Wow! You must be flattered! Or scared... that's kinda creepy I guess. Kinda like he's stalking you.

Oh but look, he credits you and praises your episodic-ness.

"...with lots of helpful formatting, content and layout ideas adopted from Caterina Fake's weblog."

I disagree. These are not "ideas" that have been "adopted" -- it's identical!

Swiping the content is what really gets me. That is not credited!

I'm embarassed! You've busted me red-handed. My apologies!

However, in the interest of clearing up communication, a couple things:

1. I want to acknowledge you for your weblog. It was the first weblog I'd seen, and inspired me to create one.

2. I'm not interested in stealing your content, but was borrowing from your layout, which I like, to help bootstrap the process of creating an MT-based weblog.

3. The actual MT-based site is being created, but isn't yet hosted. It should be in a few days. The site you saw was a static earthlink fare I was using temporarily (only overnight).

Anyway, thanks for your weblog, and I promise not to steal any of your content, although I might link to it.

Heh. It's OK, Michael. It's a web tradition to point out layout swipings online.

Many people have used my design, but only after asking first. (And they didn't steal any of the content!) I have no problem with that so long as it is credited permanently on the sidebar. Those are the conditions of my Creative Commons license.

Now that the site is down, and people can't see it, what Michael did was copy the entire layout -- the whole style sheet! -- changing only the "caterina.net" at the top to michaelcraig.net" and filching -- word for word -- the sidelinks on the side.

But I think he's contrite.

:-)

I didn't see the site but aside from the stealing of content (which is wrong), your design is so basic and generic that you can't really call it "yours." So many people have this design and I'm sure not all of them have seen Caterina.net.

So while you can get after him for content, don't blow such a fuss over design - you don't really have a unique one.

Well Al, picture this: exactly the same!

No, it's not super unique. I mean, we're all in agreement that Verdana or Georgia is the only way to go these days.

Nonetheless, as I've already said, people are welcome to use this design, even as is, so long as they tell me about it, and credit it. (i.e. adhere to the Creative Commons guidelines linked to on the sidebar)

I disagree, Al. While Caterina's design may be fairly simple and elegant, for someone to use the exact combination of colors, fonts and dividers that she uses constitutes ripping off in my book. I look at it this way: if someone wants to start a blog and doesn't know how or doesn't have the time to create his or her own HTML and CSS, he or she should visit sites that offer free templates rather than just "borrowing" someone's design who designed solely for his or her own purposes.

Wow, I'm a bit shocked that you immediately assumed that one of your readers would intentionally "steal" your design and content rather than thinking, maybe this person is "new" and interested in the basic layout of the site and is using the content as filler and will eventually go back and remove it as well as change specific design details like fonts, colors, etc. You must not think very highly of your readers! It also seems mean spirited to further rant about it even after he's apologized or to have posted it publicly in the first place rather than contacting the person first(who is obviously new to weblogging and most likely did not intentionally mean to offend). I'll assume that his email address wasn't posted since I think more highly of you than that.

Well, Michael thought it was theft himself. See below! He's also since asked permission, and it was gladly given (so expect to see it up at www.michaelcraig.net). I would have written him first, when I first saw it and was annoyed, but there was no contact info on his site. But I knew if I linked to him, he'd respond, and did.

And that sounds like a happy ending to me!

The site is down, but it sounds as if Michael just used the layout to tinker with on a temporary site, and somehow people found the site. True, it's online and therefore public, but it really sounds innocent. I mean, why would someone copy some else's personal content? The side links are pretty darned specific to this site.

My goodness, May. What are you, the Moral Supervisor of the Internet? And why are you under the impression that Caterina should automatically think highly of everyone who happens to visit her site? I guess she should also leave her door unlocked, because anyone who comes to visit must ipso facto be a Highly Superior Person.

This has been an interesting dialogue - I have a few thoughts...
First - Whether it was innocence, a mistake or another justification what Michael did was completely inappropriate.
Second - Given that, I acknowledge Michael for speaking up about what he did.
Finally - Despite Michael's disregard for her property Caterina continue's to handle this like an 9 year old.

Interesting dialogue ... neener neener?

Jackson, I think you must be reading in to her last comment ... she "was" annoyed, "permission was gladly given", etc. Sounds pretty reasonable to me, despite the fact that I'd disagree with you about the "complete inappropriateness" of the original act.

But anyway, let's return to those, uh, literaryisms and the breaking news.

Yeah, I'd be pissed if someone swiped my site and content! That's just not OK>

i need to confess that i too have stolen caterina's lay-out. many years ago. back when it looked a bit different. but i stole it all the same. i did permanately acknowledge it on the site itself, though i must again confess that i did not use the word 'steal,' or 'stolen' or 'theft' in any way. i don't even recall having asked permission to rip off the site, but i figured that since i knew ms. caterina, somehow i could get away with it. i was lazy. clumsy. not very creative. and guilty.

and thus, i confess for the sin committed back in 2000 or 1999, and for the lack of repentance i have shown since that fateful day.