Saturday, April 26, 2008

My Reply

Since it is going to take a long time to reply to each and every one who commented on this post, I decided to reply in a post, just to make some things clear.

Swair: please research your facts before you post an accusation like that..

I got a lot of comments stating the blogger credited PostSecret when she first started the Post.a.No.Secret blog. Well, I DID research the facts. Otherwise, I wouldn't write a post about it. It doesn't matter if you credit something if you're going to copy it, also with a very similar name. The idea of PostSecret is a good one, and really fun. But what I'm saying is, WHY COPY IT? I'm sure there are so many different spin-offs to that idea.

Delicately Realistic said: Thanks for bashing the memory of our old friend.

Why are people offended just because I dissed a blog for copying an idea? They're taking it personally and defending a blogger called Papillona, who is the one behind the blog.

Why?? This is not something personal! And I'm not bashing any 'memory'. The memories you had were related to her other blog. I did not insult her in any way, I only criticized this new blog, regardless of who created it.

When we create blogs, we have to prepare ourselves for criticism because we're putting ourselves out there. Do you think world famous artists weren't criticized at some point in their life? Does that make them any less loved? There are so many artists who credit other artists in influencing their work. But do they copy the original artist's style and work? No, they work FROM it.

I'm sure she was loved and has fans who were sad when she stopped blogging but this is a critique of the blog - and not the person or her personality.

Miyafushi said: I think you owe Papillona an apology.
Either way, just to let you know, you just dissed one of the first and most loved bloggers around.
Not good.
P.S. Is this post your equivalent of creative?

Again, why is this personal? Creating a blog that's an imitation of another and having someone not like it, does not mean that it makes that person less loved. It just makes them look less creative. This has nothing to do with her personality. I'm sure she's a great person who started the blog with good intentions.

The reason I wrote that post was because it really annoys me when in the Arab World, we have people who frequently copy ideas from others whereas they have SO MUCH CREATIVITY that if put to good use, they could come up with GENIUS ideas.

43 comments:

Purgatory said...

all I could "could" hear in this and previous posts were

RAAAAAAWR! RAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWR!

As a famous president of the United States once said,

"Can't we all just, ...., get along? "

Hasan.B said...

I have a question that needs an honest answer:

Did you ever download songs, movies, or a show etc. from the internet?

Hasan.B said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ms. Sarah said...

It feels personal because she's not here to defend herself and her idea...

I personally think it's a creative take on PostASecret.. instead of sending a postcard to the US, we can just design an image and send it to a trust-worthy e-mail just for the website..

"So, again, if I bashed this blogger, I'm sorry, but he/she probably deserved it."

I don't think she deserved that at all, the blog is a way of making the Kuwaiti bloggers community closer, all our thoughts/ideas/and yes, maybe even secrets, in one blog that is INSPIRED by the original...

This Lady said...

Hasan.b: I see where you're going.. but it's not the same. I don't publish or sell or send the songs to anyone. (I only download songs btw)

And I should restate what I said about 'claiming the blog as their own'. Maybe it wasn't clear. I meant that they made a new blog and its owned by them, so that makes it theirs. That's why I said they claimed it.

Swair: I understand that she was inspired, but really it simply looks like a replica.
And when you're inspired by something you create something maybe similar but not exactly the same.

And a lot of people are mad because they think it's bashing that blogger, but really it's not. I'm disappointed with the idea of copying that's all.

Imagine how the original creator of PostSecret feels knowing that people copied his ideas. Even though they were inspired, copying is copying, no doubt about it.

Hasan.B said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Hasan.B said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

So how do you feel about this: Q8igg.

eshda3wa said...

hey lady

i wrote a post once about how all shows and ideas in the arab world are copied from the west.

But people copy each other all the time, artists sing other artists songs, movies get replicated, so on and so forth. as long as u give the original credit, then its fine!

