I just wanted to say how sorry I am that people feel they can be so nasty to you just because they are hidden behind the Internet mask. That being said….the nasty commentors sure bring out your humorous side. I was seriously laughing out loud reading your comments to Mr. Camera.

I just don’t understand some people though. If I don’t like a website or I find it insulting, I just click the “close” button and never return. Oh well, I guess if you have nothing better to do but read and comment on a site you hate and find useless, at least you’re giving the rest of us a good laugh.

Deb, that was priceless! That’s right up my list along with your “I’m sorry, I was busy doing a vanity search…” reply.

And, I love the email days! I used to love getting hate mail when I was in print, and I hope to one day start getting it again.

You’re right that not all rewritten content is stolen. But does that make it appropriate or moral to flood the Internet with different versions of the exact same article?

Plagiarism is defined as copying/using someone else’s work or idea without attributing it to them. You can have permission to do so and still be plagiarizing. Copyright infringement, on the other hand, occurs when the person doing the copying does NOT have permission.

I’m not passing judgment on PLR article packs, so please don’t take offense. I understand how they work and I don’t think they are necessarily immoral, particularly as — from what I understand — each set is only sold so many times before it is retired. However, I wanted to make the point in general that just because it is LEGAL to copy something doesn’t mean it is RIGHT to do so.

signed, just another non-skilled writer at home.

Thanks for all you do!!!

Usually that type of comment comes from people who have no idea how it’s done at all!

Thanks to you and your new BFF for the Sunday laughs.

Keep up the good work and the great site.

Deb, I’ll tell you what I told that distinguished panel, it is never going to stop, and if you can’t deal with it, then get out of the business.

Take some of your own advice, dude. If you don’t like what Deb has to say, don’t visit her blog.

I think I can write because you can do that at home and you don’t need skills. Please tell me what do to start writing at home and earning money.

Brandy sounds like a perfect candidate for one of those “Make $1,000s working from home… Enter credit card number here” sites.

Well, intermediate time. Perhaps big-side-of-small time. Whatever.

My point is that for every person that hates you, you have 2-3 people that like you, maybe more. It looks like you have a lot of people that hate you. Mazeltov!

I enjoy reading your blogs and about.com page as well as Ally’s new about.com page. I do learn many things from the blogs and about.com’s and think that you do a great job of informing people on the issues.

Keep up the good work.

Teresa is right. You can use an EIN instead. Or, you can go one further and get an FEIN that becomes a corporate tax number. All of my work includes FEIN, and I’ve NEVER provided an SSN — this is over 16 years of freelance work and more than $1 million in billings.

Also, though I can’t say for sure, the whole issue with identity theft (I write about data theft on a monthly basis for a natural publication), I would think that most firms using contractors would be a little more receptive to EINs for sole proprietors.

For those that are a little newer, the reason the SSN is requested is because the company must report fees paid to any contractors that exceed $600 a year. Most will report even if it’s below that threshhold. So they can do this, firms will have contractors fill out a 1099, which asks for a SSN OR an EIN. But, as Teresa points out, you need the EIN before you can fill out the form, you can’t do it after the fact.

On an unrelated issue, good responses to Camera. Next time she comments, you might want to respond “oh, you again (yawn).”

On second thought, you’re too classy to bring yourself down to the level Camera displays in his or her letters/posts.

Thanks for the morning giggle, Deb.

Brandy, no offense but I’m insulted that you think writing doesn’t need any skill. And Camera Obscura, I don’t understand what makes people want to come to blogs and leave mean comments. Why not just stay away or keep your thoughts to yourself? Why be mean?