I grew up knowing no other "Rita's," and then, when I arrived in high school, there were five "Rita's" my graduating year alone. But, since graduating from high school, I have only encountered one other "Rita," and we are not close.
Then, Google is invented and I get married and become an "Anderson," not that the items are connected (or in chronological order).
My blog is the first "Rita Anderson" listed on Google, and then there are 12 other "Rita Anderson's," which is fine, but why does every single one of them use my blog's home page salutation as FALSE ADVERTISING? Finally, tonight, after a year of ignoring them all, I clicked on the first six pretenders (from Spoke-e-o on down). Not one links to my site, although that is the lure; each is merely an advertisement for that commercial web hoster, hoping to net lost visitors. How sick, how sad, and how stupid.
In December, my website was catching 45,000 hits a day, and then the imposter sites appeared (first 5, then 7, then 12), cutting that number by a third, a half, etc.. . .The numbers are an argument for why I should protect the site, and close it to those who are using the greeting as a pretense to catch a hit or two from those who have meandered off base. I am desperately upset about how these paying sites are co-opting my domain name/greeting in such a manner, but I do not know how to (a) stop it, (b) block it, or even to whom (c) I should report this or make my complaint.
"Will the REAL Rita Anderson, author of the Blogosphere, please stand up?"
Regardless of the proposed solution, I will have to address this grievance, one way or another. It may mean closing the domain to private subscibers only, or stopping the blog, completely.
I am open to thoughts, helpful comments, or suggestions.
With Love,
Rita (the real one)