I think the original postasecret ppl would be very happy they inspired ppl all the way from kuwait! since they get credit for it.

btw i would like to add that pappi the creator of the blog is my cousin, friend, and one of the best ppl i know :)

I know u didn't mean to bash her personally, and while were all open for criticism (at least i am), i think criticism is an art, its hard to criticize a project without it sounding like ur criticizing the person behind it! cz it sure did sound like u were going after her.

cheerz darling

Anonymous said...

you are right lady and many ppl think the same way you do and we said it before you.fake fake fake.copy o copy.and you said the right thing about this subject. you have a right say and your feeling about this blogerrette is right. we know her well also and what she does o
7arekaat ha. she do deserve this swair. good you speak your mind well don lady. esda3wa you dont know ur frendly cousine very well.you dont know anything of her nice activities she does ok! mischeena inti and grow up esde3wa teksiroon il5a6ir cuz you belive lies grow up girl this papilona she has many secret right is right and worng is wrong real is real truth is truth

Anonymous said...

I understand what you're saying lady. I get annoyed when I see arabs copying famous western ideas. for example, did you see the lebanese show 'jeeran' which is an imitation of Friends? They even used a similar logo.

People! being inspired is not the same as copying. Being inspired is to do something out of the original idea. Copying is taking the whole idea and applying it all over again.
Lady is not saying anything bad about pappilona. She is merely stating her thoughts on why are people imitating other people.
You can defend pappi as long as you like. But you don't have to be defensive about the whole thing. She critisized her blog, not her, and most certainly not YOU!

True, I didn't get the opportunity to read her previous blog, and maybe she was a creative writer. But her new blog is no where near creative honestly, where is the creativeness in creating a blog that already exists by only changing the title.

il mohem: We as people have the right to say whatever we want to say. You have to be mature about it, would react in same way if your boss says something about your work?
We all have cousins, sisters, brothers, friends, etc.. who have been criticized, but we as people have to accept whatever is being said, good or BAD!

This Lady said...

3baid: they could have chosen any other name in the world, but q8igg? As in Digg? Why?

eshda3wa: people copy all the time, but does that mean that its right?

I understand you defending your cousin, but really as I said before this is not something personal. I couldnt care less if it was a girl, guy or something in between.

People are defending her as a person, and that's NOT what the post was about. It was about copying a blog. That's it.

Anonymous said...

@Purg - that wasn't the President, it was Rodney King!

Anonymous said...

wayn ga3deen ib 7a'9ana o KG? yes grow up you girls swair esda3wa they defend like you make attack on her lady like we are kids saying names to each other playing.lady you have right to say what you feel this is your place for you opinon your view on anything anyone.and this papilona she have to know all old bloggers we all know she fool no one she have no origin idea and silly girl ok but she fool only her kids her galfriends who belive her and wayed they know what is lie and what is truth we are not stupid

Purgatory said...

maybe, but I was talking about President James Dale

Marzouq said...

Its an opinion people, nothing too crazy about it!

MiYaFuSHi said...

Ok first of all, she didn't copy, she was inspired by, and thats ok especially since she gave credit.

Her idea is post a NO secret. Ie. a random thought, and it does not have to be anonymously. Her intention was to use it as a fun way to bring bloggers together and encourage their creativity.

Now many I ask you is your banner artwork done yourself? Or did you by any chance 'copy' it??

It would be quite funny to be a pot calling the kettle black ;)

ps. I know papi as a blogger only, so people should stop assuming I am defending my buddy. I am defending a fellow blogger because I disagree with this lady.

eshda3wa said...

shakoo

hahahahaaaaah

hahahahahahahahaaaaaa

hahahahahahaaaaaahahahahahaaa

sweetheart learn how to form a proper sentence then come lecture us...
thank u for the laugh

eshda3wa said...

Lady...
i understand u ment nothing personal.. its ur opinion and i respect it.. but like i said we all got defensive cz when u first read it it does sound like a direct attack on her, not her work!
no hard feelings from me babe
im sure if u do know her u would love her too ;P

Anonymous said...

Eshda3wa

hahahahahhahahahahahha

hahahahahahhahahahahhaha
hahahahahahahhahahahahaha

who said I am sweetheart my darling
maybe i am not girl DUH hahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahaha

the7akteeni shway sij bs 7asafa yinmel minich bsir3a
silly eshda3wa go defend ur boss papi yalla go love her

Unknown said...

I don't believe this whole argument is necessary. I understand where you wanted to go with this Lady, and obviously it has turned into something else!

Jacqui said...

Let's leave the fact that you are accusing people of ripping off designs or being copy cats and approach it in a different way :)

If as you stated that both blogs are the same, following the similar design format, a similar name, and similar concept. Then you my friend are a hypocrite for saying that this person is a copycat!

