#pixabay — Public Fediverse posts

The career that I held the longest was #system #administrator / #database administrator / #apps administrator, but you only get paid for one job. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ So I think in systems. So an output from #generativeAI or something from #Pixabay are a brush. I think in objects a lot when creating. I do concepts.

I am in the middle of everybody in terms of how I behave with it. I'm not a #Devotee of it but I use it but I never let it stand on its own. I could go to #Pixabay or find #PublicDomain images if I wanted to work that hard. But I do like some of the #FAST effects that I can get from a generator.

@MichaelaKHulse Although not #CreativeCommons licensed, I use #Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/photos/mount-egmont-volcano-new-zealand-5445141/ and #Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-view-of-a-mountain-in-the-distance-8tqvWX3GD9Q Both allow creators to accept donations: https://pixabay.com/users/tfrdic-17630247/ https://unsplash.com/@adriel

@MichaelaKHulse Although not #CreativeCommons licensed, I use #Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/photos/mount-egmont-volcano-new-zealand-5445141/ and #Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-view-of-a-mountain-in-the-distance-8tqvWX3GD9Q Both allow creators to accept donations: https://pixabay.com/users/tfrdic-17630247/ https://unsplash.com/@adriel

@MichaelaKHulse Although not #CreativeCommons licensed, I use #Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/photos/mount-egmont-volcano-new-zealand-5445141/ and #Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-view-of-a-mountain-in-the-distance-8tqvWX3GD9Q Both allow creators to accept donations: https://pixabay.com/users/tfrdic-17630247/ https://unsplash.com/@adriel

@MichaelaKHulse Although not #CreativeCommons licensed, I use #Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/photos/mount-egmont-volcano-new-zealand-5445141/ and #Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-view-of-a-mountain-in-the-distance-8tqvWX3GD9Q Both allow creators to accept donations: https://pixabay.com/users/tfrdic-17630247/ https://unsplash.com/@adriel

@MichaelaKHulse Although not #CreativeCommons licensed, I use #Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/photos/mount-egmont-volcano-new-zealand-5445141/ and #Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/a-view-of-a-mountain-in-the-distance-8tqvWX3GD9Q Both allow creators to accept donations: https://pixabay.com/users/tfrdic-17630247/ https://unsplash.com/@adriel

Bisschen spitzfindig, heute? Aber warum trägt Jesus ein Kreuz um den Hals? #Pixabay #Slop https://pixabay.com/de/photos/jesus-gott-christus-nat%C3%BCrlich-8268598/

Bisschen spitzfindig, heute? Aber warum trägt Jesus ein Kreuz um den Hals? #Pixabay #Slop https://pixabay.com/de/photos/jesus-gott-christus-nat%C3%BCrlich-8268598/

Tweet 2/6

**Global Platforms:**

Unsplash from Montreal 🇨🇦 🤍
Pexels, worldwide 🌍🤍
Pixabay from Berlin 🇩🇪🤍
Burst from Ottawa 🇨🇦 🧊

🧊All offer millions of free, professional-quality images with clear licensing—no legal complexity.

#Unsplash #Pexels #Pixabay #Burst #Montreal #Berlin #Ottawa #quality
#montreal #berlin #ottawa

#MissKittyArt Generative #AI is a pain in the fucking ass. If it wasn't for memes I wouldn't bother with it nearly as much. I can go to #pixabay for much less trouble & price. They don't actually offer anything that valuable I have learned. #imagineart sucks. How many pages of this shit have I had?

#TIL that longstanding CC image search engine #PixaBay can now be used to search for other kinds of media, including music;

https://pixabay.com/music/

#CC #CCMusic #SearchEngines #CreativeCommons #search

#TIL that longstanding CC image search engine #PixaBay can now be used to search for other kinds of media, including music;

https://pixabay.com/music/

#CC #CCMusic #SearchEngines #CreativeCommons #search

#TIL that longstanding CC image search engine #PixaBay can now be used to search for other kinds of media, including music;

https://pixabay.com/music/

#CC #CCMusic #SearchEngines #CreativeCommons #search

#TIL that longstanding CC image search engine #PixaBay can now be used to search for other kinds of media, including music;

https://pixabay.com/music/

#CC #CCMusic #SearchEngines #CreativeCommons #search

... the current economic regime with the technology and the possibilities. For 1, I am not a fucking apologist to say that #genAI provides good inputs like #Pixabay. Whatever about the #bigotry of #character developers. I use anything. I can turn a picture of #Trump into #fineart. Done it.

For #AI in art, I have said repeatedly that it's good for #inputs, like you can get from #Pixabay, that require enhancement. They're cheaper on Pixabay. All you have to do is give #attribution. With AI art you also need to know how to clean that #EXIF data. That's my art no matter how I made it.

For #AI in art, I have said repeatedly that it's good for #inputs, like you can get from #Pixabay, that require enhancement. They're cheaper on Pixabay. All you have to do is give #attribution. With AI art you also need to know how to clean that #EXIF data. That's my art no matter how I made it.

If we’re talking about #Pixabay…

Today I checked photos of #Esztergom there. For this post I intentionally didn’t use one of my own images, even though I have several.

While browsing the results I noticed many photos with clearly lower technical quality than mine. Yet my uploads keep getting rejected for small or unclear reasons.

It’s honestly frustrating.

Does anyone understand how Pixabay’s review process actually works?

