How often do you click on the reblog sharing button?
Are you somebody who reblogs every day or, like me, no longer uses the reblog button?
When I first started blogging in 2014, I was amazed by how many bloggers used the reblog button. Fast forward to today, and I see little use for it.
It’s one of the reasons why I removed the reblog button from my blog. Not only have I seen a sharp decline in the reblogging of my posts, but I’ve seen the same in the reblogging of the posts of other bloggers.
Looking Back
I remember the first time one of my blog posts got reblogged. It was one of the highlights of my blogging journey. Funnily, it marked the beginning of my believing I’d become a successful blogger.
For years, my blog posts got reblogged almost weekly. It helped put me and my blog in front of new readers and did wonders for the number of followers my blog gained.
When Followers Are Not Followers
Of course, not all followers are followers.
I soon learned that people followed my blog but never returned to it.
I knew that some unfollowed my blog as soon as I followed them back.
I couldn’t figure out why anyone would unfollow my blog as soon as I followed them, but a couple of years into my blogging journey, I discovered that some bloggers are more interested in numbers than content. They don’t hang around in the blogging world for long.
What’s The Most Significant Risk In Reblogging?
When I first heard of bloggers receiving fines for reblogging material that included copyrighted material, my love of reblogging began to dwindle. Seriously? Are bloggers fined for reblogging? Yes, it’s true, and that may be one of many reasons why many bloggers no longer use the reblog button.
When author and blogger Deborah Jay wrote a guest post for me, she shared her story of how a simple reblog ended up with her being threatened with legal action and a fine. Click here to read the post.
But it’s not only Deborah who has faced legal action and a fine for reblogging another blogger’s blog post. Several bloggers have been fined for reblogging blog posts that included copyrighted photos or images.
Don’t think it can’t happen to you. It can happen to anyone who shares copyrighted material on their blog.
Removed The Reblog Button From Your Blog? Your Posts Can Still Be Reblogged!
Did you know that just because I have removed the reblog button from my blog posts doesn’t mean nobody can no longer reblog them?
One of the few flaws of WordPress that annoys me is that readers can still reblog any of my posts from the WordPress Reader. That doesn’t make sense to me when I’ve removed the reblog button from my blog.
Fortunately, it hasn’t happened to any of my blog posts since I removed the reblog button.
However, I am still delighted when somebody shares my blog posts via a ‘pingback‘ the ‘Press This‘ marketing (not sharing) button or on social media.
Feel free to share this post via one of those methods.
How Do I Remove The Reblog Button From My Blog?
If you decide you would rather not offer the option to reblog your posts, you can disable the button by navigating to My Sites → Tools → Marketing. Then click on the Sharing Buttons tab. Disable ‘Show reblog button’ under Reblog & Like, and the Reblog button will no longer appear on your blog posts.
Did You Know This?
Blogs that are full of reblogged posts are known as ‘Reblogging Farms.’ Is your blog a reblogging farm?
Do you still use the reblog button? If so, what do you reblog?
Follow Hugh On Social Media. Click on the buttons below.
Copyright © 2022 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.
Discover more from Hugh's Views & News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Hugh's Views & News 
I’ve reblogged only one time and that was one of your earlier posts Hugh. It should have been simple but there is a glitch in my blog site that made it impossible (WP still hasn’t resolved it) so I had to do it from the Reader. The whole experience put me off so I’ve never been tempted again.
Deborah’s experience is a scary story!
There are much safer ways to share posts you’ve enjoyed reading, Karen. So I’m glad that reblogging experience stopped tempting you from ever trying it again.
The case study you shared was enough to scare me off re-blogging forever!
Intersting, Hugh. Like you, I haven’t observed much use of the reblog button lately.
Sadly, WP is doing other funny things to me at the moment.
Sorry to hear about the problems you’re having, Norah. Hopefully, nothing to do with the theme you’re using on your blog. When I had some issues with my blog, WordPress had retired the theme I was using and no longer fixed bugs, etc. I didn’t mind changing the theme. I found it fun, interesting and refreshing to pick a new one. No doubt the theme I’m now using will be retired one day. I just wish they’d let those of us using retired themes know.