Need an explanation as to why? Well here goes: Blogspot has dedicated a number of free templates that are used by thousands if not hundreds of thousands of bloggers all around the world. If you say that using that default Black Minima Template is a reason to classify someone as a copy cat then you my friend are a copy cat, somewhere around this world there is another person with your White Minima Template writing about the same things that you are writing, am I right or not? Don't try to deny it because it won't work. The world is such a huge place and thoughts are only as unique as the region they are preesnted in :) Therefore put this thought in your mind, if you are in Kuwait and Blogging under This Lady Says, some other person is in another country blogging under the same name if written in their own language and reporting daily events such as the ones you write :)

So before you bash someone's creativity or lack of creativity think of the millions in the world who you might be copying :)

There are millions of other people in this world dear, don't think it only revolves around you :)

K.thekuwaiti said...

There is nothing new under the sun..

Ms. Sarah said...

Dear "Shakoo",

ThisLady knows that my comment is respectful.. Just because we don't agree on a specific topic doesn't mean I'm calling her names... We happen to be having a civilied conversation actually..

And I only know Pappi through blogging, and just like Miya, I just happen to be speaking in her name because she's not here to defend her idea (and not her character, as ThisLady mentioned)..

And I repeat that if anybody was accusing Pappi of stealing an idea, she wouldn't deserve it...

Heck, nobody on this earth should be accused of being a thief or any similar name... Even you (no matter what the heck you do with your life instead of bashing people in a comments section)

Which brings me to my next point, I suggest you stick to ThisLady's rule of NOT bashing any people.. So if u agree with her topic of copying ideas, I suggest you stick to that and not talk about Pappi's "dark secrets", because that just makes you look bad..

This Lady said...

God, why are people taking this the wrong way??

Opinions are opinions, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. It is an OPINION.

And I know that so many of you are defending a PERSON and this is NOT what the post is about. It is about copying an idea.

Miyafushi: Yes, actually my Header is my work of art, because try as you may, you will not find this image anywhere on the internet (or anywhere else). They are images that I collected, put together, edited and do not exist in this color, structure or layout.

Trust me, I'm no hypocrite.

Jacqui: If the blog was black, but had a completely different content or purpose, then it wouldn't be an issue. But the issue here is the name: PostSecret vs. PostanoSecret and the whole concept.

I still stand by my view and I know a everyone else will stand by theirs. Just respect my opinions like I'm respecting yours.

Like I said, this is nothing personal. Its a critique.

I just have one thing to add, would the reaction of those who commented be different, if the blogger was not their friend? If it was some random person who wasn't part of Safat, or your blogging community, would you still stand by the blog?

I'm pretty sure that the reaction would be pretty much opposite of what's being said. Think about it in all honesty.

Hasan.B said...

I did not know that blog nor did I know the blogger. My opinion would be the same. I made my point, I deleted my comments because It was not going to change a thing. What is the difference between stealing and copying?? I just can not understand why do you think its okay to do that and not okay for people to copy? It does not matter wether it is shared or not.

Delicately Realistic said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Delicately Realistic said...

1. You made numerous statements in your reply post and comments like these:

"I did not insult her in any way, I only criticized this new blog, regardless of who created it."

"And a lot of people are mad because they think it's bashing that blogger, but really it's not."


Next, I will show u a few of the statements that u made in ur original post that may seem insulting or offensive:

"...people who go and SHAMELESSLY AND BLATANTLY COPY the whole idea, and claim it as their own"

I assure u there was nothing 'shameless' or 'blatant' about Papillona's spin on PostSecret, as she very clearly gave credit to site on the first post. Nowhere in the blog does she claim that it is her own idea.

"FIRST, Copycat's layout and black background, is the same as the original"

You refer to her in the title and throughout the post as 'copycat'. I do not recall that calling people names is a form of positive criticism. Please correct me if i am wrong.

2. "PostSecret has had hundreds of millions of visitors since they started because of their originality and ingenuity."

I dont know if u r familiar with a site under the name of www.grouphug.com who published a book called Stoned, Naked, and Looking in My Neighbor's Window: The Best Confessions from GroupHug.us if u could kindly go to the amazon page for the book u will get a look inside the first pages of the book.

