Tag Archives: Blogging

How To Remove Photos Someone Else Posted To Yelp Or TripAdvisor Without Your Permission

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This past week, I was surprised to find two of my original photos posted on TripAdvisor’s website. They were uploaded as the main images for both both Fargo locations of Extreme Pita and Lakes Country Buffet, located in Fergus Falls. I also found that one of my photos was being used as the main image for Brass Lantern, Alexandria, MN on Yelp. Ironically, the photo uploaded for Extreme Pita featured pita I baked in my own kitchen and the photo for Lakes Country Buffet was actually taken at a different restaurant.

These photos were used without my permission, did not link to my blog, or provide me with compensation, even though they were used to promote the restaurants. To edit a restaurant listing on these sites, one has to have set up an account and register their business, but anyone can upload photos. I’m not sure who uploaded mine, but guess it may have been someone associated with the restaurants. Otherwise, I’m not sure why a random individual would take the time to upload photos from my blog, especially considering they didn’t feature the correct restaurants.

I immediately requested that TripAdvisor and Yelp remove them by filing a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notification. Tripadvisor removed the photos within 24 hours of the next business day but ignored my requests to send me confirmations the issues were resolved. Yelp was slower to respond, taking about a week to remove the photo, but they did send me an email confirmation.

Keep in mind that the other party can send you a counter-notice if they feel they were not infringing. You can read more about this process on the links to the Electronic Freedom Foundation’s website, below. In my experience submitting DMCA notifications, I’ve only received one counter notification from an individual bold enough to claim they had the right to use my photos however they wished because I published them on my blog. A simple reply put an end to this nonsense and it was promptly removed. In my experience, companies take these requests seriously, as they are liable if they do not enforce copyright law.

One could add a watermark to their photos, which may prevent them from being stolen. I choose not to. Watermark or not, you still have a right to protect your photos.

I learned a lot about bloggers’ rights and the DMCA notification process on the Intellectual Property section of the Electronic Freedom Foundation’s (EFF) Legal Guide for Bloggers.

To send a DMCA notification to TripAdvisor, simply email it to: copr@tripadvisor.com. Include the following text and customize it to your individual case. Keep the paragraphs separated and marked.

a.) Describe the work you claim is infringed and provide a link to the source where the work is taken without permission.

b.) Provide a link to your own website to show the work is your own.

c.) Include your contact information such as a phone number and email address. Some companies may ask for your home address.

d.) Include the statement,”I have a good faith belief that the material that is claimed as copyright infringement is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.”

e.) Include the statement, “I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and I am the copyright owner, or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner, of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.”

f.) Provide your electronic signature by typing your name as you would normally sign it.

There are a several ways to file a notification with Yelp. First, you can send them a message on this Contact page. The word space is limited, but if you condense some of the the DMCA notification above, you can fit in the whole request. I received the fastest response when I created a Yelp account and flagged the offending photo as inappropriate, explaining the issue in the space provided. Yelp sent me an email response and removed the photo. The email confirmation was sent from feedback@yelp.com and made not mention of not responding to the email address, so you could give this a try. Finally, you could contact your local Yelp Community Manager on Twitter. For Minneapolis-St. Paul, this is Annie D’Souza @YelpMSP. She responded to my direct Tweet quickly, while the individual managing the Yelp headquarters account did not respond.

For Your Reading Pleasure: A Few Blogs I Like

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Greetings to you on this happy Friday.

I’d like to take a moment to share a few blogs that have recently crawled onto my reading list. Most of which, I’ve never referred to in my posts. I like reading these blogs because they are fun, authentic, and most importantly, unpretentious. I hope you enjoy.

Road Tips: A Sales Guy’s Guide to Travel, Food, and Music in the Midwest and Beyond – And Much More
This dude’s been everywhere. His work travels have even taken him deep within the depths of the Midwest that I hold near and dear. This includes my old stomping grounds in Iowa, the greater Twin Cities, outstate Minnesota, and the far reaches of North Dakota. He’s dined in St. Cloud, MN, Newton, IA, and Dickinson, ND. I love that.

He’s often in pursuit of the best burgers and explores a wide variety of independent, family-owned restaurants. His reviews are straightforward and frank. I’m always look forward to reading about the next supper club or tavern that he might visit next.

Find him on Twitter at @RoadTips

Smokin’, Chokin’ And Chowing With The King: All Things Food and Sports With Some Sins and Grins Thrown In
This Chicago-based blogger has also explored the outer reaches of Minnesota. I was captivated by his documentation of road trips through Northern Minnesota and along The Great River Road in Wisconsin. He sent me a tweet mentioning that he likes to go up north in the summers. Like the author of Road Tips, he also focuses on independent, family-owned restaurants. Both explore with the spirit of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, minus the obnoxious shtick.

