How to Create a Custom Google Reader Feed to Detect Plagiarism

Material theft is an unfortunate reality for bloggers, creators, and businesses that publish online. When you invest time and resources into creating original text, discovering that someone has copied your work without permission can be both frustrating and damaging to your brand. While Google Reader itself was discontinued in 2013, the concept of using RSS feeds to monitor potential plagiarism remains valuable. This guide will show you how to create a custom monitoring system using modern RSS readers and search alerts to help detect when your information appears elsewhere on the web.

Why Monitor for Plagiarized Material?

Before diving into the technical setup, let's understand why tracking potential plagiarism matters:

1. Protect your SEO: Duplicate text can harm your search engine rankings
2. Defend your reputation: Ensure others aren't misrepresenting your work
3. Preserve revenue opportunities: Prevent others from monetizing your material
4. Gather evidence: If you need to issue takedown notices, having documentation helps
5. Identify gap areas: Understanding what material gets copied most can inform your strategy

Setting Up Your Plagiarism Detection System

Step 1: Choose a Modern RSS Reader

Since Google Reader is no longer available, you'll need an alternative RSS reader. Some popular options include:

• Feedly: The most popular Google Reader replacement
• Inoreader: Powerful for advanced users
• NewsBlur: Offers both free and premium options
• The Old Reader: Designed to feel like the original Google Reader
• Feedly: Clean and simple interface

For this tutorial, we'll use Feedly as our example, but the concepts apply to most RSS readers.

Step 2: Create Search Alerts for Your Material

A. Set Up Google Alerts

Google Alerts is a free service that notifies you when new information matching your search terms appears on the web.

1. Go to Google Alerts
2. Enter search queries to monitor:
   • Exact phrases from your text in quotation marks (e.g., "unique phrase from your article")
   • Your name in combination with topics you write about
   • Your website name or brand
3. Click "Show options" to refine your alert:
   • Select "RSS" instead of "Email" as the delivery method
   • Choose "As-it-happens" for frequency
   • Select "All results" for sources (or narrow to specific source types)
   • Set your language and region
   • Choose "Only the best results" or "All results" depending on volume
4. Click "Create Alert"
5. Copy the RSS feed URL that Google provides

B. Set Up Bing Alerts

To cast a wider net, also create alerts in Bing:

1. Visit Bing News
2. Search for your targeted phrases
3. Click on "RSS" at the bottom of the search results
4. Copy the RSS feed URL

Step 3: Add Custom Search Feeds to Your RSS Reader

In your chosen RSS reader (Feedly in our example):

1. Click "Add Content" or the "+" icon
2. Select "Add a website or RSS feed"
3. Paste the Google Alerts RSS URL
4. Repeat for any other search feeds you've created
5. Organize these feeds into a collection/folder called "Plagiarism Monitoring"

Step 4: Create Specialized Search Queries

To effectively catch plagiarism, create multiple alerts with different types of queries:

Unique Sentence Monitoring

Identify 5-10 unique sentences or paragraphs from your most valuable writings. Create separate alerts for each one, using exact quotes.

For example:

• "The proprietary algorithm combines semantic analysis with contextual mapping to identify potential instances of material repurposing"

Title + Author Monitoring

Create alerts that combine your article titles with your name.

For example:

• "How to Create a Custom Feed" + "Your Name"

Code Snippet Monitoring

If you publish code, create alerts for unique code snippets (especially custom functions).

For example:

• "function detectContentSimilarity(sourceText, targetText)"

Step 5: Set Up Specialized Plagiarism Detection Tools

While RSS feeds are excellent for general monitoring, dedicated plagiarism detection tools offer more comprehensive protection:

A. Copyscape

Copyscape is a specialized service for finding copies of your web pages online:

1. Register for a Copyscape Premium account
2. Use the batch search to check multiple URLs at once
3. Set up Copyscape Banners on your site as a deterrent

B. Plagiarism Checker APIs

For more technical users, consider integrating a plagiarism detection API:

// Example implementation using a hypothetical API
async function checkForPlagiarism(contentUrl) {
  const response = await fetch('https://api.plagiarismservice.com/check', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      Authorization: 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      url: contentUrl,
      sensitivity: 'high',
      excludeDomains: ['yourdomain.com', 'yourothersite.com'],
    }),
  });

  const results = await response.json();
  return results.matches;
}

Step 6: Set Up a Regular Monitoring Schedule

Consistency is key for effective plagiarism detection:

