A look at Plagiarism from 1933 compared to the blockchain
There will always be plagiarism and with the advent of the Internet, many say it is worse. However, if you think about it detection is much easier, now than before Internet back in 1933 when Robert Glasser the best known sci-fi writer ripped off Marion Ryan. After being caught he just dropped out of the scene.
Whereas, nowadays people sue and make lots of bucks.
While reading an article by Robert Silverberg he writes about how young Science fiction publishing in the United States was when first hit by plagiarism. The pdf can be downloaded from the internet.
This article couldn't be on found on “Asimov’s Science Fiction” since it is so old.
In the download, the Silverberg’s title is, “Reflections Robert A. Heinlein, author of the Martian Chronicles." This blew me back because we all know Ray Bradbury wrote them. He asks us to consider the first lines of Ray Bradbury’s book.
They had a house of crystal pillars on the planet Mars by the edge of an empty sea, and every morning you could see Mrs. K eating the garden fruits that grew from the crystal walls, or cleaning the house with handfuls of magnetic dust which, taking all dirt with it, blew away on the hot wind. Afternoons, when the fossil sea was warm and motionless, and the wine trees stood stiff in the yard, and the little dis- tant Martian bone town was all enclosed, and no one drifted out their doors, you could see Mr. K himself in his room, reading from a metal book with raised hiero- glyphs over which he brushed his hand as one might play a harp. . . .
Now he says to read it through Heinlein’s consciousness:
They had a house of crystal pillars on the planet Mars by the edge of an empty sea, and every morning you could see Mrs. K eating the garden fruits that grew from the crystal walls, or cleaning the house with handfuls of magnetic dust which, taking all dirt with it, blew away on the hot wind. Afternoons, when the fossil sea was warm and motionless, and the wine trees stood stiff in the yard, and the little distant Mart- ian bone town was all enclosed, and no one drifted out their doors, you could see Mr. K himself in his room, reading from a metal book with raised hieroglyphs over which he brushed his hand as one might play a harp. . . .
The concepts differ though the wording is the same.
I remember in a Master Online Writing class best seller, Malcolm Gladwell talking about someone ripping off his work. A reader notified him and he contacted the person of interest.
I found a write up by Malcolm Gladwell in The New Yorker about the incident.
He writes about meeting with the woman who plagiarized him and his thoughts about it. When reading this article it is obvious to me the woman should have got his permission and also gave him credit for his work. This sure would have saved her reputation and sanity.
There is an article on google about someone in Steemit stealing a CCN article titled, “Why I Don’t Care Someone Stole My Article & Made $400 on Steemit” by Justin OConnell. link. Here is where he links that article. I don't think the Steemian ends up making any money on since it was downvoted.
I know a local artist in town who says her friend makes a lot of money from people stealing his work he goes after them every time.
Today the laws are much tougher on people who plagiarize. I say if they are not your words give credit and links. It is my hope is I correctly linked everything here.
Here is @steemcleaners guide. In case you need to report someone. They help with stopping plagiarism and identity theft in Steeemit.
Thank you so much for making it possible for me to share my thoughts with you.
@rebeccabe
Stay strong and Steem on!
There is always somebody that will cheat to get ahead. It is an extremely sad fact of life. Nice post @rebeccabe
Gaz
The thing is at least give credit. I mean how hard is that?
So that's a TIL for me that there's such a story in the plagiarism history... interesting, and at the same time a little annoying that people still do it nowadays.
Cite your stuff, people. It brings more good than you would expect.
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agreed :)
Howdy rebeccabe! great advice, information and links and sources of course. You can't be too careful!
Thank you, my friend, and yes we must give credit to whom credit is due.
@rebeccabe
Theft of intellectual property is such a big issue - along with plagiarism. Both are serious no-nos and, I think, the people that do it have no ethics. About 20-odd years ago, I developed and used to run a basic fundraising workshop. I wrote the materials, the assessments, everything, and it was incorporated into a course for development workers that was being rolled out all over South Africa. Having run a few in the province where I then lived, the senior consultant had to run the course in her province. Without a "by your leave" the entire workshop - materials, assessments, the lot were copied and put into a new cover and run by someone else. I found out - I can't remember how - but was never told nor was the IP acknowledged.