Maybe that is the issue, Hugh. I’m not sure. I’ve been using the same theme since I started blogging way back when. Hopefully the issues will settle down. We’ll see. So far I’ve found a work around. 🤞
I think I have only reblogged one or two posts in my time blogging. If I see a post I really like that I think will appeal to my readers, I add it to my monthly roundup post and share it on social media instead.
I’m guessing you use a link to that post in your monthly roundup, Michelle?
Yes, I share why I loved the post, and a notable quote, along with a link to the post.
That’s a much safer way to do it than pressing the reblog button, Michelle.
There are days, Mr Roberts, when you seem to be the adult amongst us. I’ve not given much thought to reblogs, tbh though I don’t myself. I share very few via Press This (you again, methinks) and the last would have been my brother. If he threatens to sue me… I’ll remove the reblog, for the reasons you indicate. Can I recommend you for a gong fro services to blogging? I think you’d look good in ermine…
PS, while I’m with the Fount of All Wisdom, is it me, or am I experiencing insane amounts of spam, over 350 a day? Am I missing a trick oh Wise Owl?
‘Press This’ is much safer than the reblog button, Geoff. When using ‘Press This,’ none of the images or photos of the post you’re sharing are downloaded into your media library. So you don’t risk the possibility of being fined for downloading copyright images. When you use the reblog button (like Deborah did), images and photos from that post are downloaded into your media library.
Ermine? Isn’t that some kind of stoat? I enjoy sharing all the blogging knowledge with you all. It’s my way of thanking you all for following and reading my posts. Without an audience, there would be no point. All nominations are welcome.
Did you read my recent post about spam? If not, here it is.
https://hughsviewsandnews.com/2022/06/06/how-to-deal-with-spam-without-closing-comments-on-your-blog-posts/
It contains some ideas on how to beat spam. However, I think every blogger will suffer from periods of getting lots of spam from time to time. Depending on which WordPress view you are using when looking at your comments section, it can be bulk deleted or deleted in one go. There are various reasons why specific posts attract lots of spam. There are also some crazy reasons some bloggers give for spam – such as one recently saying that removing the ‘Press This’ sharing button from her blog posts helped reduce spam.
Hope that all helps? But feel free to ask any further questions. I’m all ears.
I’ve reblogged posts by people who have interviewed me or were supporting my blog/book. Otherwise, I’ve reblogged posts about subjects I thought should get some attention, but not often.
Your frustration with WordPress over the fact that removing the button isn’t n iron clad way to go is interesting. It works (or doesn’t) like that for other things. A lot of bloggers limit the levels of comments to 2 or 3, but you can exceed that in the apps for phone and tablets. Sometimes, even by reading comments on the notification pane in a web browser.
I’ve never limited how many comments I leave on a post, Dan. If the discussion flows, then I’ll carry on talking. However, I know when it’s time to shut up. And I loathe comments that are nothing but emojies.
I have never reblogged from any of the ones I follow. It doesn’t seem right to steal another’s words. I will use quotes from an article but I credit those with the author that wrote them. People are always looking for a way to screw you out of money, or freedom. Why would blogging be different?
Sounds like you’re doing it the right way, Phil. I know of many bloggers who feel reblogging is nothing more than stealing somebody else’s words and hard work, but it can also help put bloggers in front of a new audience (providing it’s done correctly).
I don’t do it very often but the funny thing is I just so happened to re-blog a post today 😅.
Hopefully, no copyrighted images or photos were included in the post you reblogged.
Now that you mentioned it I went back and checked. 😁 In the last year it looks like I only reblogged 2 posts, both look good 👍
If you’re happy that any images and photos in those posts are not copyrighted, then you’ve nothing to worry about. Always best to check, though. It took seven years after the reblog Deborah did before she got an email threatening her with legal action and a fine for reblogging a post that contained copyrighted images.