On the first page the creators talk about how the project was brought to light on 29th Sept 2003. They went on to publish the book version in 25th Nov 2005. Keep these dates in mind.

Now we go on to PostSecret. Could u kindly go to the wikipedia page for PostSecret.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PostSecret
According to wikipedia the site was created 1st Jan 2005 and the first PostSecret book was published on the 1st Dec 2005.

Does PostSecret seem so genuine and original as u used to think? Now i am not implying that PostSecret copied Grouphug, but their ideas seem to be very similar. I dont see them pointing fingers at each other. Im just saying there is no harm in using someones idea and putting ur spin on it, as long as u give credit to the original creator. Which the poor girl did.

Im sure if u searched the net ull find at least a dozen different sites with the same idea, and probably without even crediting PostSecret.

3. About the whole issue of the template being 'black', would u have felt better if the template was white for example ????

4. You told Miyafushi that u "collected" these images. Since u are such an advocate of originality and creativity and crediting authors, i think that in all fairness, u should give credit to the the site/person/artists/place u "collected" these beautiful images from.

5. Do not accuse Arabs of being the only immitators. The west has adopted thing from the east as well. Do u forget 1 or 2 rap and techno songs who used famous tunes from Um Kalthom and Abdul Haleem? I dont remember them giving the original creators any credit ? Do u?

I recall a famous quotation that goes a little like this:

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"

How can a little toddler learn to hold his spoon if he does not watch his mother and imitate her? How can we learn to write, play football or ride a bike if we dont copy those who know how to do it?

If you ask me, without imitation, human beings would not evolve.

P.S. I put all ur comments in italics and between quotations marks ba3ad 3alashan ma tgolen ana bugt kalamich o shay ;P

P.P.S. This is not personal against u either. We are not just defending our friend because she is our friend. But we all witnessed the creation of her blog and we know what her intentions were.

Anonymous said...

"Fight for your opinions, but do not believe that they contain the whole truth, or the only truth." - Charles A. Dana

Humans by nature are opinionated and copycats: You, me and everyone else. The question is, who cares? Why make such a big fuss about it?

No one deserves a bashing unless one has received a bashing first. Correct me if I'm wrong? We're in a copycat culture.

And may I drop a comment for that 'shakoo' character? Thanks.

Shakoo: "esda3wa you dont know ur frendly cousine very well.you dont know anything of her nice activities she does ok! mischeena inti and grow up esde3wa teksiroon il5a6ir cuz you belive lies grow up girl this papilona she has many secret right is right and worng is wrong real is real truth is truth"

And who are you to judge a person that you don't know? Do you happen to live in Papi's head? No. Do you know the difference between truth and fiction? No. So kindly keep your fascinating ignorance to yourself. :)

Sorry for the long comment, nice blog though. :)

Jacqui said...

Who said I respect your opinion? Who said I had to aslan? You are just missing the whole point of the comment, somewhere out there, there is a person with another white blog writing your stories or whatever the hell you write and just blogging it in a different language. Does that mean that they are copying you without a thought in their head? Or does that mean you are copying them?

There only just a few unique thoughts in the world, if there were billions of unique thoughts then you would see this world filled with geniuses unlike yourself :)

Again I wasn't defending the blogger who started the blog or the blog itself. I am trying to state that not everyone is technical literate enough to change designs, and not everyone cares enough to do so. A simple black or White design is all they need to publish anything.

So simply go kill yourself because you will soon realize you're not as unique as you thought you were :)

MiYaFuSHi said...

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL@collected ;)

Unless you grabbed a can of spray paint and graffiti'ed those walls yourself, then all you did was STEAL those images from the net, stick them together and put your 'THIS LADY' on top.

WITHOUT giving credit.

Yet you are bashing a poor girl who did the same thing but DID give credit.

That dear is the definition of HYPOCRITE.

MiYaFuSHi said...

Oh and I am not bashing you personally, merely the 'idea' behind your banner :D

*rolls eyes*

Anonymous said...

i am hesitant to comment as it seems like everyone is taking this way too personally.

In my humble opinion .. we should not label things as copycat etc...

At the end of the day i think that our society has a problem with the concept of scarcity .. they feel that only a few ideas can be successful and once one person is successful with their idea then people use the same idea because they don't realize that the world is full of ideas and everyone of us has an idea in them but they don't develop it ..