#photography #photo #art #travel #discussion #help

If we’re talking about #Pixabay…

Today I checked photos of #Esztergom there. For this post I intentionally didn’t use one of my own images, even though I have several.

While browsing the results I noticed many photos with clearly lower technical quality than mine. Yet my uploads keep getting rejected for small or unclear reasons.

It’s honestly frustrating.

Does anyone understand how Pixabay’s review process actually works?

#photography #photo #art #travel #discussion #help

Ugye csak egy nagyon rossz vicc, hogy #Magyarország főtemplom az esztergomi bazilika egy hónap múlva fizetőssé válik?

Mármint, nem azzal van a bajom, hogy a múzeumi részek fizetősek, főleg, ha azok a pénzek valóban a múzeum érdekében kerülnek felhasználásra... De, mi az, hogy a sima templomi belépés is fizetőssé válik? Egy közpénzből felújítőtt épület esetén pedig főleg!

(Kép forrás / source: #Pixabay #veverkolog )

#magyar #hungarian #Esztergom #bazilika #Hungary #turism #travel #trip

Ugye csak egy nagyon rossz vicc, hogy #Magyarország főtemplom az esztergomi bazilika egy hónap múlva fizetőssé válik?

Mármint, nem azzal van a bajom, hogy a múzeumi részek fizetősek, főleg, ha azok a pénzek valóban a múzeum érdekében kerülnek felhasználásra... De, mi az, hogy a sima templomi belépés is fizetőssé válik? Egy közpénzből felújítőtt épület esetén pedig főleg!

(Kép forrás / source: #Pixabay #veverkolog )

#magyar #hungarian #Esztergom #bazilika #Hungary #turism #travel #trip

Ugye csak egy nagyon rossz vicc, hogy #Magyarország főtemplom az esztergomi bazilika egy hónap múlva fizetőssé válik?

Mármint, nem azzal van a bajom, hogy a múzeumi részek fizetősek, főleg, ha azok a pénzek valóban a múzeum érdekében kerülnek felhasználásra... De, mi az, hogy a sima templomi belépés is fizetőssé válik? Egy közpénzből felújítőtt épület esetén pedig főleg!

(Kép forrás / source: #Pixabay #veverkolog )

#magyar #hungarian #Esztergom #bazilika #Hungary #turism #travel #trip

Ugye csak egy nagyon rossz vicc, hogy #Magyarország főtemplom az esztergomi bazilika egy hónap múlva fizetőssé válik?

Mármint, nem azzal van a bajom, hogy a múzeumi részek fizetősek, főleg, ha azok a pénzek valóban a múzeum érdekében kerülnek felhasználásra... De, mi az, hogy a sima templomi belépés is fizetőssé válik? Egy közpénzből felújítőtt épület esetén pedig főleg!

(Kép forrás / source: #Pixabay #veverkolog )

#magyar #hungarian #Esztergom #bazilika #Hungary #turism #travel #trip

Ugye csak egy nagyon rossz vicc, hogy #Magyarország főtemplom az esztergomi bazilika egy hónap múlva fizetőssé válik?

Mármint, nem azzal van a bajom, hogy a múzeumi részek fizetősek, főleg, ha azok a pénzek valóban a múzeum érdekében kerülnek felhasználásra... De, mi az, hogy a sima templomi belépés is fizetőssé válik? Egy közpénzből felújítőtt épület esetén pedig főleg!

(Kép forrás / source: #Pixabay #veverkolog )

#magyar #hungarian #Esztergom #bazilika #Hungary #turism #travel #trip

Sample clip from Pixabay — a lovely free stock video to spark your projects. Short, crisp, and ready to remix. Give it a spin and get inspired! #PeerTube #Pixabay #StockVideo #FreeMedia #CreativeCommons #Test #English #OpenSource
https://video.odenote.com/videos/watch/571a3fe8-045c-4da3-9aec-1d52667f1fed

Success mal anders: Du machst Urlaub in Spanien und fotografierst einen alten Plastikbecher im Sand am Strand ☀️

Du stellst das Bild bei #Pixabay ein und die UN nutzt es auf der Webseite der 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC) und gibt Dir Credits 🥰👍

https://www.unep.org/cep/events/conference/7th-international-marine-debris-conference-7imdc

Coole Idee? Nicht das einzige Beispiel ☺️ mach mit (- und vermeide KI Bilder!)

Die Location: @mein_lamarina
#marketing #seo #SuccessStories

Success mal anders: Du machst Urlaub in Spanien und fotografierst einen alten Plastikbecher im Sand am Strand ☀️

Du stellst das Bild bei #Pixabay ein und die UN nutzt es auf der Webseite der 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC) und gibt Dir Credits 🥰👍

https://www.unep.org/cep/events/conference/7th-international-marine-debris-conference-7imdc

Coole Idee? Nicht das einzige Beispiel ☺️ mach mit (- und vermeide KI Bilder!)

Die Location: @mein_lamarina
#marketing #seo #SuccessStories

Success mal anders: Du machst Urlaub in Spanien und fotografierst einen alten Plastikbecher im Sand am Strand ☀️

Du stellst das Bild bei #Pixabay ein und die UN nutzt es auf der Webseite der 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC) und gibt Dir Credits 🥰👍

https://www.unep.org/cep/events/conference/7th-international-marine-debris-conference-7imdc

Coole Idee? Nicht das einzige Beispiel ☺️ mach mit (- und vermeide KI Bilder!)