I have a question, if I ever decide to do another re-blog it is ok to delete the photos the original blogger used right? Or am I suppose to leave their post exactly how they had it? Sorry for such a silly question I just don’t know a whole lot about re-blogs.
You can delete the images and photos from your media library, but there may still be ways for the authorities to find out that you downloaded them when you reblogged the post. I recommend you use a pingback to the post or share it via the Press This marketing button I mentioned. They are much safer options than reblogging.
Thank you Hugh 😊
I appreciate it a lot when my posts are reblogged. Maybe because I only reblog when I really, really, really think a post is of importance or great information. So, I still keep my reblog button.
I agree, I saw some of those reblog farms. I don’t understand why someone only reblogs instead of shares own content. I think that there is a big misunderstanding of what blogging means. There are other social media platforms to constantly share…
Reblogging farms are a big mystery, Erika. Plus, they help SEOs such as Google rank the blog they are reblogging lower. SEOs dislike duplicated content.
So, that truely is a reason to remove the reblog button… I will think about it. You always come up with such important background information, Hugh.
SEOs dislike duplicated information of any kind, Erika. They also dislike duplicated blog post titles and will rank blogs lower. That’s why I always change the heading of a post I share.
Pingbacks and sharing via Press This has no effect on the ratings of blogs (provided a different title is being used).
Hmm, that would mean, I needed to change my series’ names every day which doesn’t make it a series anymore. I could only use adds… which made it all a bit more complicated. But who said, life would be easy, right? Thank you, Hugh!
Exactly, Erika. I don’t know if you categorise them as well, but that helps. Putting everything under ‘uncategorised’ doesn’t help the SEOs or readers.
Yes, I do categorise them as well.
I’m always very cautious when reblogging. You just never know.
Exactly. You only have to read what happened to Deborah Jay when she innocently reblogged a blog post of another blogger. Even though it took many years for the authorities to catch up with her for reblogging copyrighted material, it was still a shock.
Hi Hugh,
Much of this was new to me.
I’ve had only a handful of my articles re-blogged and this just made me think that perhaps I’m just not a good enough writer to deserve more.
I tried to reboot a few myself, but it seemed like the authors were polite but surprised by my doing so. My rebogs also got next to no hits. Thanks for this insight. Now I think my writing is fine and I just arrived in time to see the final days of the era of “reblogging”.
Personally, and in my experience, reblogs don’t do well anymore, Gary.
I think it is sometimes down to readers seeing the same content on the WordPress Reader or in their email box. I remember when some blog posts could be reblogged up to six or seven times in one day.
All the duplication must have sent many readers running for the hills. Plus, SEOs such as Google dislike duplication and will rank blogs lower when it happens. That’s another reason I’ve removed the reblog button from my blog. I don’t want it being ranked lower.
I’ve had a few of my posts appear on other blogs and I am at a loss about why they do that. There is a link back to my blog, so they aren’t claiming it as their own, but they don’t include an intro explaining why they liked this particular post enough to share it. Based on this post, I may remove the button on my blog too.
I’ve never understood why anyone doesn’t tell their readers why they share a post they’ve enjoyed reading, Janis. I see it happening a lot, especially when it comes to reblogging. They just hit the reblog button and don’t tell their audience why they’re sharing the post.
I have to admit that I’ve never quite understood the differences in the pingback, press this, and reblog buttons. (Perhaps worthy of a future post, Hugh? I’m not above wallowing.🤣) I blog to interact with people and read interesting content. Of course, if nobody ever read our content, there wouldn’t be any purpose in writing it. As you said, our “followers” is an artificial number anyway. In my opinion, people are far too obsessed with their number of followers. Having a blog where many people engage in conversation is far more important to me.
Pingbacks are links embedded within a post that, when clicked, take the reader to a different webpage, Pete. Perfectly safe.
Press This is a share option where only a link to the post you want to share is produced on a new blog post. Before publishing, you can add any extra text (such as why you’re sharing it). Again, perfectly safe to do.
