However, I’ve had two friends / colleagues in the past few months respond directly to people who have infringed upon their blog posts … and get results (retractions, revisions, etc.). It’s infuriating and draining to deal with, initially, but worth the effort if there’s a sense of resolution.

As well, I’ve seen the movie “Flash of Genius,” and I had mixed feelings: loved Robert Kearns’ passionate fight to the end, in some ways, but was saddened by the tremendous sacrifices he made to his personal life.

My bottom line feeling on all of this is to be aware, to tap resources, such as the great copyscape.com site you provided (thank you!) and to maintain one’s own integrity, mirroring for others the values you expect and maintain.

Thanks for this thoughtful blog post!

Jacqui (@ValueIntoWords)

Your question about where to draw the line is a tough one. I’m a big advocate of clarifying our boundaries and telling those who wronged us that what they did is not okay. I don’t believe in taking things to a personal level, insulting the person vs. addressing the behavior. I also don’t think it’s healthy to let the drama of a situation steal our joy. But how long and how hard I fight something depends on each situation. I ask myself who has been wronged and to what extent? Will my voice and my actions solve the problem or bring it to the attention of someone who will?

It’s a nebulous question. I’m glad you brought it up.