Die Location: @mein_lamarina
#marketing #seo #SuccessStories

Success mal anders: Du machst Urlaub in Spanien und fotografierst einen alten Plastikbecher im Sand am Strand ☀️

Du stellst das Bild bei #Pixabay ein und die UN nutzt es auf der Webseite der 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC) und gibt Dir Credits 🥰👍

https://www.unep.org/cep/events/conference/7th-international-marine-debris-conference-7imdc

Coole Idee? Nicht das einzige Beispiel ☺️ mach mit (- und vermeide KI Bilder!)

Die Location: @mein_lamarina
#marketing #seo #SuccessStories

Success mal anders: Du machst Urlaub in Spanien und fotografierst einen alten Plastikbecher im Sand am Strand ☀️

Du stellst das Bild bei #Pixabay ein und die UN nutzt es auf der Webseite der 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC) und gibt Dir Credits 🥰👍

https://www.unep.org/cep/events/conference/7th-international-marine-debris-conference-7imdc

Coole Idee? Nicht das einzige Beispiel ☺️ mach mit (- und vermeide KI Bilder!)

Die Location: @mein_lamarina
#marketing #seo #SuccessStories

Yes, there are some #homeless content creators from #YT that I link to from here that use #AI #LLM images. I would prefer everyone use #pixabay and such #royaltyFree images, but I am not going to punch down. They're trying to make a buck to stay alive for now and holding onto hope of making it back to "normal" life in a home.

Discussions about the morals of AI-use concerning them can wait.

Yes, there are some #homeless content creators from #YT that I link to from here that use #AI #LLM images. I would prefer everyone use #pixabay and such #royaltyFree images, but I am not going to punch down. They're trying to make a buck to stay alive for now and holding onto hope of making it back to "normal" life in a home.

Discussions about the morals of AI-use concerning them can wait.

Yes, there are some #homeless content creators from #YT that I link to from here that use #AI #LLM images. I would prefer everyone use #pixabay and such #royaltyFree images, but I am not going to punch down. They're trying to make a buck to stay alive for now and holding onto hope of making it back to "normal" life in a home.

Discussions about the morals of AI-use concerning them can wait.

Yes, there are some #homeless content creators from #YT that I link to from here that use #AI #LLM images. I would prefer everyone use #pixabay and such #royaltyFree images, but I am not going to punch down. They're trying to make a buck to stay alive for now and holding onto hope of making it back to "normal" life in a home.

Discussions about the morals of AI-use concerning them can wait.

Yes, there are some #homeless content creators from #YT that I link to from here that use #AI #LLM images. I would prefer everyone use #pixabay and such #royaltyFree images, but I am not going to punch down. They're trying to make a buck to stay alive for now and holding onto hope of making it back to "normal" life in a home.

Discussions about the morals of AI-use concerning them can wait.

The Latest Blogging and Publishing Scams You Need to Be Aware Of Now

Let me begin with a new scam that is unrelated to blogging or publishing. It’s a scam that comes via a voicemail message on mobile phones.

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve had the same call and message saying, ‘Please add my number to WhatsApp.’ Each time, the number the scammer uses is slightly different, but it’s always the voice of the same woman.

Thanks to Apple’s advanced AI, my phone now does a great job at identifying spam calls and sends them straight to voicemail. It doesn’t even ring. The spammers’ numbers then show in my call list, which I mark as ‘Spam – Delete and send details to Apple.’ I should add that since I enabled AI on my phone, the number of spam calls I receive has dropped significantly.

The latest Blogging scams

Recently, I encountered a concerning blogging email scam. It purportedly originated from WordPress, claiming that my payment details were incorrect in my account and included a link for me to click to rectify them.

I immediately recognised the email as fraudulent because the email failed to address me by name. All it said was ‘Dear WordPress User,’ But what alarmed me was that the same scammer went on to also send me the same email through the ‘Contact Hugh‘ form on my blog, neglecting to begin the message with ‘Dear Hugh.’ It’s important to note that I request anyone using the form to begin their message with ‘Dear Hugh,’ as this practice helps identify potential spam, particularly from automated spam bots.

I don’t know how the scammer obtained my email address, but it must have appeared on a list with some connection to WordPress. This is likely how they discovered I had a WordPress blog, although nowhere on my blog do I provide an email address. Anyone wanting to contact me must go via the ‘Contact Hugh’ form.

Although this was an easy scam for me to spot, I still feel bad for any blogger who falls for it. If you are unsure whether an email from WordPress is genuine, always log in to your WordPress account to verify any details. Never click on any uninvited links and never give an email address anywhere on your blog.

However, more concerning was news of a blogging scam that involved using royalty-free platforms, such as Pixabay. Author, writer and blogger Jacqueline Lambert left a comment on my recent post, Where To Legally Source Amazing Images For Your Blog Posts.’ outlining how she was almost scammed by a company after using a royalty-free image from Pixabay on one of her posts.

I strongly encourage you to read Jacqueline’s insightful post ‘Bloggers Beware The Copyright Trolls – Even If You Use Royalty-Free Images‘ to glean valuable lessons from her experience. It is imperative to remain vigilant and not become a target of such scams that specifically seek to exploit bloggers.

I would also like to reiterate that downloading and publishing copyrighted images or photographs on your blog is strictly prohibited. Always verify that such materials are free for use. This also applies to reblogging blog posts from other bloggers that contain images or photos. If you share copyrighted images from another blogger’s post, you could be fined.

A plea to you – yes, you!