The agreement had been that I developed the course and would, in exchange, run it for each course. For which, of course, I was paid. When the budget ran out, it was cheaper to use a local (less qualified) - his/her fees were lower and because there were no flight and accommodation costs. Should I have made a stink? Probably, as that manuscript was intended to have been a published book. And it was, for a few years what I did - fundraising/development consulting, and I had been part of the team that developed the first university-based fundraising course in the country. I had a seriously vested interest in that material and associated IP.
Anyhow, I walked away. As it turns out, not a bad decision because I'm very happy that I left that sector behind.
Going back to Steemit: I suspect that there are people here who plagiarise with impunity and they need to be taken to task. Others, I think, don't know that they're doing it - and they need to be shown what they're doing and allowed at least once, how to make it right. Only if one had been in academe - even at a junior level - does one have a sense of how serious it is, and the implications of plagiarism.
It really irks me how people fail to understand that ideas have value. Ideas take time to brew. Time is money, right? That brings me to another beef: accountants, lawyers, doctors sell their time (effectively), but get paid a whack more than those of us who also sell our time writing, designing, editing, etc., and people haggle over what we charge. Do they do the same with accountants, lawyers and doctors?
Not so much!
Thank you for allowing me to vent my spleeen!
Fiona
What a fantastic commentary. (yes it now qualifies in length) I thought you might be a brainiac and you are. Wow...you really should have got credit. Seems you have a lot more fun with your current work.I am glad you are able to vent. :)
OMG never thought of myself as one, so @rebeccabe, I thank you, ma'am! :D
Reporting to Steemcleaners is all important if we want this chain to thrive. If scammers and plagiarists get to high Rep, it is hard to bring them down again. So if you see it, report it!
Well said @bengy and after seeing that article on google about the guy plagiarising I realize it so important to stop it. Because it stays on the web and that is our rep. as a group of folks.
We are SO proud to have you as a member of our
FANTABULOUS Power House Creatives family!
uvoted and resteemed!
❤ MWAH!!! ❤
#powerhousecreatives
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❤ MWAH!!! ❤ right back at ya!
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thanks :)
I've been seeing my work taken and used by other people for years, and my photos, but there has been nothing much I can do about it. I was in New Jersey watching TV one day when I saw on a jewellery program one of my images as a background, tried to contact them but had no luck...
You need a good pro bono lawyer.
This is where making sure ALL your references are in check before posting. If you are using something that isn't yours then cite where you got it from. Sadly, some people think they can get away with it and when they start making money from someone else, it leaves a sinking feeling. It's basically theft!
Laws are getting tougher and that's a good thing for content creators. If you do things properly anyway (citing sources, giving credit etc) then you won't have a problem. It's a lot easier to detect cheaters in this day and age compared to the 1930s. Imagine if that reader didn't get in contact and let him know...
Stay safe Becky B
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A rebeccaBot vote for you @nickeyhavey thanks for the comment.
Amazing! Thanks for curating 😁
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Dear @rebeccabe,
I believe that we are really making an advent with the whole plagiarism thing. Now that I am in Australia, we do have this turnitin software that automatically detects if you plagiarized. AKA your essay/work is made up of chopped up works from different authors.
I am so grateful with the software. Though I am still having anxiety attacks because, I feel that whenever I upload my work, it might turn out above the acceptable range(above 30%).
That is some good software. I had not heard of it before. I guess when people are writing for school that would be really good. @nurseanne84 are you working as a nurse in Australia?
Unfortunately no at this moment as I am still trying to complete the requirements for my registration here. Yes. it is indeed a powerful tools especially when people accuse you of cheating or copying.
Its also a great way to catch people who usually copy/paste their work from the net(did I tell you that this upsets me very much because basically, they get better grades than I do?)
Oh my. I worked as a therapist in hospitals for 30 years. Both my Mother and Grandmother were nurses. You might say I was raised by nurses. Make sure you get plenty of clinical time too. Nice to know more about you.
How does it feel to be raised by nurses? is it overkill? because where I am now, I am imagining me becoming so OCD with my child. hahahahaha
Well, you have to be real-real sick otherwise no sympathy. Also I remember once as a child telling mom I had a headache and she said to go away children do not get headaches. lol
Back in the day when grandma was a nurse she had penicillin at home and if we were sick ... well it could happen lol
Yeah. I do that too but with my mom and dad. Like, when they hurt and they kept repeating themselves I would be like: there's a reason I bought topical analgesics up there in the medicine cabinet! help yourself. hahahahaha
I am like them lol
I do not like taking pills but if really in pain sometimes we have to.