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Thank you very much for making it clear for everyone!
These people, whoever they are, simply have no decency. Their job is done, they made their money, and they're out the door. Its pretty sad how a nice looking website and friendly sounding emails so effectively fooled many fellow bloggers. I hope that in the future, once we see other nasty behavior trying to leech off bloggers, we should try to get the word out to others so they know what's up.
I'm not surprised to learn of this outcome.
Regards./Steven
But I'd say this: asking bloggers to repost, in full, SELECTED (not every) items from their existing Weblogs and fill it with links back to the author's blog is a BETTER practice for the authors than just providing a headline and link on a blog. It's a better promotional tool for the author rather than what usually happens - links in the increasingly irrelevant right-hand column.
Sites like Blogcritics.org to the New York Times have struck such similar deals.
Example: http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/20...
It treats the blogger like a guest or featured columnist or (or in the above case) contributor to the site. That's better play. Period.
The one awful-sounding thing about the above deal is this: the blogger's work suddenly becomes the sole property of Wellsphere. Authors' works should be their own.
I began receiving the same Rutledge emails last May and ignored them. At the time, Wellsphere was plastered with ads and information on homeopathic/sports medicine and nothing resembling the community which they wanted to create.
Several of us bloggers knew better than to give away the entire contents of our feeds for nothing. Unfortunately, Wellsphere has been relentless and several of my friends have just recently signed on within the past month.
Ironically, I was hired to write for HealthCentral which I still do. We occasionally receive email notices when something significant happens, such as purchasing a site like "The Body." You would have thought that this would have been included in an announcement email as well.
I wonder what (if any) changes we can expect to see from HealthCentral.
This is one of the home disturbing things that I have ever seen. We bloggers don't blog for money. We blog to form bonds and to get support in dealing with our chronic illnesses. If money should be made from this, it should be our own, NOT some large corporation that pulled the wool over our eyes.
Now if we can get a bunch of Wellsphere bloggers posting posts that are against Wellsphere, perhaps the posts (which, of course, will end up on Wellsphere) will educate the readers and direct them back to the author's blog.
You get my drift?
Luckily, I was able to avoid the wellsphere scam by asking Dr. Val about it before hand. So I was glad to have avoided it completely. I did get a couple of e-mails about it.
Although I really have no clue why they'd want my blog anyway. I have barely any medically-relevant content on there! It's mostly personal!
I think I might've actually blogged about their e-mail and my response back. . .
Thanks for having EVERYONE's back, Val! You're the medical blogosphere's Hero! And I definetly am glad that you are smart enough to catch them in their game and help warn everyone else!
The whole deal makes me mad though!
http://www.editorsweblog.org/analysis/2009/01/d...
It's amazing to me the audacity of Huffington adn others to make millions off of free labor, and puts writers everywhere out of business. I have afeeling, though, that this business model ain't going anywhere soon...
Nice to see you the other night.
However, most Bloggers aren't in it for the money. I guarantee that my blog is better trafficked than many of those commenting here and I've lost tons of money and years of time to it over the past 5 years, desptie getting some advertising revenue--and that doesnt count the opportunity cost.
But most just want to get to get read. If they can get read on Wellspehere, what's the problem? And now they'll have even more potential readers.
And if you signed up for Wellspehere and don't like it, turn off the full post RSS feed. There is NO reason for publishing a full post RSS feed, as it's just inviting sploggers to copy your stuff (which happens anyway).
I'm sure that if you write to Wellsphere (Geoff or Ron Gutman the CEO), they'll release you from your deal
Thanks for the heads-up, Dr Val.
Be well,
MJ
Now, I'm glad I am this way.
Thanks for the explanation. I'll jump on over to twitter to find out what to do from here.
Warm regards,
Michelle aka The BearTwinsMom
Thanks for posting the complete comments/emails from Wellsphere for transparency purposes. I too declined the offer to join, but have blogged in the past for HealthCentral (and enjoyed working with that team).
One of the differences between my receipt of the Wellsphere invite and previous invites to syndicate content was this - I got on Twitter and asked the community of health bloggers there for feedback, before I committed.
What I found influenced my decision not to join. Without this very rapid feedback from fellow tweets I would have been hard-pressed to make an informed decision.
This is unfortunately a classic case of read the fine print. Once bitten, twice shy...
Previous commentors are absolutely right that many online content sites make money by selling ads to sponsors.
However, we might all want to examine what that's worth to us - if it wasn't for the money, what were we expecting from the transaction. We all want to be read - and many of us do this for near-philanthropic sharing purposes.
But let's also be honest - some of us do make professions out of being 'named' and receiving speaker invites, consulting gigs, etc. - these aims are furthered by establishing our online presences.
Let's remember there are many 'transactions' on the web that aren't monetized...we bloggers sometimes give away our content for link-love, more exposure, and higher organic Google search results. The problem here is that many didn't seem to know it and the company involved didn't make it easy to discern the terms of content publication.
Also, this brings to light the need for a clearly stated opt-out policy. It should be far easier to discontinue the relationship and delete your account with no further material being distributed without your permission.
