Can we get some clarification on plagiarism (maybe a sticky or policy)?

Discussion in 'Support & Feedback' started by mvandemar, May 30, 2007.

  1. #1
    This keeps happening. You would think it would be common sense not to plagiarize here, but apparently it's not. I'm not talking about stealing other people's posts (although of course you shouldn't do that), I'm talking about people using copyrighted content to boost their own image on the forum or inflate their post counts.

    For instance, yesterday saramobile learns about the AdSense revenue sharing program:

    http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=345830

    Today, saramobile is suddenly an expert at posting grammatically correct, intelligible, and interesting content:

    http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=348312
    http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=348311
    http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=348308
    http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=348307
    http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=348305
    http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=348302
    http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=348301

    And more. Problem is, none of it is hers. It's all various stolen articles from http://www.bloggingstocks.com/. I reported a few of the threads, and a mod did delete the specific ones I pointed out, but almost all of what she posted today was in that vein. I think this is the second case of someone doing something similar in 3 days, iirc.

    I know people get banned for this, but maybe something is the policy actually spelling out that it is wrong, or maybe a sticky somewhere, would be a good idea. Something that other users can point offenders at.

    Ideas?

    -Michael
     
    mvandemar, May 30, 2007 IP
  2. amitpatel_3001

    amitpatel_3001 Results Follow Patience

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    #2
    Goodfind there :) , this way that user is just spamming the boards with copied content :(
     
    amitpatel_3001, May 30, 2007 IP
  3. Smyrl

    Smyrl Tomato Republic Staff

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    #3
    Thanks for your highlighting copyright and intellectual property issues.

    While it is appropriate to summarize content posted elsewhere and cite source via a link to source. Blatant plagiarism is inappropriate. This concept of summarizing and citing source is alluded to in the posting guidelines in the statement
     
    Smyrl, May 30, 2007 IP