Despite my recent post addressing copyright infringement, I continue to observe bloggers (you know who you are) using images and photos in their posts without proper attribution regarding their sources. They probably believe that nobody will come after them for downloading and using copyrighted images, but I know of two bloggers who have been fined for doing so. Never believe that it will never happen to you.

Even if the images and photos are your own, I recommend that you indicate in your post that they are your property. If you don’t believe me, read Jacqueline’s post. As she elaborates, numerous companies are employing image recognition technology to scan the internet for unauthorised use of images and photographs, especially in blogging posts. Some bloggers have even been threatened with legal action and fines for using their own pictures.

The latest publishing scam

My thanks again to Jacqueline, who recently published a guest post by author Peter Barber about a publishing scam he fell for. Titled ‘Publish and Be Damned: How I Got Scammed, Learned My Lesson, and Came Out Fighting‘, Peter details how he fell head-over-heels for a scam many authors will probably encounter at some point in their writing lives. I urge you to read his post and learn from it because it could happen to you.

Are you aware of any current scams related to blogging or publishing? Please share details in the comments section. Have you ever fallen victim to a blogging or publishing scam? If so, what happened?

The featured image on this blog post is taken from Pixabay. AI checked spelling and grammar mistakes.

You can follow me at the following sites.

• WordPress
• Amazon
• Goodreads
• Mastodon
• Link
• Bluesky

Copyright @ 2025 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

#Blogging #BloggingScams #Copyright #Phishing #Pixabay #Publishing #RoyalFreeImages #Scammers #Scams #WordPress #WordPressHelp

The Latest Blogging and Publishing Scams You Need to Be Aware Of Now

Let me begin with a new scam that is unrelated to blogging or publishing. It’s a scam that comes via a voicemail message on mobile phones.

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve had the same call and message saying, ‘Please add my number to WhatsApp.’ Each time, the number the scammer uses is slightly different, but it’s always the voice of the same woman.

Thanks to Apple’s advanced AI, my phone now does a great job at identifying spam calls and sends them straight to voicemail. It doesn’t even ring. The spammers’ numbers then show in my call list, which I mark as ‘Spam – Delete and send details to Apple.’ I should add that since I enabled AI on my phone, the number of spam calls I receive has dropped significantly.

The latest Blogging scams

Recently, I encountered a concerning blogging email scam. It purportedly originated from WordPress, claiming that my payment details were incorrect in my account and included a link for me to click to rectify them.

I immediately recognised the email as fraudulent because the email failed to address me by name. All it said was ‘Dear WordPress User,’ But what alarmed me was that the same scammer went on to also send me the same email through the ‘Contact Hugh‘ form on my blog, neglecting to begin the message with ‘Dear Hugh.’ It’s important to note that I request anyone using the form to begin their message with ‘Dear Hugh,’ as this practice helps identify potential spam, particularly from automated spam bots.

I don’t know how the scammer obtained my email address, but it must have appeared on a list with some connection to WordPress. This is likely how they discovered I had a WordPress blog, although nowhere on my blog do I provide an email address. Anyone wanting to contact me must go via the ‘Contact Hugh’ form.

Although this was an easy scam for me to spot, I still feel bad for any blogger who falls for it. If you are unsure whether an email from WordPress is genuine, always log in to your WordPress account to verify any details. Never click on any uninvited links and never give an email address anywhere on your blog.

However, more concerning was news of a blogging scam that involved using royalty-free platforms, such as Pixabay. Author, writer and blogger Jacqueline Lambert left a comment on my recent post, Where To Legally Source Amazing Images For Your Blog Posts.’ outlining how she was almost scammed by a company after using a royalty-free image from Pixabay on one of her posts.

I strongly encourage you to read Jacqueline’s insightful post ‘Bloggers Beware The Copyright Trolls – Even If You Use Royalty-Free Images‘ to glean valuable lessons from her experience. It is imperative to remain vigilant and not become a target of such scams that specifically seek to exploit bloggers.

I would also like to reiterate that downloading and publishing copyrighted images or photographs on your blog is strictly prohibited. Always verify that such materials are free for use. This also applies to reblogging blog posts from other bloggers that contain images or photos. If you share copyrighted images from another blogger’s post, you could be fined.

A plea to you – yes, you!

Despite my recent post addressing copyright infringement, I continue to observe bloggers (you know who you are) using images and photos in their posts without proper attribution regarding their sources. They probably believe that nobody will come after them for downloading and using copyrighted images, but I know of two bloggers who have been fined for doing so. Never believe that it will never happen to you.

Even if the images and photos are your own, I recommend that you indicate in your post that they are your property. If you don’t believe me, read Jacqueline’s post. As she elaborates, numerous companies are employing image recognition technology to scan the internet for unauthorised use of images and photographs, especially in blogging posts. Some bloggers have even been threatened with legal action and fines for using their own pictures.

The latest publishing scam

My thanks again to Jacqueline, who recently published a guest post by author Peter Barber about a publishing scam he fell for. Titled ‘Publish and Be Damned: How I Got Scammed, Learned My Lesson, and Came Out Fighting‘, Peter details how he fell head-over-heels for a scam many authors will probably encounter at some point in their writing lives. I urge you to read his post and learn from it because it could happen to you.

Are you aware of any current scams related to blogging or publishing? Please share details in the comments section. Have you ever fallen victim to a blogging or publishing scam? If so, what happened?

