Things I Learned From Courtney-Gate (Part One)

As many of you know, it came to my attention earlier this week that someone had stolen photos of Paprika off my blog and had been posting her image on another blog, calling her by the name Courtney. This person had even made up a different birthday for her and was portraying her as part of her family.

When the fake blog was shown to me, it made me ill. Physically ill. I think it may be one of those things that you have to see to really get the impact. It sounds weird when you hear about it, but everyone who actually saw the blog before it was taken down was sickened by it.

I don't want to say too much else about that part of it, because 1) I don't want to draw any more attention to the person who did this, and 2) for legal reasons.

Paprika's photos weren't the only ones used on the blog. There were photos of other children, as well. In the past week, we have found eachother (mostly through Facebook). We have been able to share information with eachother, which has been a great blessing.

I think it's best to move forward and talk about ways to prevent this from happening to others in the future.

Here are the lessons that I have learned this week that I'd like to pass on to each and every one of you!

1) Track who visits your blog:

The offending blog was found because a very wise woman kept great track of who visited her blog. She saw someone had come to her blog that seemed fishy, and she acted on that intuition. She was able to locate many of the parents whose children's photos had been stolen through some information she found on the offending blog. I am so grateful to her!

It turns out that tracking who visits your blog is rather easy. You can get a free tracker that you can install at one of these sites:

sitemeter
statcounter

You'd better believe, I use them both now.

2) Keep Your Real Name Off Your Blog

I will be the first to admit, I always thought it was really cheesy (maybe even paranoid?) when people used nicknames on their blog. I am not a cutesy person. But now, guess what...I'm using nicknames! At the very least, don't use your children's names.

When I started this blog way back when, I didn't know anyone who had a blog, and I never dreamed anyone besides me would read my blog. So I blogged using our real names. And after looking around online a bit the past few days, I realized I am so not alone in doing that!

If you have been blogging for awhile and you want to get your real names out of your blog, here is what you do (assuming you're in Blogger). I'm not a computer programmer by any stretch of the imagination, but here is what I did:

Go to your Settings Tab. Then stay on Basic. Then Click on Export Blog. The Save Your Blog to your computer. Then open it in either Notepad or Dreamweaver or something like that. Do a Find/Replace All on the words you want to change. Save it as a new version. Then go back to your blog. Delete all your old posts. Import your new version you saved. (You still have your original export in case you made a mistake).

Voila, your names have changed on your blog and you still have all your posts!


3) Watermark, Watermark, Watermark

I have to say, I have never been a big fan of watermarking photos. I have always thought it "ruined the image" and was unnecessary. For reasons I'll explain later, watermarking your photos is one of the best things you can do to protect your photos.

First, if your photos have a watermark on them, it will be much easier for someone to find you if they are stolen. Put your url on the watermark so if someone sees it, they can let you know.

Second, someone who might steal your photo otherwise will not want to take the time to crop out your watermark and will move onto an easier target (one who does not watermark).

I always thought making a watermark was difficult, but it's not. You will have to use Photoshop on your photos each time before you upload them to your blog, but I was already doing that anyway! There are many great online tutorials on how to make a watermark. One of these days when I get a spare sec I might make a tutorial myself. But for now, just use google and you will find lots of ways to waste a few hours and learn something new in the process!

You can also do an invisible watermark, which will not be visible on the image but will be embedded. For the purposes of deterring photo theft, and for letting others contact you should they see your photos on another site, a visible watermark is a good thing. Or, you can just do both!

4) Flikr/Photobucket

Upload your photos to Flikr (or a similar site like Photobucket) and make your settings private. That way when someone clicks on your photo, it doesn't open up big in the browser window. I was already uploading my photos to Flikr, but I have since increased my privacy settings.

Yes, uploading to Flikr takes an extra step. But once you get the hang of it, it's not too bad. You have to first upload to Flikr, and then you have to copy the html code into your blog (in the Edit HTML setting).

Here's how you do it:

After you have uploaded your photo to Flikr, click on it. Above the photo you will see a tab that says "All Sizes"- click on it. Scroll down to where is says "Copy and paste HTML into your webpage" and then copy/paste it into your blog post.

5) Add "No Right Click" To Your Blog

You can also disable the ability to "right click" on your blog. Of course, there are ways around it (as in ALL things). If you are using Flikr and have your settings set to private, this is one extra way to keep your photos from being easily stolen. Without uploading to Flikr first, this protection loses a bit of its effectiveness because a person can still click on your photo and have it open in a new window.

Here is how to disable "right click" saving on your blog:

Go to Customize> Layout> Page Elements and click "Add a Gadget" at the bottom of the page. You want to select HTML/JavaScript. Leave the title blank because the title will show up on your blog and we just want this to be invisible.

