I understand your concerns.  I'm sorry there was a miscommunication.  I hope we can both move past this.  As I said before I was in flux with my blogs.  I agree I should have waited before blog swapping.  It's done now.  What can I do to correct it for you?  

Rules, as well as relationships, are important to me. I didn't assume the worst from you, but wondered why my post was not used according to the rules we both signed up for. Since the topic was known when we both signed up, I'm confused about why you signed up with a blog that the theme wouldn't fit with. Also, I expected that my post submitted to a Yakezie blog swap would show up on a Yakezie blog. 

I sent the post to the e-mail address listed in the spreadsheet for Freelance PF, which I later discovered was the former Broke Professionals. I didn't know you were the same as Debt Payer and only discovered that the post was there after searching for it when it didn't show up on the blog I sent it to, Freelance PF. I've been having trouble with stolen content, as many Yakezie bloggers have lately, and I was confused to find my words on a site I hadn't heard of. 

I've continued to bring this up because I have not felt like you understood where I was coming from, dismissing my concerns as "what's the big deal?" For me, content appearing where I didn't authorize it to go is a big deal. I can't drop it without knowing that you understand that this isn't trivial to me, and may not be trivial for other bloggers you interact with in the future. So far, your response hasn't shown me that you understand where I'm coming from. 

I never speculated on motives; I'm sure that your intentions were not malicious when you posted it to Debt Payer. Although you suggested it, I never complained about the size of your new blog. Everyone starts somewhere, and I have no objections to working with a new blog. I didn't assume impropriety on your part, just asked why the rules we both agreed to weren't followed. I never said a single negative thing about you. I just asked to know where my content was going. I would have had a similar objection if a larger, more established blog had agreed to use my content and put it somewhere else. Again, I'm clarifying, not attacking. 

If you go back and reread my posts, you'll see that in every part of this conversation, I've encouraged you to stick around and participate in the group, noting more than once that you're a valued member of the group, complimenting you as a talented blogger, and wishing you success with your new blogs. Similarly, SPF acknowledged that he misunderstood and said, "Glad you're sticking around."  Are these disagreements, with members who continue to support you and encourage you to be in the group, enough to drive you from the group, or are there other issues involved?

In my year here at Yakezie, I have not had any negative interactions with members and I do not wish for this to be a place of animosity. I hope that you can see that my disagreement has never been an attack on you as a man, or you as a blogger. I do not, and did not, attempt to speak for the group. I stated that this group is polite even in disagreements, and stand by what I said: "Part of being in a group is settling disagreements in a constructive way, not threatening to leave when someone doesn't agree with you."

Saved Quarter:

Sorry that between working full-time as an attorney, running a freelance business where I write 10-30 posts per week, and trying to work on my own blogs that I forgot to write you an email explaining that I was moving the blog to Debt Payer--my personal finance blog.  What I didn't appreciate, and why I left the Yakezie--was your assuming the worst and accusing me right off the bat!  It was an oversight, a mistake!  What made me upset was that you cared to attack me in the public forums rather than shoot me an email about it.  All the while assuming the worst.  And you didn't care that for months I have been promoting other's sites, such as the Saved Quarter on Broke Professionals and now on my new blogs.  You yourself said you emailed the post to my broke professionals account.  I didn't sign up for the swap under that account.  I signed up under FreelancePF.  Yes, I should have told you that I thought a story about homeless people would look strange on my business's website so I moved it.  But I forgot.  I actually think I might have sent an email but it was bounced back--but I'm not 100% sure so I'm not going to hide behind that.  But again--without assuming I forgot or that an email bounced, you assumed I acted improperly.  And really what is the big deal?  I hope you will take the time to evaluate how accusatory your actions were/are and how you made another blogger feel bad enough that they quit a group they love.  I also hope you will learn to let things drop when they are over.  How many times have you brought this up now?  I have said all along that I encourage debate--but both people have questioned my motives.  That is the same thing as questioning the man.  I don't think you have the right to determine if the group was right or wrong for welcoming me back.  You're not the Yakezie any more than I am.  Nor did I lose any business when I quit.  I have never made a dime off this group--I'm just here for the people I care about it in this group.  The rest can deal if they don't like it.   

 

Cheers to that.

Let me know if you want me to take down the "improperly" posted article.  You can always then put it up on your site.   

Sorry that between working full-time as an attorney, running a freelance business where I write 10-30 posts per week, and trying to work on my own blogs that I forgot to write you an email explaining that I was moving the blog to Debt Payer--my personal finance blog.  What I didn't appreciate, and why I left the Yakezie--was your assuming the worst and accusing me right off the bat!  It was an oversight, a mistake!  What made me upset was that you cared to attack me in the public forums rather than shoot me an email about it.  All the while assuming the worst.  And you didn't care that for months I have been promoting other's sites, such as the Saved Quarter on Broke Professionals and now on my new blogs.  You yourself said you emailed the post to my broke professionals account.  I didn't sign up for the swap under that account.  I signed up under FreelancePF.  Yes, I should have told you that I thought a story about homeless people would look strange on my business's website so I moved it.  But I forgot.  I actually think I might have sent an email but it was bounced back--but I'm not 100% sure so I'm not going to hide behind that.  But again--without assuming I forgot or that an email bounced, you assumed I acted improperly.  And really what is the big deal?  I hope you will take the time to evaluate how accusatory your actions were/are and how you made another blogger feel bad enough that they quit a group they love.  I also hope you will learn to let things drop when they are over.  How many times have you brought this up now?  I have said all along that I encourage debate--but both people have questioned my motives.  That is the same thing as questioning the man.  I don't think you have the right to determine if the group was right or wrong for welcoming me back.  You're not the Yakezie any more than I am.  Nor did I lose any business when I quit.  I have never made a dime off this group--I'm just here for the people I care about it in this group.  The rest can deal if they don't like it.   

I still hope that you will address the issue I brought up. If it's unclear, my beef is this: It is a breech of blog etiquette to use content on a different site than was approved by the author, without first getting the author's consent. 

You assumed that my disappointment was because Debt Payer was a new blog, but that wasn't my issue. I'm happy to support new Yakezie blogs - part of being in the Yakezie group is to "selflessly promote others," not just other big blogs. I would likely have given the okay to make the change of venue had I been given the opportunity.

You've gotten a lot of support for signing up for the Yakezie challenge after your flounce, but I hope that you'll take time to evaluate the source of these disagreements. From what I've read, none of it has been personally attacking you, but questioning ideas and actions. In fact, the only two people involved in the disagreements encouraged you to stay and participate in the group. Part of being in a group is settling disagreements in a constructive way, not threatening to leave when someone doesn't agree with you. It's unlikely that you'll be a part of any group that is as polite as this one when a disagreement ensues! 

Maybe you should announce this 'officially' in the challenger thread!