Another suggestion - use a Creative Commons license on your blog. If you sign up with the company to syndicate content and they don't ask you to rescind it you have some support for later battles.
I have a great deal of sympathy for those who's content is now in jeopardy and hope that Wellsphere and HealthCentral are responsive to your concerns!
My personal opinion: Wellsphere stinks. The bigger company that has acquired it is now tainted. Watch out people.
I find it interesting that bloggers, with ad supported business models, are now somewhat in the position of the mainstream media who traditionally opposed open access to content.
Rather than spread the word "for free and for fun" (and yes, I get that we have to eat), and see what happens in the "tag cloud", i.e., does the idea or post get traction, and initiate a click stream of interest, it's more about whether it pulls the reader to the "branded blog" for a tour of target site content, and perhaps even invite PPC or CPA click throughs.
With Twitter or its generic micro-blogging breatheren, its seems more about real time relevance, and/or context meaning (gravity) in the "clickstream". That momentary sweet spot could be American Idol buzz, or the CBO's cost estimate IT incentives in the stimulus package (though I doubt the latter trends in Twitter's top 10).
The incentive in micro=blogging is to be relevant..... Efforts to control the clickstream by brand "blog baiting" (esp., when it's limited to the re-marketing of someone else IP), and enter the tag cloud as an branded aggregator conduit, is likely to be unsustainable.
Either an idea has relevance and resonance in the cloud, or it will fall regardless of parsed PRs, or other attempts to raise it's visibility.
Then again, I'm just thinking out loud...
I look forward to tomorrow nite's Wellsphere conversation.
Arrgggh. That's the sound of a sucker waking up and reading the truth.
Thanks for this one. Next time, I'll consult with you guys first.
I have seen the Wellsphere badge on numerous blogs I visit.
What a shame.
Funny; that's exactly what can also be said about all the HMO executives who pioneered the whole managed care movement in the early 90s.
I didn't fall for the scam either, nor several others that came my way. I suspect the only real defense is an ego strong enough to resist the flattery. Mine is fed mainly through my practice. Attention and money from blogging/writing, with its attendant attention/fame, is strictly secondary.
My name is Wanderer and I am a sucker. For a limtied time I will be entertaining requests to help you transfer money from *insert war torn country here*, buy your "male enhancement products" and your "authentic" Rolexes, but most importantly, I'll be a sucker for your flattery, entranced by your flowery prose and write well thought out blog posts for you to use for your financial gain.
Yes, I too am a Wellsphere-Sucker (copyright 2009). No traffic from them and now evidently my writings are free for them to use as they feel fit. Yes, I should have read the fine print and the TOS, but I didn't. Now I get to figure out a way to remove myself from their clutches...if I can.
Thanks to Dr. Val for the info!
But instead -without ever being asked and without getting any offer-, the content of my blog has been and is still being scammed by sites selling Viagra and/or giving dubious information. I suppose that by adding 'good content' the owners of these sites are trying to appear more reliable.
I also find this worrisome.
(But thnx Dr. Val, whenever I do get such a flattering email, I know that I should resist).
1. if you were signed up automatically by Wellsphere, by saying yes to their e-mail, and they signed you up, without you ever having seen their terms of service, or you having been required to click "yes" that you agreed to their terms of service, there was probably no valid contract formed - you didn't agree to terms you never saw!
2. even if you had seen the terms, a copyright license cannot be automatically given away by implication as Wellsphere is attempting to do here; and such a license can only be granted explicitly in writing.
3. it is worth noting that Health Central has much more legally sound, respectful and ethical language in its' terms of use: "We do not claim a copyright in the text, files, images, photos, works of authorship or other materials that you post on the Site, either as the host or a visitor (collectively Member Content). After posting Member Content to the Site, you shall continue to retain ownership of such Member Content." - People may actually be better off dealing with Health Central!
I for one intend to write to Wellsphere specifically informing them that they have no rights in any of my content despite any of their attempts to the contrary. Their language would probably be unenforceable in court, and is highly unethical, especially considering that a large number of the bloggers they deal with are chronically ill. This could appropriately be the subject of a class action lawsuit if Wellsphere attempted to enforce their attempts to license the bloggers' content.
- Megan Oltman
It was no problem to be released, and I later went back and searched with the term "Emergiblog" and found nothing, so it really was down.
I declined to write for a quite reputable site at one time because I would not own what I wrote.
I write, I own. 'Nuff said.
But boy, you would have thought I was Mark Twain personified by the way they RAVED about me in those emails! : D
they certainly sent me all their slimy marketing crap though:
http://bipolarblast.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/he...
I was onto them from the get go...
Had you done so, you would have found a rather long list of former employees who documented, in great detail, major issues with the ethics and motives of his operation. I have no idea if those links will turn up high in any searches now and I don't care.
I feel bad for those of you who feel duped, but it seems like it was avoidable. On the other hand, you all should feel your collective power and you should exercise it however you see fit.
