Committing The Robbery: Blogger-Style

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You know what it is when someone commits "the robbery"? Essentially they steal the guy or girl you were macking on. I have always thought it was a funny phrase...
Until I experienced "the robbery" occurring in blogland. Holy.Twitter.Drama.
Right when I first started blogging, my friend Samantha had a girl who was word for word copying her posts and using them as her own. I thought it was insane. Why would people do that??? I felt really bad for Sam and I knew she was upset, but I never understood what she went through until it started happening to me.
Yes, "the robbery" has been committed towards me many a time. At first I saw a blogger take an idea I came up with and use it as their own. I try so hard to make up new ideas, so seeing someone do that really irks you. Then I found girls taking pictures, recipes and posts and using them as if they wrote them, on their own blogs. I emailed them...some took down the content, some gave me credit, some ignored me...
Then came the icing on the cake. I started getting emails, messages and comments from girls saying someone just recently took my Cara Box idea, which is an encouragement box sent out monthly, and use it like it was their idea on their blog. Oh I was mad. I know there are a ton of monthly exchanges that girls do, but I carefully googled and researched to make sure my Cara Box idea was unique before I started it. I couldn't find anything like it. The thing that made this seem like it COULD NOT be a coincidence, is that this blogger has followed me for some time on both Twitter and Instagram. It would be really hard for her to say she never saw the exchange. On top of that, there has been past accusations of similar blogger misconduct on her part.
Even though this really upset me, there really isn't anything I can do. Just like I couldn't make those other girls take my pictures and posts off their blogs. I have talked to a lot of bloggers who have experienced this and I know it is so frustrating. What you have to come to realize is that you really can't control other bloggers. All you can do is focus on your own creativity and the projects you create. You can't waste time blasting each other on Twitter, posting ridiculous posts in your defense...because let's be real....all it does is make you look like an idiot.
Your real friends and followers know who you are, they love your writing and your ideas. Those people KNOW that you started a project or an idea and that's all that matters. That was proven to me when I had friends step up and share with me when someone tried "the robbery" on me. Does it drive you insane? Yes. Does it make you want to rip them apart publicly? Heck yeah.
But in the end, those blogger thieves know what they did. They will live with the fact that they took other people's ideas, instead of creating their own. The truth will catch up to them - WITHOUT you playing judge or trying to punish them yourself.
So to anyone who has been robbed of something in blog land: I feel you...I know what you are going through. Go kick a chair or punch a wall and then move on. Dwelling on it will only eat you up.
And to you thieves: Don't think that people don't see what you do. Yes, a lot of people may give you credit for your great idea, awesome recipe, or beautiful photography...but in the end, you will have numerous people who see the truth...and most of all, you have to live with yourself and the fact that you stole from someone else.
***I have disabled comments on this post. I did not write this to gossip or start anything with any other bloggers. This has turned into an ongoing problem in blogland that I felt should be addressed, however I have no desire to publicly call out or bash any particular blogger(s) by name.
"I've left the sunshine, sand, and small town, in exchange for rainy days, royalty, and romance."
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