Find him on Twitter at @chibbqking

The Corporate Peon
Katey is a fellow, North Dakotan blogger who shares her life through sassy storytelling that is never, ever, ever boring. No sugar coating here and I find this refreshing.

Find her on Twitter @Katey911

North Dakota Kitchen
You won’t find any sarcasm or sass here. However, you will find that the most wonderful creations come from Shannon’s North Dakota Kitchen. The first page, alone, features homemade cranberry-pomegranate wine and a whimsical cake that looks like a movie theater bag of popcorn. Her photography is lovely and helpful. Plus, she was recently featured in a video produced by the Forum.

Find her on Twitter @shannoniolson

Fat Girl Hedonist: An Honest (Wo)man’s Perspective on Food. Sharing My South Florida Restaurant and Food Adventures
I find myself returning to this South Florida blog. I don’t have a particular connection to South Florida, having only visited Florida a couple times during my childhood. Regardless, I enjoy the author’s down-to-earth and balanced reviews of a diverse array of restaurants. The occasional recipes she tosses in are icing on the cake.

For more blogs I like to read, check out the list located in the column to your right. 

Food Haunts: Q & A With North Dakota Food Writers

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I love a good story almost as much as I love good food.

At the TECHmunch conference in Minneapolis, Andrew Zimmern highlighted the importance of pairing good food with compelling stories.  And not just any stories, but those no one’s ever heard before.  When I’m searching for inspiration, I often turn to Chowhound discussion boards.  In my favorite discussion of all time, individuals contribute memories of food haunts they tasted once and haven’t found since.  I am both soothed and exhilarated by reading others’ accounts of foods so ethereal, they remain unforgettable, yet tragically out of reach.  However, they’re all worthy of a lifetime of rediscovery.

I’m constantly inspired by those who participate in the Twin Cities’ vibrant Fortify, A Food Community.  North Dakota’s community of food writers and bloggers may not yet be a force with enough leverage to be invited to restaurant tasting events, but this quickly growing group is compelling in its own right.  Three of my favorite North Dakota food writers join me in sharing their own stories of food haunts in my first Q & A feature.

Check out the North Dakota bloggers community on Facebook or find us on Twitter with the hashtag #NDbloggers.

Trying a cricket in Cholula

I’m often haunted by the food treasures I remember from my childhood and meals I enjoyed from afar.  Now that I live in North Dakota, I’m haunted by my favorite foods from the Twin Cities.  One day, when we leave North Dakota, I’ll be haunted by the foods I am presently taking for granted.

I have a love-hate relationship with travel.  I crave exploration to no end, yet am simultaneously terrified by it.  Considering that I may have some manifestation of agoraphobia and become convinced I will face untimely death when I journey away from home, it’s impressive I even made it to China.

After a 12 hour flight, a two hour flight, an evening in a Guangzhou hostel, and an eight hour bus ride, my friend and I landed in Qinzhou.  Twice, my friend took me to a tiny shop where we slurped spicy bowls of noodle soup that cost about 30 US cents.  Rice noodles, fresh greens, pickled vegetables, and fried tofu pouches floated in an atomic red broth.  Although my friend asked the woman to only add a tiny splash of spicy liquid from her bubbling cauldron, my soup was still was so skalding I could only eat in tiny, painful bites.

More recently, I traveled to Puebla with a few friends.  We were spoiled by our proximity to restaurants specializing in Tacos Al Pastor.  This was the real deal.  For Pueblans, making Tacos Al Pastor does not equal throwing raw, marinated meat bits on a grill.  Instead, they roast towering cones of local pork.  These meat cones are then shaved into tacos ready to be topped with pineapple, doused in lime, sprinkled with salt, and drizzled with spicy salsas.  If I am lucky, my life will include opportunities to taste these treasures again, but more realistically, I’ll have to endure the haunting.

Beth, Rhubarb and Venison
For over a decade now, I have unsuccessfully been trying to replicate the tortilla española that I’d have as a snack in the university cafe during a semester abroad in Spain back in my college years.  Simply known as “tortilla” there, those slices of egg-and-potato omelets carried me through many a long Spanish grammar class.  Since then, I’ve whisked eggs until my arm is stiff; I’ve tried using baked potatoes, boiled potatoes; I’ve fried, broiled and baked; but try as I might, I still have not been able to replicate the lightness and overall deliciousness of those amazing (and amazingly affordable) morsels.  I think another trip to Spain is in order…

Beth Schatz Kaylor is a freelance writer whose work has been published in various regional and national media outlets including Midwest Living magazine.  She writes about rhubarb, venison, and other North Dakota kitchen adventures at rhubarbandvenison.blogspot.com.