The featured image on this blog post is taken from Pixabay. AI checked spelling and grammar mistakes.

You can follow me at the following sites.

• WordPress
• Amazon
• Goodreads
• Mastodon
• Link
• Bluesky

Copyright @ 2025 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

#Blogging #BloggingScams #Copyright #Phishing #Pixabay #Publishing #RoyalFreeImages #Scammers #Scams #WordPress #WordPressHelp

The Latest Blogging and Publishing Scams You Need to Be Aware Of Now

Let me begin with a new scam that is unrelated to blogging or publishing. It’s a scam that comes via a voicemail message on mobile phones.

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve had the same call and message saying, ‘Please add my number to WhatsApp.’ Each time, the number the scammer uses is slightly different, but it’s always the voice of the same woman.

Thanks to Apple’s advanced AI, my phone now does a great job at identifying spam calls and sends them straight to voicemail. It doesn’t even ring. The spammers’ numbers then show in my call list, which I mark as ‘Spam – Delete and send details to Apple.’ I should add that since I enabled AI on my phone, the number of spam calls I receive has dropped significantly.

The latest Blogging scams

Recently, I encountered a concerning blogging email scam. It purportedly originated from WordPress, claiming that my payment details were incorrect in my account and included a link for me to click to rectify them.

I immediately recognised the email as fraudulent because the email failed to address me by name. All it said was ‘Dear WordPress User,’ But what alarmed me was that the same scammer went on to also send me the same email through the ‘Contact Hugh‘ form on my blog, neglecting to begin the message with ‘Dear Hugh.’ It’s important to note that I request anyone using the form to begin their message with ‘Dear Hugh,’ as this practice helps identify potential spam, particularly from automated spam bots.

I don’t know how the scammer obtained my email address, but it must have appeared on a list with some connection to WordPress. This is likely how they discovered I had a WordPress blog, although nowhere on my blog do I provide an email address. Anyone wanting to contact me must go via the ‘Contact Hugh’ form.

Although this was an easy scam for me to spot, I still feel bad for any blogger who falls for it. If you are unsure whether an email from WordPress is genuine, always log in to your WordPress account to verify any details. Never click on any uninvited links and never give an email address anywhere on your blog.

However, more concerning was news of a blogging scam that involved using royalty-free platforms, such as Pixabay. Author, writer and blogger Jacqueline Lambert left a comment on my recent post, Where To Legally Source Amazing Images For Your Blog Posts.’ outlining how she was almost scammed by a company after using a royalty-free image from Pixabay on one of her posts.

I strongly encourage you to read Jacqueline’s insightful post ‘Bloggers Beware The Copyright Trolls – Even If You Use Royalty-Free Images‘ to glean valuable lessons from her experience. It is imperative to remain vigilant and not become a target of such scams that specifically seek to exploit bloggers.

I would also like to reiterate that downloading and publishing copyrighted images or photographs on your blog is strictly prohibited. Always verify that such materials are free for use. This also applies to reblogging blog posts from other bloggers that contain images or photos. If you share copyrighted images from another blogger’s post, you could be fined.

A plea to you – yes, you!

Despite my recent post addressing copyright infringement, I continue to observe bloggers (you know who you are) using images and photos in their posts without proper attribution regarding their sources. They probably believe that nobody will come after them for downloading and using copyrighted images, but I know of two bloggers who have been fined for doing so. Never believe that it will never happen to you.

Even if the images and photos are your own, I recommend that you indicate in your post that they are your property. If you don’t believe me, read Jacqueline’s post. As she elaborates, numerous companies are employing image recognition technology to scan the internet for unauthorised use of images and photographs, especially in blogging posts. Some bloggers have even been threatened with legal action and fines for using their own pictures.

The latest publishing scam

My thanks again to Jacqueline, who recently published a guest post by author Peter Barber about a publishing scam he fell for. Titled ‘Publish and Be Damned: How I Got Scammed, Learned My Lesson, and Came Out Fighting‘, Peter details how he fell head-over-heels for a scam many authors will probably encounter at some point in their writing lives. I urge you to read his post and learn from it because it could happen to you.

Are you aware of any current scams related to blogging or publishing? Please share details in the comments section. Have you ever fallen victim to a blogging or publishing scam? If so, what happened?

The featured image on this blog post is taken from Pixabay. AI checked spelling and grammar mistakes.

You can follow me at the following sites.

• WordPress
• Amazon
• Goodreads
• Mastodon
• Link
• Bluesky

Copyright @ 2025 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

#Blogging #BloggingScams #Copyright #Phishing #Pixabay #Publishing #RoyalFreeImages #Scammers #Scams #WordPress #WordPressHelp

The Latest Blogging and Publishing Scams You Need to Be Aware Of Now

Let me begin with a new scam that is unrelated to blogging or publishing. It’s a scam that comes via a voicemail message on mobile phones.

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve had the same call and message saying, ‘Please add my number to WhatsApp.’ Each time, the number the scammer uses is slightly different, but it’s always the voice of the same woman.

Thanks to Apple’s advanced AI, my phone now does a great job at identifying spam calls and sends them straight to voicemail. It doesn’t even ring. The spammers’ numbers then show in my call list, which I mark as ‘Spam – Delete and send details to Apple.’ I should add that since I enabled AI on my phone, the number of spam calls I receive has dropped significantly.

The latest Blogging scams

Recently, I encountered a concerning blogging email scam. It purportedly originated from WordPress, claiming that my payment details were incorrect in my account and included a link for me to click to rectify them.

