Bad news, I got a 2 week ban from the people I do paid blogging for because they say I cheated 
I got the email a few days ago now and it upset me greatly because the email stated as fact that I cheated by ‘holding’ an opportunity, they define that as submitting a post without actually writing the content, this allows you to go back to it later and take more opportunities in the meantime. I didn’t do it of course, it was around six weeks between finding that site and me actually getting approved to work with them so I read the FAQs and forums and every thing else I could find so I was ready to work as soon as I got in, I probably know their rules better than they do. PLUS the post in question was only 50 words, it doesn’t even take me two minutes to write a 50 word post so it would make no sense to break the rules and risk a punishment on it, I could understand them suspecting me if it were a 200 word post, but not a 50!
What upset me most though, was as I say they stated as fact that I cheated but offered no evidence of this. Call me old fashioned but you only state something like that as fact if you can back it up, if it’s just a suspicion then you should say that…’We suspect you did this and therefore you are banned for 2 weeks’, it is only a technicality as the result would be the same, but I think it’s obnoxious not to.
I really feel that the reviewers who report this type of thing should have to include evidence, it takes only a few seconds to take a screencap and that is proof enough. I have been working with them for a while now and the reviewers often make mistakes, they are just outsourced people like you and me sitting at home, they aren’t infallible — I have had several posts I wrote rejected due to reviewer error.
I can only assume that is what happened here, they saw someone hold a post and then copied my URL into their report email by accident.
Moaning aside, I do think it’s good that they are trying to stop people cheating — although there system is flawed and lots of innocent people probably get busted, it is comforting to know they are proactive about it and obviously they have to take the word of their own employees over that of individual bloggers like me that they don’t know. I bet that every one who gets a ban sends an email back saying ‘I didnt do it!’.
Now, what on earth am I going to blog about over the next few weeks? For the last few months I have always used the opportunities they send me as my spring board for ideas lol