Brianna, Don’t Eat Crap
My husband and I took a trip to Philadelphia for our one year dating anniversary. We had many popular food places on our agenda but little did I know my favorite food would be served at the Philadelphia  Eagles game. Chickie’s & Pete’s world famous Crabfries are amazing. I am a french fry addict so it wasn’t hard to fall in love with these unique fries. The hot and steamy french fries that are crisp on the outside and flaky on the inside makes me weak at the knees. When we were approaching the stadium we overheard a conversation between two gentleman where one man was telling the other he would have to try these fries. He continued with, “They were the best food in the stadium.” I knew instantly I had to have them.

Now Chickie’s & Pete’s Crabfries are unlike anything I’ve ever had. They are served in a round paper bucket with special seasoning. I’d describe it as almost seafood seasoning with a side of gooey white American cheese sauce to dip your fries in. If you are ever in Philadelphia you must try these fries. I secretly want to go back just to taste them again.

Check out Brianna’s blog www.donteatcrapblog.com and follow her on Twitter @donteatcrap.

MeLissa, Fargo-Moorhead Writer, Artist, and Studio Art Instructor
My haunt is a bit more physical. I seem to have misplaced the most romantic breakfast I’ve ever eaten.

When the Cajun Daddies start brewing Sunday’s dinner on Friday, you realize in Louisiana, food is sex. Food is social. Food is life.

A decade ago, I was a food virgin. You know, I ate in equivalence to procreation (versus multiple orgasms).  Then, in 2003, I drank 30 or so pots of piss in a local pub in Australia, spun a globe, and moved to Louisiana. In the heart of Cajun country, slow moss drips down slower trees and the breeze never comes. And the men, they dance, they sing, they tell stories, and most importantly, they do the cookin.’

There’s a reason that Eve Ensler herself refers to New Orleans as “North America’s Vagina.” The wide mouth of the surly Mississippi and sweltering swamp summers require industrial strength coffee to combat the lethargy. Though some do give in, sitting on porches, sipping mint and watching the gardens grow. My favorite way to enjoy this heat is the perfect patio brunch.

My first voyage to New Orleans was nothing but magic; it was like perfect Parisian rain, I was staying in a boutique hotel in the French Quarter, it was pre-Katrina, and everything was a feast for my young eyes. After a long night, we asked the gentleman tending the door where to get ‘breakfast.’ His directions were a smiling, “three blocks up this here road, and one blockovah” sort of something. I ordered my first flambéed tableside Bananas Foster. I fell in love with New Orleans. In no time, I was part of the greatest jazz legends, the most tender folks, and the most charismatic food. And countless nights I wandered the Quarter alongside southern belles and drawls; yet ne’er did I find that pink shutter door again.

You can find MeLissa’s art installation at the Moorhead Center Mall and writing in the High Plains Reader where she covers the local food scene, food system, and travel. 

My Morning at TECHmunch & The State of My Union

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We find ourselves back in the Twin Cities for a family reunion of sorts.  Jake’s brother just returned home from his second tour in Afghanistan and we’re elated.

On Saturday morning, I was able to attend TECHmunch.  I was humbled to wander amongst many who contribute to the Twin Cities’ vibrant food community and write blogs that I personally love.  Giant chocolate croissant from Patisserie 46 and smooth, Bull Run coffee in hand, I met my seat mates and soaked in thoughts from Andrew Zimmern, Jason DeRusha, and Daniel Klein.  Their workshops inspired me to begin the process of re-evaluating what on earth I am actually doing and where I would like to go.

What is my voice and do I have a distinctive voice?  Am I trying to write about too many things in a mediocre manner or should I hone my focus and try to do one thing really well?

I question whether my voice is compelling enough to sustain what I think I’ve been doing. . . sharing my experience as an adopted Korean in the Midwest (more recently, Fargo) and the interesting food that I meet and make.  Maybe I need to find more of a niche.

I am, by no means, an expert on anything, but I want to tell good stories.  Zimmern notes that it’s best to tell stories no one’s heard before.  It is my hope to merge memoir and food.  As I’ve mentioned previously, food is never just about the food.  I want to highlight the oddities, heartbreaks, irreverencies, and humor in life and connect these with food.  Life isn’t always pretty and it sure isn’t polite.  That’s what makes its stories all the more compelling.