I immediately recognised the email as fraudulent because the email failed to address me by name. All it said was ‘Dear WordPress User,’ But what alarmed me was that the same scammer went on to also send me the same email through the ‘Contact Hugh‘ form on my blog, neglecting to begin the message with ‘Dear Hugh.’ It’s important to note that I request anyone using the form to begin their message with ‘Dear Hugh,’ as this practice helps identify potential spam, particularly from automated spam bots.

I don’t know how the scammer obtained my email address, but it must have appeared on a list with some connection to WordPress. This is likely how they discovered I had a WordPress blog, although nowhere on my blog do I provide an email address. Anyone wanting to contact me must go via the ‘Contact Hugh’ form.

Although this was an easy scam for me to spot, I still feel bad for any blogger who falls for it. If you are unsure whether an email from WordPress is genuine, always log in to your WordPress account to verify any details. Never click on any uninvited links and never give an email address anywhere on your blog.

However, more concerning was news of a blogging scam that involved using royalty-free platforms, such as Pixabay. Author, writer and blogger Jacqueline Lambert left a comment on my recent post, Where To Legally Source Amazing Images For Your Blog Posts.’ outlining how she was almost scammed by a company after using a royalty-free image from Pixabay on one of her posts.

I strongly encourage you to read Jacqueline’s insightful post ‘Bloggers Beware The Copyright Trolls – Even If You Use Royalty-Free Images‘ to glean valuable lessons from her experience. It is imperative to remain vigilant and not become a target of such scams that specifically seek to exploit bloggers.

I would also like to reiterate that downloading and publishing copyrighted images or photographs on your blog is strictly prohibited. Always verify that such materials are free for use. This also applies to reblogging blog posts from other bloggers that contain images or photos. If you share copyrighted images from another blogger’s post, you could be fined.

A plea to you – yes, you!

Despite my recent post addressing copyright infringement, I continue to observe bloggers (you know who you are) using images and photos in their posts without proper attribution regarding their sources. They probably believe that nobody will come after them for downloading and using copyrighted images, but I know of two bloggers who have been fined for doing so. Never believe that it will never happen to you.

Even if the images and photos are your own, I recommend that you indicate in your post that they are your property. If you don’t believe me, read Jacqueline’s post. As she elaborates, numerous companies are employing image recognition technology to scan the internet for unauthorised use of images and photographs, especially in blogging posts. Some bloggers have even been threatened with legal action and fines for using their own pictures.

The latest publishing scam

My thanks again to Jacqueline, who recently published a guest post by author Peter Barber about a publishing scam he fell for. Titled ‘Publish and Be Damned: How I Got Scammed, Learned My Lesson, and Came Out Fighting‘, Peter details how he fell head-over-heels for a scam many authors will probably encounter at some point in their writing lives. I urge you to read his post and learn from it because it could happen to you.

Are you aware of any current scams related to blogging or publishing? Please share details in the comments section. Have you ever fallen victim to a blogging or publishing scam? If so, what happened?

The featured image on this blog post is taken from Pixabay. AI checked spelling and grammar mistakes.

You can follow me at the following sites.

• WordPress
• Amazon
• Goodreads
• Mastodon
• Link
• Bluesky

Copyright @ 2025 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

#Blogging #BloggingScams #Copyright #Phishing #Pixabay #Publishing #RoyalFreeImages #Scammers #Scams #WordPress #WordPressHelp

The Latest Blogging and Publishing Scams You Need to Be Aware Of Now

Let me begin with a new scam that is unrelated to blogging or publishing. It’s a scam that comes via a voicemail message on mobile phones.

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve had the same call and message saying, ‘Please add my number to WhatsApp.’ Each time, the number the scammer uses is slightly different, but it’s always the voice of the same woman.

Thanks to Apple’s advanced AI, my phone now does a great job at identifying spam calls and sends them straight to voicemail. It doesn’t even ring. The spammers’ numbers then show in my call list, which I mark as ‘Spam – Delete and send details to Apple.’ I should add that since I enabled AI on my phone, the number of spam calls I receive has dropped significantly.

The latest Blogging scams

Recently, I encountered a concerning blogging email scam. It purportedly originated from WordPress, claiming that my payment details were incorrect in my account and included a link for me to click to rectify them.

I immediately recognised the email as fraudulent because the email failed to address me by name. All it said was ‘Dear WordPress User,’ But what alarmed me was that the same scammer went on to also send me the same email through the ‘Contact Hugh‘ form on my blog, neglecting to begin the message with ‘Dear Hugh.’ It’s important to note that I request anyone using the form to begin their message with ‘Dear Hugh,’ as this practice helps identify potential spam, particularly from automated spam bots.

I don’t know how the scammer obtained my email address, but it must have appeared on a list with some connection to WordPress. This is likely how they discovered I had a WordPress blog, although nowhere on my blog do I provide an email address. Anyone wanting to contact me must go via the ‘Contact Hugh’ form.

Although this was an easy scam for me to spot, I still feel bad for any blogger who falls for it. If you are unsure whether an email from WordPress is genuine, always log in to your WordPress account to verify any details. Never click on any uninvited links and never give an email address anywhere on your blog.

However, more concerning was news of a blogging scam that involved using royalty-free platforms, such as Pixabay. Author, writer and blogger Jacqueline Lambert left a comment on my recent post, Where To Legally Source Amazing Images For Your Blog Posts.’ outlining how she was almost scammed by a company after using a royalty-free image from Pixabay on one of her posts.