Type this code in the box ( Make sure you take out the X X in the code and put the name of your photography business):



6) Go To Law School or Make Friends With Someone Who Has!

As I said earlier, if someone really wants your photos, there are always ways around it. The goal is to avoid being an easy target. Nothing is perfect.

One thing going to law school has given me is the ability to sue people for free. Of course, I would never abuse that ability! If there's one thing this past week has taught me, it's that if someone is targeting my family, you'd better believe I will do everything in my power to protect them! I think every mom feels that way.

I have more to say, but Ginger just woke up and mommyhood calls...so those thoughts will have to wait for another day. (And yes, I will explain how I came up with those nicknames...soon!!!)

xoxo,
Erika

Your Questions Answered

I'm standing in front of my laptop, holding Ginger in the Ergo at the moment, trying to get her to go to sleep...please take a nap, sweet Ginger!

Since I've got a few moments, I'm going to take this opportunity to answer some questions that have been posted, emailed, or Facebooked to me over the past few weeks...

1) What kind of camera do you use?

It's evolving!

My current cameras are a Lumix ZS3 and the Canon 7D. For the Canon 7D, I have two lenses in rotation. I have a Canon 50/1.4 USM and a Canon 24-70/2.8L.

I am using the Lumix a lot now because it's very small and light, and I can throw it in my pocket and take it everywhere. I still love the 7D and use it all the time, but since I got the Lumix for Christmas, I have been using it a lot, too, since it is more portable.

Here's my timeline of cameras:

August 2006-December 2009: Canon Powershot Digital Elph SD550

I took about 50,000 photos on this camera. It was my only camera the first year of Paprika's life. It was great. Then the pixels started to die, and the flash wore out, and by then, it just wasn't cutting it anymore. We kept it until this past month - and up to that point, I was still using it often for park trips, etc.

September 2007-November 2009: Canon Rebel XTi

I took about 30,000 photos on this camera. I got it for my 30th birthday, and it was my first digital SLR. I started with the kit lens, which I had for about a year. Then I upgraded lenses. Then I upgraded again. Finally, I ended up with the lenses I have now.

The Rebels are great cameras, especially if you are transitioning from a point and shoot to a digital SLR. I used the camera every day, and felt like at the end of my second year of using it, I was just then maxing out its capabilities. I am sure there was still a lot I could have done to improve my photography with that camera, but I felt ready to upgrade when the 7D came to market.

November 2009-Present: Canon 7D

My second digital SLR. I took 10,000 photos on it the first month I owned it. This camera has everything I could ever want in a camera. Yes, it's not full-frame, but I don't care. It is amazing. If I had to choose between having a car and having this camera, I would choose the camera. (Truthfully, I use my camera more than my car). The only downside is the size. It is a beast and hard to operate when I have Ginger in the Ergo front-carry, or when I am already lugging around a lot of stuff for the girls.

January 2010-Present: Lumix ZS3

This is my point and shoot that replaced my digital Elph. So far so good. I got really spoiled by the 7D, and this obviously doesn't have many of the capabilities of the 7D (specifically, it doesn't funtion as well in low light). For broad daylight shots, it's great. For indoors, I use the 7D.

I feel a little lost with the Lumix because the menu options are so different than the Canons- but I'll learn! (Hopefully).

2) Where did you get Paprika's princes wardrobe thingy?



One Step Ahead. You can even have it personalized. The pink is a little cheesy, but when I looked at all the options on the market, this one looked like something she would like best (even if I wouldn't like it best, does that make sense?) It was super easy to put together. I put it together myself during a particularly brutal week Mr. Mustard had on Dancing With The Stars. He was working crazy hours and I took out my frustration on the wardrobe construction. It's built mostly right...a few screws missing maybe, but so far it's held together okay.


3) What is your favorite baby carrier?

The Ergo. I have had every baby carrier on the market (literally). Mr. Mustard laughs at me because when I was pregnant with Ginger and going out of my mind with worry (will she be born alive? is she still moving? where is her heartbeat? why is her heartbeat slower today than yesterday? is my placenta going to hold up?)...um yea...when I was out of my mind with worry, I would buy used baby carriers on Ebay. That was in addition to all the carriers I had left from Paprika.

By the time Ginger was born, I had drawers of slings, mei tais, wraps, front carriers, back carriers...you name it. Big brands all the way down to mama made ones.

Ginger last week:



The truth is that the only carrier that really works for me long-term is the Ergo. I love it. We have three. Today we went for a three mile hike with Paprika and Ginger. I wore Ginger in the front (almost 20 pounds), and Mr. Mustard carried Paprika (all 37 pounds of her) on his back in another Ergo.