Reblogging is where part of a post you want to share and any images and photos within that post are downloaded to your blog. This is where copyright issues can become a problem.
I agree with what you say about engagement, although I see no value in comments such as ‘Thanks for sharing.’ It’s the discussion I like, not a comment telling me somebody has enjoyed reading the post (even if they haven’t done so). That’s what the ‘like’ button is for. But too many bloggers get real hangups if they don’t write a comment believing they’re going to upset the blogger somehow for not writing something.
Excellent advice, Hugh! Rather than reblogging, I prefer to share the post as you describe, then wrote an intro and provide my own photo. Keep in mind, all of this sharing means media ends up in your media file. I learned from Cee Neuner to reduce images to 700×700 so as not to use so much space. If you reblog another’s post, who knows how large their images are? I’m with you on this subject. As it happens, my Sunday Stills color challenge was linked to a post from Portugal. Nothing else said in the post but my featured image was used on their blog. I politely asked for them to credit the image back to me. Looks like website marketing spam to me. Oh well.
We are back on the road heading for Idaho. Homeward bound!
I’m sure there are probably a few of my copyrighted photos out there being used without my consent, Terri. What I find strange is that some of the spammers and thieves don’t try and get rid of the pingbacks on my posts, so it means I get notified of a pingback. Some sites are strange because they are just one page with little information, typically just a few images.
Yes, I always reduce the size of my images and photos to 900 x 675. But you’re right that some people who reblog don’t think of image sizes when reblogging a post. And then complain that WordPress does not give them enough media space. I always shake my head when I see it happening.
Have a safe and happy trip back home.
Thanks, Hugh!
I’ve seen a few reblogging farms about and I don’t know why they do this. TBH I didn’t know about reblog fines, seems strange though.
I’ve not had a post re-blogged for ages, neither have I reblogged. I’m not sure why though.
Reblog farms are a mystery to me too, Simon. Seems such a waste of time, effort and a blog. I can’t imagine who would want to follow a farm blog.
When you reblog, any images and photos from the post that you’re reblogging are downloaded into your blog’s media library. Because they are downloaded, you could face a fine if any of those images and photos are copyrighted. That’s why it’s best to go via other methods of sharing if you want to share someone else’s blog post.
Ah I understand now, yes I can see that as an issue despite it ‘just’ being a reblog.
I think reblogging posts is a nice way to put fellow bloggers and blogging friends in the limelight and promote their writing. If your blog is about those topics, it totally makes sense to me.
If a blogger has the reblog button on their blog, that would mean to me that they are fine with their content being reposted elsewhere. I think where the problem might lie is when those bloggers used copy-righted material. Since I only use my own photos, I don’t see anyone getting in trouble reposting my blog entries.
All that being said, I never used the reblog button, as I have enough of my own content to fill up these pages. Sharing content on social media is a good way of promoting or spreading the word.
Thanks for adding your voice to the discussion, Liesbet. And for confirming that anyone reblogging your posts won’t get into trouble for sharing copyrighted material.
I’m unsure if you’ve read Kevin’s comment about KDP select. Not sure if you’re on that programme with Amazon (as I know your book is listed there), but Kevin raises a good point about sharing any part of our books on our blogs (or any other blog).
I have seen bloggers with notices on their blogs requesting that nobody reblogs or shares their posts, yet they have all the sharing buttons under their posts. It may be a case they don’t know how to remove them, but I can see why a reader may miss that notice if it’s not visible.
I have the reblogging button on my blog, but I’ve never been a fan of reblogs.
I stopped following a blog a few months back because it was constant reblogging. When I saw a post that seemed weird interesting, I clicked to read only to discover I was a reblog. Clicked on that link and it was a reblog. Really? A reblog of a reblog? Insane!
After reading your post, I’m removing the reblog button from my site.
Yes, I’ve no idea why anyone would reblog a reblogged post, Joan. It makes sense to reblog the original rather than the reblogged post.
I have also unfollowed blogs with nothing but reblogged posts, especially when they do nothing but reblog posts all day. I avoid ‘reblog farm’ at all costs.