I strongly encourage you to read Jacqueline’s insightful post ‘Bloggers Beware The Copyright Trolls – Even If You Use Royalty-Free Images‘ to glean valuable lessons from her experience. It is imperative to remain vigilant and not become a target of such scams that specifically seek to exploit bloggers.

I would also like to reiterate that downloading and publishing copyrighted images or photographs on your blog is strictly prohibited. Always verify that such materials are free for use. This also applies to reblogging blog posts from other bloggers that contain images or photos. If you share copyrighted images from another blogger’s post, you could be fined.

A plea to you – yes, you!

Despite my recent post addressing copyright infringement, I continue to observe bloggers (you know who you are) using images and photos in their posts without proper attribution regarding their sources. They probably believe that nobody will come after them for downloading and using copyrighted images, but I know of two bloggers who have been fined for doing so. Never believe that it will never happen to you.

Even if the images and photos are your own, I recommend that you indicate in your post that they are your property. If you don’t believe me, read Jacqueline’s post. As she elaborates, numerous companies are employing image recognition technology to scan the internet for unauthorised use of images and photographs, especially in blogging posts. Some bloggers have even been threatened with legal action and fines for using their own pictures.

The latest publishing scam

My thanks again to Jacqueline, who recently published a guest post by author Peter Barber about a publishing scam he fell for. Titled ‘Publish and Be Damned: How I Got Scammed, Learned My Lesson, and Came Out Fighting‘, Peter details how he fell head-over-heels for a scam many authors will probably encounter at some point in their writing lives. I urge you to read his post and learn from it because it could happen to you.

Are you aware of any current scams related to blogging or publishing? Please share details in the comments section. Have you ever fallen victim to a blogging or publishing scam? If so, what happened?

The featured image on this blog post is taken from Pixabay. AI checked spelling and grammar mistakes.

You can follow me at the following sites.

• WordPress
• Amazon
• Goodreads
• Mastodon
• Link
• Bluesky

Copyright @ 2025 hughsviewsandnews.com – All rights reserved.

#Blogging #BloggingScams #Copyright #Phishing #Pixabay #Publishing #RoyalFreeImages #Scammers #Scams #WordPress #WordPressHelp

Desde hace semanas nuestras comunicaciones estaban siendo intervenidas, nuestros mensajes estaban glitcheados y las autoras invitadas desaparecían tras las sombras… como si alguien quisiera impedirnos hablar.

No todas las voces son escuchadas, pero por fin hemos conseguido tener una señal clara para lanzar nuestro mensaje: #Discatopía. Con esta #antología hemos encontrado voces que se han atrevido a #imaginar un millón de #futuros, a poner en el centro lo que tantas veces se silencia y a convertir la diferencia en fuerza narrativa.

🚀 Fecha de #lanzamiento: 1 de noviembre.
🌌 Nombre en clave: Discatopía.
👉 Destino: un viaje hacia mundos donde la #resistencia se escribe con ternura, el #caos convive con la #esperanza y cada relato late con una pregunta: ¿qué futuro imaginamos?

En la #ruta encontrarás inteligencias #artificiales que no entienden de matices, amor en medio del #silencio, visiones de #sociedades que nos resultarán demasiado familiares… y, sobre todo, la certeza de que siempre hay otra opción.

Dicen que el futuro es un lugar incierto, una suma de #caminos posibles que se bifurcan en cada #decisión. ¿Cuál es la tuya?

⚠️♾️🔜 ¿Te unes a la misión?
☣️🆔🔙 ¿Prefieres que otros escriban el futuro?

El viaje está a punto de comenzar.

#AntologíaBenéfica #Distopía #Diversidad #Representación #discapacidad

Efectos de sonido de Universfield & freesound_community en #Pixabay

Desde hace semanas nuestras comunicaciones estaban siendo intervenidas, nuestros mensajes estaban glitcheados y las autoras invitadas desaparecían tras las sombras… como si alguien quisiera impedirnos hablar.

No todas las voces son escuchadas, pero por fin hemos conseguido tener una señal clara para lanzar nuestro mensaje: #Discatopía. Con esta #antología hemos encontrado voces que se han atrevido a #imaginar un millón de #futuros, a poner en el centro lo que tantas veces se silencia y a convertir la diferencia en fuerza narrativa.

🚀 Fecha de #lanzamiento: 1 de noviembre.
🌌 Nombre en clave: Discatopía.
👉 Destino: un viaje hacia mundos donde la #resistencia se escribe con ternura, el #caos convive con la #esperanza y cada relato late con una pregunta: ¿qué futuro imaginamos?

En la #ruta encontrarás inteligencias #artificiales que no entienden de matices, amor en medio del #silencio, visiones de #sociedades que nos resultarán demasiado familiares… y, sobre todo, la certeza de que siempre hay otra opción.

Dicen que el futuro es un lugar incierto, una suma de #caminos posibles que se bifurcan en cada #decisión. ¿Cuál es la tuya?

⚠️♾️🔜 ¿Te unes a la misión?
☣️🆔🔙 ¿Prefieres que otros escriban el futuro?

El viaje está a punto de comenzar.

