that whatever you post on forums can be used in such a way.

If you don't like that, then don't post.

Sorry, yes I did contact them and they added “contributed by a <<site>> user”. They have since removed this though.

When I contacted them I expressed that I wanted it removed.

@Couldnotresist81 I was just replying to you but your posts have been removed

Yesss!! Amazing, I searched for my previous post and couldn’t find it.

As you can see I’m still bothered by it. I’m thinking it’s probably time to get over it then 😂

Why do you want it removed?

Your post is probably still available online, you wrote it to inform/help people, and it's doing just that.

Even if they wrote "contributed by PinkyU" what difference would it make?

I have posted about it before but couldn’t find my old post when I searched.

As I say, it’s something that periodically pops into my brain and I’m not sure wether just to let it go and quietly be annoyed or if I should, again contact them to say WTF

This is (one of the) precise kind(s) of thing people are worried about with AI, but I don’t think anyone is willing to admit how often it already happens as a result of human ‘intelligence’.

My very first job out of uni was for a team bringing a psychological therapy service to market. I wrote some copy for the marketing material, with various claims and promises, which I assumed would be checked and would go through a signoff process, but it was just lifted and used verbatim. It’s still out there 15 years later. It makes me cringe. And that was something I did on purpose, so not entirely comparable to your example, but it still seems so unscrupulous!

I think it’s because the way it’s being presented suggests it’s by a professional or expert or that there has been research done to support what’s been said.

I am not an expert and there is certainly not been any research done by me to support my opinions.

Exactly this!!

Can you link to it OP?

It'd be interesting to read before voting.

It’s on an <ahem> opposing parenting site that might not be welcomed on here but if you invert this sites name you’ll know what it is.

Exactly. Read the small print before you post.

No need to be coy. We all know what site it is.

On the FAQ on the site it does specifically say that the posts remain the property of the poster, but the site reserves the right to delete them. I had checked that out as I know some sites do say that they can reuse posts etc.

If you check the terms and conditions you will find that you don't own the post but the site that you posted it on and they can do whatever they want with it.
The moral of this story is don't post things you don't want shared

https://www.netmums.com/baby/your-amazing-changing-breastmilk

I'm confused. If you want it to be removed from there why are you publicising it on here?

I just googled so it may not be accurate

I’m not sure what you mean?

im asking for advice. I’ve been asked to share the post for information, as you can see I was fairly reluctant to do so incase it wasn’t allowed.

I feel uncomfortable with how my post has been subsequently formatted and presented to look researched or fact based when I know it’s not. As a poster said above it feels unscrupulous