I hadn’t realised there was so much to consider, I have been excited to be reblogged, but to be honest I am fed up with reblogs. If I visit someone’s blog it’s because I like reading their blogs not someone else’s, often a blog I have already read in the original!
One of the biggest mistakes I see many bloggers make when reblogging is reblogging on the same day the post they’re shraiung is published. If they left it a week (or even a few days), readers would not get fed up with seeing the same blog post appearing on their reader or in their email box.
Yes I hadn’t thought of that.
I agree with you completely, Janet.
Ha ha Joan, yes that’s I am so glad I’m not the only one!
Interesting. I have not removed it so far. Also, I don’t remember anyone using it. I don’t take it personally, I blog for my own enjoyment and satisfaction, not others. A few times I have reblogged but remember your post about the person who got fined for copyright violation.
Yes, reblogging has its pitfalls, so better to share via social media or the ‘Press This’ marketing button. When using ‘Press This’, none of the images in the post you’re sharing are downloaded into your media library, so it’s a much safer option.
You always have good advice. Thsnks!
🤔 Hugh, I removed my “Reblog” button from my blog (It has been gone for some time).
Despite the removal of the “Reblog” button, my blog posts were reblogged on three different occasions. As you have rightly pointed out, people can still “Reblog” our blog posts via the WordPress Reader.
I want people to write their blog posts and I do not see any sort of creativity where the usage of the “Reblog” button is concerned.
I am proud to admit that I have never reblogged anyone else’s blog posts (or my own blog posts) on WordPress.
I used to reblog a lot in my early days of blogging, Renard, but deleted those posts many years ago. If I want to share anything on my blog (and the post has to be exceptional for me to do so), I use the ‘Press This’ marketing button. However, I do share posts on Twitter that I’ve enjoyed reading.
Thanks for adding your voice.
I guess another reason some people may wish to remove the reblog button is owing to them wishing to publish their blog content in future. If Amazon finds content online (which has also been included in KDP Select) they will remove the book in question from the KDP Select Programme, as one of the conditions of the Programme is that material must be exclusive to Amazon. While you can remove content from your own blog prior to publishing it using KDP Select, you can not remove material reblogged by others. You can, of course contact the bloggers concerned and request its removal, however this is time consuming. Also there is no guarantee that those you will contact will honour your request, and you may miss a reblog. Having said all that, I do feel a warm glow when someone reblogs one of my poems (or other posts) and I am grateful to those who reblog. So I won’t be disabling the reblog button. Best wishes. Kevin
Kevin, you highlight an essential point for authors about KDP Select and reblogging. I never thought about it, so thank you for mentioning it.
I’ve never missed a reblog as I’ve ticked a box in the settings of my blog to be emailed whenever one of my posts is reblogged. However, you’re right about not having any control in requesting another blogger to remove a post they have reblogged. I would expect most would honour a request to remove it, but that may not always be the case, especially if they have abandoned their blog and not closed it down.
I’m glad my comment was useful, Hugh. Best wishes. Kevin
You’re right Hugh. We used to reblog all the time. After Deborah Jay’s post everyone realized the dangers of sharing other blogger’s content. Thanks for clarifying the reblog button. 💜
I used to see reblogs all the time, Colleen. Now, I hardly see any, so attitudes towards reblogging have changed a lot.
After hearing a few true stories of why bloggers were fined for reblogging, I immediately stopped using the reblog button. I prefer to use the ‘Press This’ marketing button if I want to share anything, as only a link to the post is copied.
That’s what I do, as well. It’s a much safe option. WP was more about community when we first started blogging. Now, they are more interested in businesses. I’m glad we started when we did. 💜
I’m so glad I read your post. I am returning to blogging after a couple of years off, and it is good to know this as I move forward. I used to occasionally reblog a post as a “shout out” to one I liked. I’m still relearning everything right now so it will be interesting!
After 8 years of blogging, I’m still learning lots about blogging too, Amy. But welcome back to the world of blogging. I’m glad this post has helped.