However, by posting your content or giving Wellsphere permission to post your content you automatically grant Wellsphere a royalty-free, paid-up, non-exclusive, worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual license to (i) use, make, sell, offer to sell, have made, and further sublicense any such User Materials, and (ii) reproduce, distribute, create derivative works of, publicly perform and publicly display the User Materials in any medium or format, whether now known or later developed…
"HOWEVER?"
It should be remembered that copyright is retained by an author of an original work unless an agreement between an author and some other party says otherwise. Explicitly declaring copyright is unnecessary.
The legal passage above seems to indicate the author maintains their copyright, except with regard to Wellsphere which an do whatever the hell they want with the author's work, with no apparent requirement for revenue sharing if profit is generated at some point. Wellsphere can also sublicense an author's work to anyone they please.
Did I read that correctly? You maintain your copyright, except you don't?
There is a word for this agreement.
It is:
S-U-C-K-E-R.
Bloggers such as myself at Healthcare Renewal often over scams and dishonesty in healthcare. In that regard, I would refer to this agreement as a "meta-scam."
I followed this through Enrico's (MexicoMedicalStudent) post today. Thanks for making this clearer for us.
I too was contacted by the same Dr. about writing for Wellsphere. I did not outrightly decline, I responded by saying I would look into it when I get the chance. Fortunately, I never got the chance.
Thank so much again for making this clear for everyone.
Best Regards,
Karina
I was actually thinking of becoming a blog author for Wellsphere but I had a gut feeling that told me not to do so.
Nice job getting to the bottom of this, Dr. Val.
It would be interesting to see some of these folks think out loud about why they allowed themselves to be scammed, and then to think about how similar it is to the ways their patients get scammed by bad medical "news" or "information." Maybe they'd have a little more understanding of how easy it is to get scammed?
I hereby apologize to the blogger community from the field of Medical Informatics. Our goal is to promote informational clarity and honesty in biomedicine. This affair is, to me, a professional embarrassment.
Interesting that I was not approached by WellSphere. Perhaps it's because of my Medical Informatics background. It may also be due to the fact that I have a known no-nonsense style in dealing with questionable biomedical information practices of any kind, including IP (see my case study at http://www.ischool.drexel.edu/faculty/ssilverst... ).
This quite long story for an example of Ivy shenanigans in that regard).
I'd likely have read the TOS and then eaten the profferers of such an offer alive.
That URL can be reached by clicking here.
What I think is most unfortunate is that they've been rewarded for screwing dozens of employees, thousands of bloggers, and god knows how many other people. I hope that all of the bloggers included in Wellsphere's "network" pull out as soon as possible.
There is a much larger lesson here: don't trust MBA's who, for the large part, have few skills and little knowledge that they can monetize themselves without parasitizing the skills and knowledge of others.
Some MBA's come from a position of expertise in a domain. The MBA is a networking after-thought. These types don't seem all that common.
I don't know which type this Gutman character is, but I suspect a few former employees could fill in the details.
Maybe I'm wrong and it's more about the person than the degree, but I think there is something to what I am saying.
But I don't feel they truly tricked people. Their intent was clear.
In any case, with the magic of search engines and "link love" from one health blogger to the next, the need for aggregators like this is simply not there.
If my blog, Mr. Hassle's Long Underpants, Can't stand on its own two flannel legs, then it wouldn't benefit anyone else's blog either.
I've ignored all such requests out of simple common sense and pride in my original work over the past 6 years
fool me once, shame on you. fool me twice, shame on me.
I suggest that all bloggers who feel screwed by Wellsphere petition Google to consider penalizing the business for its shady practices. Google can override the official “lawfulness” of pulling RSS feeds and claiming property rights on the content ... and operate from an ethical point of view.
Wellsphere’s hidden print is what the internet IS NOT about…and Google has the power to make the content that they’ve stolen worthless in terms of search engine ranking. That might be our best hope.
REPORT WELLSPHERE HERE: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/spamreport
As for this story, I would like to invite interested parties to help me do a piece on Sitepoiont about this. Use my email if so inclined.
Always,
Phil Butler
P.S. Calling BS is fun
here are a few gems(you must read the comments):
http://ceppi.blogs.com/arbitrage/2007/07/reputa...
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/01/28/wellsphere...
http://venturebeat.com/2007/01/28/wellsphere-fo...
But they did make it all sound very tempting and flattering so I can see why people signed up. I guess it's true what they say, if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is
"You hereby grant Wellsphere a royalty-free, paid-up, non-exclusive, worldwide, license to use, reproduce, distribute, create derivative works of, publicly perform and publicly display your Health Blogger Content on Wellsphere.com. If you request that any of your Health Blogger Content be removed from Wellsphere.com, the foregoing license shall terminate and such Health Blogger Content shall be promptly removed from Wellsphere.com. To make such a request, please email Wellsphere at support@wellsphere.com."
So as long as you request that your content be removed, Wellsphere has no further authority to use it.
The real scam by wellsphere is that they tell you to put their widget on your blog which means you’re linking to their site while they put a rel nofollow on the link to your blog from their site… that is a nasty SEO trick.