The reason is that we don't spend enough time nurturing our ideas to believe in them ..

we would rather take on someone else's idea because we know it is a successful one ..

However, i think if we all spend time thinking about what we are passionate about then we will all find areas and ideas we can work with .. We just have to be patient and look within ..

This Lady Says is trying to say that instead of genuinely looking in are hearts for the creative ideas we tend to look at other successful people and use their success. We end up living someone else's life and not the one that was meant for us ..

I don't know if it was a personal attack on the person behind the blog .. but if we can all just look past that and understand the concept and the potential we all have then we might understand what this lady is trying to say ..

Let us all look within ourselves and try to find our creative idea!!

Also, there is nothing wrong with looking at other people's ideas and learning from them .. but we should not betray our creative sides and be satisfied by using their ideas .. we should see the areas that made them successful and try to apply them to our own genuine ideas ...

I hope i'm making sense ... i'm not bashing or offending anyone .. just wanted to share my view :)

Ms. D said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ms. D said...

ambeh yahal!!!!!

*tamsik eid lady ow ero7on etimashon*

Unknown said...

I don't think its as much copying as it is applying it to the local scene.

This has been going on for ages and its quite common all over the world, i.e. its not specific to the Arab world. Everyone copies from someone else. As they say: "There's nothing new under the sun."

In general though, I think this issue has gotten blown way out of proportion. I didn't find what you said about Pappilona that offensive. I've met her and she's a very sweet, very smart girl and i don't think you were attacking her on a personal level. You were, as you said, just critiquing her blog...

All in all, I think you guys need to chill out. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, and I read much nastier things on blogs than what This Lady said... so chill out guys.. its all good :)

Anonymous said...

Jaqui, Miyafushi: You are being unbelievably immature. What are you a couple of 5 years old?

Jaqui: At least have the decency to act like a wise person without having to resort to "go kill yourself" Whaaaat? What makes it funny is you're acting like a kid when in fact you are 20 something. This lady clearly stated its her Opinion you don't have to like it and you sure as hell don't have to be disrespectful. Look at eshda3wa for example. They way she reacted towards everything and Pappi is her cousin makes you proud how there are respectful people out there unlike yourself. So please do us all a favor and grow up.

Miyafushi: Stop will you! God everytime I read your new comments I want to hang myself. You keep repeating the same thing over and over again. She wrote the post and there is nothing you can do about it, so live with it.I remember reading once in one of her post, comments from people admiring the new banner and she did credit them sweety.

Oh and I visited your blog many times, and you're opinionated on some things, how would you like it people just bashed your blog and your opinions?

Jaqui, Miyafushi please don't deny that you're taking it personally because you obviously are.

What's said is said, there is no turning back. You don't agree with the post, ok then you had the chance to comment. Now you can move on.

Hasan.B said...

Okay, people are taking this way too personal. Shda3wa kill yourself?? Before commenting use some brains ya akhi.

Big Pearls said...

what the hell is going on?
*wa7da tawha rada mn break..ma tadri shel salfa:p*

Shayouma said...

You know what? I still donno what is point in the that blog? and how does it work, like people send postcards or something? *thinking*

Jacqui said...

It's funny how people read that I am defending a blogger and not stating the obvious. I seriously don't get you guys. And so what if I said go kill yourself, does that have to imply I am 5 years old, and so what if I am 5 years old? At least I have the decency to think that not all blogs that follow a certain criteria are copy cats :) That's to say that all those technology blogs out there are copy cats of each other oh and they all post the same posts but in different formats.

i.e. Gizmodo.com and Engadget.com both have exact same material stated different, but with a team of designers have come up with different looks, now if there is an Arab site that used the word AEngadget then you're going to say omg they just stole the name and same format. Get a life and start researching the different ways of elaborating on an idea :)

In the end I don't give a rat's ass for anything you say and this is the last comment that will be mentioned here. Oh and your minions who happen to defend every word you say are doing the same thing as those who are loyal to the memory of such a blogger.

*Waiting to see what other blog is copying or stealing it's ideas from another :)*

Anonymous said...

min sijich? ignore. why do u care wat a bunch of random ppl that have internet page thingies. it is personal bcz u choose 4 it to be. iggg and then nore. :)

Anonymous said...

I agree with this lady I think it's a copy cat and it's un ethical