WordPress have released a new feature to help their bloggers ‘reblog’ posts that they find interesting. When the ‘like and reblog’ feature was announced at the beginning of June, it caused quite a lot of discussion, with comments ranging from the unreservedly enthusiastic that typically greet all new features to the downright negative accompanied by requests for an opt-out option.
The main problem seems to be one of copyright concerns. The majority of bloggers are not professional writers and don’t realise – or choose to ignore – the fact that, simply put, all writing belongs exclusively to the author or, after his death, to his estate, unless assigned otherwise. Copying and pasting someone else’s text is a form of stealing.