1. Check your RSS feed collection daily or set up notifications
2. Perform weekly manual searches for your most valuable material
3. Run monthly comprehensive checks using specialized tools
4. Document any matches or suspicious text you find

What to Do When You Find Plagiarized Material

When your monitoring system identifies potential plagiarism, follow these steps:

1. Verify the Match

Before taking action, confirm that it's actually plagiarism:

• Compare the publication dates
• Check if proper attribution was given
• Determine how substantial the copying is
• Rule out coincidental similarity or fair use

2. Document the Evidence

Gather evidence of the plagiarism:

• Take screenshots of the copied text
• Save the webpage as a PDF
• Record the URL and publication date
• Note any metadata or author information

3. Contact the Publisher

If the plagiarism is confirmed, try a direct approach first:

• Find contact information for the site owner or author
• Send a professional email explaining the situation
• Clearly identify your original material with links and dates
• Specify what action you want them to take (removal, attribution, etc.)
• Set a reasonable timeframe for response (typically 5-7 days)

Sample Template:

Subject: Content Copyright Concern - Request for Resolution

Dear [Website Owner/Editor],

I recently discovered that material from my website [Your Website] appears to have been reproduced on your site without permission.

Original text: [URL to your content] (published on [date])
Copied material: [URL to their page]

The following information has been copied:
[Provide specific examples or excerpts]

As the original creator and copyright owner of this material, I request that you:
[Choose one or more]
- Remove the copied text within 7 days
- Provide proper attribution with a link to the original source
- Replace the copied portions with original material

I hope we can resolve this matter amicably. Please confirm your actions by [date].

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]

4. Escalate if Necessary

If direct contact doesn't resolve the issue:

• File a DMCA takedown notice with the hosting provider
• Submit a copyright infringement report to search engines
• Contact relevant advertising networks if the site is monetized
• Consult with a legal professional for serious cases

Enhancing Your Protection Strategy

Create Material That's Easier to Track

Make your text naturally more traceable with these techniques:

1. Include unique identifiers: Add distinctive phrases that are unlikely to appear elsewhere
2. Use branded terminology: Develop and consistently use your own terms and phrases
3. Embed digital watermarks: For images and PDFs, consider invisible watermarking
4. Structure information uniquely: Your organization pattern can itself be a fingerprint

Preventative Measures

While monitoring is essential, also implement these preventative strategies:

1. Display clear copyright notices: Make your ownership explicit
2. Use partial text in RSS feeds: Consider truncating feeds to reduce easy copying
3. Implement copy protection: Use CSS or JavaScript to disable easy text selection for key sections
4. Add sharing options: Make it easy for people to share properly with attribution
5. Establish usage policies: Clearly state how others can and cannot use your material

Advanced Techniques for Technical Users

Create a Custom Scraping Alert System

For those with programming skills, build a custom system:

# Example Python script for checking content similarity
import requests
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
import difflib

def check_similarity(original_url, comparison_url):
    # Get content from both URLs
    original_response = requests.get(original_url)
    comparison_response = requests.get(comparison_url)

    # Parse HTML
    original_soup = BeautifulSoup(original_response.text, 'html.parser')
    comparison_soup = BeautifulSoup(comparison_response.text, 'html.parser')

    # Extract text content
    original_text = original_soup.get_text()
    comparison_text = comparison_soup.get_text()

    # Calculate similarity ratio
    similarity = difflib.SequenceMatcher(None, original_text, comparison_text).ratio()

    return similarity

Set Up Automated Monitoring with Webhooks

Create a system that automatically alerts you when potential plagiarism is detected:

1. Use serverless functions to periodically check your feeds
2. Set up a webhook to notify you through Slack, Discord, or other platforms
3. Create an automated response system for frequent offenders

Conclusion

While Google Reader itself is no longer available, the strategy of using custom RSS feeds for plagiarism detection remains powerful. By combining search feeds with specialized tools and consistent monitoring, you can effectively track and address unauthorized use of your material.

Remember that the goal isn't just to catch plagiarists, but to protect the value of your original work and maintain your reputation as a content creator. With this systematic approach to plagiarism monitoring, you'll be well-equipped to defend your intellectual property in the digital landscape.

Start implementing this system today, beginning with your most valuable material, and gradually expand your monitoring as you refine your process.