what's the point of submitting articles?

[callivert]

Forgive this naive question. I see a lot of talk about article directories, and article submission. People say it's a good way to get links.
Now, I must have this completely wrong, because it seems counterproductive to me. If my content is now found on 50 different sites on the web, wouldn't this wreck my own site?
Wouldn't I suffer because of
(a) duplicate content;
(b) people don't need to visit my site to read my articles;
(c) Other people are getting free traffic based on my content;
(d) loss of control of my content.

I don't get it. What's the advantage? Someone explain it to me, please. I have to admit, I only have a vague understanding of how these article directories work.

[Matt Probert]

It's called vanity publishing.

Matt

[dragsterboy]

some consider this a buzz marketing technique

[Beagle]

Article submitters who play it smart submit only articles that don't appear on their own sites. The other 50 sites may have duplicate content issues but the author's site won't, and it may get some helpful links. If people like that article, they might be interested in reading what else the author has written - on the author's site.

A disclaimer here that I don't submit articles to directories myself; my own sites soak up all the content I can write.

[dragsterboy]

Wow it seems that nobody here is happy with article submissions. I guess that once you make it work you will change your mind.

[Grandmas Cookies]

I guess it is so mainly because this submission doesn't result in anything positive.

[JohnRoy]

my own sites soak up all the content I can write.

Is webmasterworld.com your site? :)

[Beagle]

Is webmasterworld.com your site? :)

No, but if you're suggesting I should be spending the time writing for my own sites instead of posting here, you're probably exactly right. ;)

The only time I think of the possibility of selling articles in any way (online, that is), is when I have an idea I'd really like to write about that is totally and completely off-topic for any site of mine. Things like that have caused me to start new sites in the past, but I've found they run out of steam too fast.