During my quarter-life, I’ve managed to simultaneously attract and pursue chaos which has gifted me with more stories than one might imagine a 27-year old might have.  And as Jake has pointed out, I have an uncanny food memory.  At any point of time, I can remember what I ate or drank along, with those who surrounded me.  I want to dig deeper and share more of my life as it connects with food, saving some of the best stories for later.  They may be too soon to tell.

Simply put, I hope to connect my passion for food with better stories.

I am a fledgling North Dakotan who continues writing my love song to the Twin Cities while exploring the cafes, cultural celebrations, and restaurants of North Dakota and rural Minnesota.  I’m an Asian who is just learning she is Asian.  As I explore markets and restaurants of all ethnicities, I want people to fall in love with the diversity of food and those to whom it’s connected.

Somehow, I’ve also found myself behind in technology, a reminder that was all too apparent at TECHmunch.  I aquired my first smartphone this weekend and look forward to Instagramming and Tweeting with the best.  My Tweets have come from a laptop and I’m happy to announce this will occur no more.  I was late to the Twitter party, but look forward to using my new tool to further illuminate my blog and connect with those in our vibrant food communities.

Since April 2011, my blogging has evolved from 70% food and 30% herbalism to 90% food and 10% storytelling/travel/opinion.  Although I have been very much influenced by my studies in herbalism, my heart is leading me to focus on food, exploration, and storytelling, allowing the herbalist to speak when it seems authentic.

This blog is my love song to food.  To the people who make food and the journeys to find it.  This is a love song to my life and to my home.  My old home and my new one.  I hope you will continue to follow my blogs and I, as we evolve.

A Case For Blogging About Restaurants On Opening Night (& Other Ethical Dilemmas)

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Recently, I have pondered discussions by fellow foodies about how long bloggers should wait after a restaurant opening to post a review and the effect critiques and negative comments or reviews may have on family-owned restaurants during this challenging economic time.

I can’t help but to choose sides.

Some believe it’s completely unfair to review a restaurant within one to three months of opening.  Others feel bloggers must visit a restaurant multiple times before critiquing.  Official, paid “food critics” for major media companies may need to abide by a different variation of rules.  However, there are many of us who do not claim to be food critics.  Rather, we are foodies who like to blog.  But even if we did. . .

Why is a restaurant’s dollar more important than mine?  Why is any restaurant’s dollar more important than mine, whether a corporate chain or family-owned establishment?  Just as restaurant owners, many diners also support themselves on modest and bare-bones budgets.  The economic climate affects us all, and we, like many others, are striving to reduce restaurant visits to save money.  For some, dining out is more closely tied to special events, treats, or occasions and take-out is tied to the end of a really bad day.

As far as I’m concerned, bloggers should review as candidly as they wish, though they should also self-disclose.  If a blogger visits a restaurant on opening night, he or she should disclose this fact at the beginning of their post.  Bloggers should also disclose relationships with the restaurant or its staff, and solicitations from restaurants in the form of gift certificates or complimentary food.  It might not hurt to disclose if a restaurant is still in it’s newly-opened phase, or if one has biases, such as a longstanding discomfort with runny egg yolks or if one is tasting a certain ethnic cuisine for the first time.

Candid never equals mean or spiteful.  Candid is honest and fair, though it does not equal “positive.”  

In my humble opinion, anything for which a restaurant lists on their menu and charges customers is fair game.  Even if it’s opening night and even if it’s not a house specialty.  $10 is still $10 dollars out of my pocket, whether it’s a restaurant’s opening night or 100-year anniversary.  $10 can equal an hour of somebody’s work day as easily as another’s petty cash, and $10 will always equal $10.

If a restaurant serves a low quality, poorly made menu item, it has no business listing it for sale.  Even if it’s a seafood restaurant selling the obligatory steak, or a northern Chinese restaurant serving Szechuan cuisine.  An establishment doesn’t have to prepare the most authentic version of a dish, but it does have to be made with care.  Good food can not be confused with anything other than good food, even if it’s a simple grilled cheese sandwich or General Tso’s chicken.  The taste of apathy is unmistakable and unacceptable.

Perfection is impossible to obtain and unreasonable to expect, and authenticity is relative, but a restaurant should not list menu items for sale if they are made with apathy.

Bloggers vs. restaurants?  

Quite the contrary.

We need both bloggers and restaurants to continue doing what they do.  The more people blog, the more restaurants are held accountable.  The more restaurants critique bloggers, the more bloggers are held accountable.

This push and pull strengthens both subgroups of the food industry, ultimately delivering writing worth reading, tastier food food, and more effective service.

It’s a harsh financial climate for us all, baby, and we’re all working hard for our dolla dolla bills.  So let us remember that a $1 = $1, and may we all strive to be honest and fair.

Let’s discuss.