#AntologíaBenéfica #Distopía #Diversidad #Representación #discapacidad

Efectos de sonido de Universfield & freesound_community en #Pixabay

Desde hace semanas nuestras comunicaciones estaban siendo intervenidas, nuestros mensajes estaban glitcheados y las autoras invitadas desaparecían tras las sombras… como si alguien quisiera impedirnos hablar.

No todas las voces son escuchadas, pero por fin hemos conseguido tener una señal clara para lanzar nuestro mensaje: #Discatopía. Con esta #antología hemos encontrado voces que se han atrevido a #imaginar un millón de #futuros, a poner en el centro lo que tantas veces se silencia y a convertir la diferencia en fuerza narrativa.

🚀 Fecha de #lanzamiento: 1 de noviembre.
🌌 Nombre en clave: Discatopía.
👉 Destino: un viaje hacia mundos donde la #resistencia se escribe con ternura, el #caos convive con la #esperanza y cada relato late con una pregunta: ¿qué futuro imaginamos?

En la #ruta encontrarás inteligencias #artificiales que no entienden de matices, amor en medio del #silencio, visiones de #sociedades que nos resultarán demasiado familiares… y, sobre todo, la certeza de que siempre hay otra opción.

Dicen que el futuro es un lugar incierto, una suma de #caminos posibles que se bifurcan en cada #decisión. ¿Cuál es la tuya?

⚠️♾️🔜 ¿Te unes a la misión?
☣️🆔🔙 ¿Prefieres que otros escriban el futuro?

El viaje está a punto de comenzar.

#AntologíaBenéfica #Distopía #Diversidad #Representación #discapacidad

Efectos de sonido de Universfield & freesound_community en #Pixabay

Desde hace semanas nuestras comunicaciones estaban siendo intervenidas, nuestros mensajes estaban glitcheados y las autoras invitadas desaparecían tras las sombras… como si alguien quisiera impedirnos hablar.

No todas las voces son escuchadas, pero por fin hemos conseguido tener una señal clara para lanzar nuestro mensaje: #Discatopía. Con esta #antología hemos encontrado voces que se han atrevido a #imaginar un millón de #futuros, a poner en el centro lo que tantas veces se silencia y a convertir la diferencia en fuerza narrativa.

🚀 Fecha de #lanzamiento: 1 de noviembre.
🌌 Nombre en clave: Discatopía.
👉 Destino: un viaje hacia mundos donde la #resistencia se escribe con ternura, el #caos convive con la #esperanza y cada relato late con una pregunta: ¿qué futuro imaginamos?

En la #ruta encontrarás inteligencias #artificiales que no entienden de matices, amor en medio del #silencio, visiones de #sociedades que nos resultarán demasiado familiares… y, sobre todo, la certeza de que siempre hay otra opción.

Dicen que el futuro es un lugar incierto, una suma de #caminos posibles que se bifurcan en cada #decisión. ¿Cuál es la tuya?

⚠️♾️🔜 ¿Te unes a la misión?
☣️🆔🔙 ¿Prefieres que otros escriban el futuro?

El viaje está a punto de comenzar.

#AntologíaBenéfica #Distopía #Diversidad #Representación #discapacidad

Efectos de sonido de Universfield & freesound_community en #Pixabay

@pascoda @netzpolitik_feed vermutlich, weil #pixabay mit den Worten "Frau vor PC Hacker" nur dieses Bild ausgespuckt hätte, welches ebenfalls via künstlicher Intelligenz erzeugt wurde und kostenlos zur Nutzung bereit steht, ohne sich irgendwo anmelden zu müssen. 😉
https://pixabay.com/de/illustrations/ai-generiert-frau-hacker-8180209/

@pascoda @netzpolitik_feed vermutlich, weil #pixabay mit den Worten "Frau vor PC Hacker" nur dieses Bild ausgespuckt hätte, welches ebenfalls via künstlicher Intelligenz erzeugt wurde und kostenlos zur Nutzung bereit steht, ohne sich irgendwo anmelden zu müssen. 😉
https://pixabay.com/de/illustrations/ai-generiert-frau-hacker-8180209/

@pascoda @netzpolitik_feed vermutlich, weil #pixabay mit den Worten "Frau vor PC Hacker" nur dieses Bild ausgespuckt hätte, welches ebenfalls via künstlicher Intelligenz erzeugt wurde und kostenlos zur Nutzung bereit steht, ohne sich irgendwo anmelden zu müssen. 😉
https://pixabay.com/de/illustrations/ai-generiert-frau-hacker-8180209/

@pascoda @netzpolitik_feed vermutlich, weil #pixabay mit den Worten "Frau vor PC Hacker" nur dieses Bild ausgespuckt hätte, welches ebenfalls via künstlicher Intelligenz erzeugt wurde und kostenlos zur Nutzung bereit steht, ohne sich irgendwo anmelden zu müssen. 😉
https://pixabay.com/de/illustrations/ai-generiert-frau-hacker-8180209/

Toot in eigener Sache:

Ich poste aktuell wieder viele Fotos meiner letzten Ausflüge auf diversen Fotoplattformen und würde mich natürlich sehr freuen, wenn diese ein breites Publikum erreichen. #Instagram nutze ich aus offensichtlichen Gründen schon lange nicht mehr.

Für alle hier im Fediverse existiert z.B. die super praktische Möglichkeit, einfach meinem #Pixelfed Account @[email protected] zu folgen.

Ansonsten bin ich auch auf #Cara #Unsplash #Pexels #Pixabay #DeviantArt #Tumblr #EyeEm zu finden.