Dear Amy, Cookbook Queen and friends,
Although I’ve been lucky enough to get a TV spot and have various food opportunities, I am really a newbie to the food and blogging world. I’ve been learning as I go along and am not extremely computer savvy. I’ve had a great time learning along the way but unfortunately, I made some mistakes this week that really hurt a lot of people. I feel terrible that I have offended so many of my fellow food bloggers. I owe you all a big apology, especially Amy and Cookbook Queen.
After seeing Brains in a Jar, http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/2011/10/brains-in-a-jar/, on Pinterest last week and thinking it was a cute idea, I wanted to pass it along to my followers. Out of the 1,000s of ideas I could have chosen I thought this was a super great one. I felt like promoting one of your ideas and then blogging about it was going to be a way to drive traffic and promote your blog through my other promotional channels. I have since learned that I have to link directly back to your site, not just write text on my post with your name and site.
As for my TV spot, since it’s only 3 minutes, I figured people would come to my site to get the recipe then read your name and website. I hope you believe that I would never try to pass off any of your ideas as my own as it was not my intent. In the future, if I use anyone else’s recipe I will make sure to contact them first and make sure we are on the same page for if/how/what they want featured.
Blogging and cooking is all about sharing. That was my intent and I never meant any harm and I sincerely apologize to all of you. I am simply overwhelmed emotionally at all of the hatred I have received today and I hope you can forgive me and give me another chance!
Sincerely,
Caryn Ross
Caryn, I saw everything that went on today and it sounds like you made a genuine mistake. We’ve all been new to blogging at one time or another and I’m glad you apologized and hopefully everything can be smoothed over. We’ve all made mistakes as we’ve gotten going and I hope you continue to share fabulous ideas! I love your site!!
Caryn – listen up. Keep your head up and rise above this mean BS. Yes, it was a mistake not to credit COCBQ however let us not be MISTAKEN that this girl has NEVER done something and not given proper credit for the inspiration…”her melted witches..” ummmm NO – they have been on Taste of Home since 2006 – or at least HER inspiration for them had to come from that. And “her” tangled cupcakes….well I am sure she saw this link to help her out: http://family.go.com/food/recipe-bakerella-955077-tangled-tower-cupcake-t/ — hmmmmmmmmmmm or she just got lucky and thought of it on her own….hmmmmm honest mistake I am sure. Her ego is what is gross here. MOVE ON.
Caryn,
I am so glad for your apology but sorry you had to feel so horribly about it. It was never my intention for you to get slammed with “hate” mail. As it is, I am sure you can imagine spending time and money cultivating an idea only to see it on television and seeming like it is being passed off as someone else’s. This is an issue that bloggers get passionate about, and sometimes it ends up coming across as mean. I am sorry for that.
As for the commenter above, I have nothing to hide. Those ideas did NOT inspire me in any way, shape or form (never seen them) and I have not been on TV or anywhere else duplicating those posts (or using their photos) or repeating words from the post verbatim. It’s not unusual for bloggers to get ideas that are similar (SIMILAR–not IDENTICAL), and that is honestly a whole different ball game than using someones photos, exact recipes, and even phrases from the post.
I am not here to get into a “war” or anything else. That is ridiculous. Mistakes happen, and if you say it was one, I take that at total face value.
Thank you so much and I truly wish you well
Kristan
Kudos to you Caryn. It takes a really amazing person to admit when they’ve done something wrong and apologize for it. We are all learning. Hopefully if any of us make mistakes in the future someone will contact us to help, not to hurt.
Oh goodness! Mistakes happen – props for having a good attitude and addressing it so eloquently.
As a new blogger – you’re a rockstar! Keep up the good work.
Wow. You know, I really didn’t see the “hatred” that was posted on facebook and here (before all the comments were deleted that is). I saw people saying that an apology was really in order (at least on facebook). Although I’m sure there were probably many other emails directly to you that were probably not so nice. But I really must say that I’m sure your followers would come to your defense just as diligently (and it seems they are). The foodie network is a loyal one, and most of them are made up of creative individuals who would want their ideas and hard work respected as well. If it’s a lesson learned, then it’s a good one.
Caryn,
Those of us that know and love you know that never in a million years would you knowingly hurt or wrong another person. We know about your giving and charitable nature and how you would do anything for anyone….and you often do.
I am sorry that you had to learn the extremely difficult lesson of just how un-social the world of social media can be. Too many times I have seen bloggers (no matter what “network” they may fall into) make a mistake and those that disagree or have a legitimate concern fly off the handle and incite others to fight for their cause without first addressing the situation themselves.
This situation could have been dealt with privately via email between you, Living Locurto, and Confessions of a Cookbook Queen but instead it was taken to the public arena where the benefit of the doubt is rarely given or encouraged.
Hopefully those that were so quick to attack you can now as quickly read your apology, accept it as genuine, and in a perfect world perhaps they would share your apology on the same social networks where they first drug you through the mud.
But I’m not going to hold my breath.
So instead I will tell you to hold your head high, keep creating amazing recipes and craft ideas to share with your readers and don’t let the negative words of a few outweigh the love and support of the many who know and love the work you do.
Love you Sis,
Sunday~
Well said Caryn & Kristan. An apology was appropriate, and yours was heartfelt. Issue settled. Let’s all get back to cooking wonderful things for our friends and family.
I happen to know this was addressed in private via email before Caryn went on tv. So to say it should have not been made public, that was the choice Caryn made by not taking control when it was first brought to her attention.
Actually Nicki you would be incorrect. The TV spot Caryn filmed was not filmed yesterday as everyone assumed. That TV spot filmed and aired last Wednesday which was before she received the email from Amy over the weekend.
As I said before, the parties involved know the truth of the matter and those that do not should not try to fan the flames after they have died down.
Oh my goodness! This kind of thing happens all the time in the digital scrapbooking community where I am a designer and most of the time, like Caryn, it is an innocent mistake. Everyone needs to accept her sincere apology and move on. No need to make something more out of it than it really was. I just found your blog last week while following a post from KitchenAid on a giveaway and I think you and your blog are great. Keep sharing and will keep reading and following. 🙂