It's definitely been my best investment in terms of baby carriers. All the other carriers I sold on Ebay recently (and got back what I paid for them...the beauty of buying used). Ergo does not pay me to say this. In fact, they don't even know who I am!

But, having carried Paprika in an Ergo since she was 6 months old, and now Ginger, I can say it is a mainstay in my parenting bag of tricks.

Paprika in her Ergo, November 2007:



Now, my friend Ann has an Ergo and she doesn't like it because she is 5 feet tall and it feels too big for her. So, short people might not get the same experience I get from mine at 5'6.5" (yes, I count that 1/2 inch!)...


4) Do you ever sleep?

No. But, Ginger is sleeping now, so I am going to lay her down in her crib (on her lambie) and give myself a little break. Til next time! :-)

From Scratch

One of the biggest changes I've made over the past month is that I have stopped eating most food additives (you know, the stuff that has unpronounceable names in the ingredient list of most processed foods).

Do you remember back when I was complaining about my chronic migraines, and the neurologist said the only solution was to go on medication and stop breastfeeding?

Well, I didn't want to go on medication for life, and I didn't want to stop exclusively nursing Ginger. So...I have been on a mission to figure out a natural way to get rid of my near-constant migraines that I've been dealing with for over a year now.

One of my blogger friends, Michelle, posted this a month ago, and it set me off down a whole new path.

I know that I am very sensitive to what I eat...the things I eat affect me in a way that they don't affect most other people. For example, I used to consume a lot of artificial sweeteners, and had horrible side effects from that. When I cut all artificial sweeteners (specifically aspartame) out of my diet completely in 2005, it was really life changing for me. I had so much more energy. I felt better.

After reading Michelle's post, I decided to pick up a few books and read up on excitotoxins and their effects on the brain. So far, I have read three books by Dr. Russell Blaylock. He is controversial. What he says isn't for everyone. But I have to say, it has helped me.

He identifies hidden sources of MSG in foods. According to Dr. Blaylock, MSG, Carrageenan, and Aspartame can cause the a host of health problems...including chronic migraines!

The list of hidden sources of MSG is long. Here it goes:

These ALWAYS contain MSG

Glutamate
Glutamic acid
Gelatin
Monosodium glutamate
Calcium caseinate
Textured protein
Monopotassium glutamate
Sodium caseinate
Yeast nutrient
Yeast extract
Yeast food
Autolyzed yeast
Hydrolyzed protein
(any protein that is hydrolyzed)
Hydrolyzed corn gluten
Natrium glutamate (natrium is Latin/German for sodium)


These OFTEN contain MSG or create MSG during processing

Carrageenan
Maltodextrin
Malt extract
Natural pork flavoring
Citric acid
Malt flavoring
Bouillon and Broth
Natural chicken flavoring
Soy protein isolate
Natural beef flavoring
Ultra-pasteurized Soy sauce
Stock Barley malt
Soy sauce extract
Whey protein concentrate
Pectin
Soy protein
Whey protein
Protease
Soy protein concentrate
Whey protein isolate
Protease enzymes
Anything protein fortified
Flavors(s)
Flavoring(s)
Anything enzyme modified
Anything fermented
Natural flavor(s)
& flavoring(s) Enzymes anything Seasonings
(the word "seasonings")

As you can see, when you cut all that out of your food, you can't eat much except for foods made from scratch.

I spent a whole day reading food labels around our house and figured out that basically everything I was eating before contained those ingredients. So, I quit all that kind of food cold turkey, and since then have had very few headaches. In fact, the only times my headaches have come back have been the two occasions I fell off the wagon.

And, losing weight has become much, much easier. I would say my weightloss has become nearly effortless, after months of struggling to lose 1/2 pound week eating the way I was before. I guess that's what happens when you eat fruits and vegetables...common sense, but I'm just now getting it. Better late than never, right?

Mr. Mustard was very skeptical at first. But, as he's seen the changes in me, he has become really supportive. As a family, we're becoming more conscious of the food we're eating, and I think that's a good thing.

As far as being sick with the bug that started in September, I am still sick. If someone sneezes in my general direction, I get even sicker. I picked up something yet again the other day at the pediatrician's office. I cannot understand why I have had a sore throat, cough, and varying stages of the flu for three months solid now. Nothing seems to work: not antibiotics nor steroids nor vitamins nor over-the-counter meds have fixed it. I am hoping that my dietary changes will help my overall health and immunity. Otherwise, I just don't really know what to do. I am wondering if I am going to have my chronic cough and runny nose and sore throat for life. I'm learning to live with it - three months and running, it's just become sort of "normal" now I guess.

But even though I haven't kicked "the bug"- I feel about 1000% better now that I am not battling constant chronic migraines. It's amazing how much better life is when you don't feel like your head is going to explode!