Don’t Plagiarize!

Good advice indeed. The tricky part is two fold. First is knowing what constitutes plagarism. I write a blog that nobody reads (nb: not the blog that nobody reads because I'm just one of many that nobody reads) but I take great pains to credit where it's due. The slipperiest one for me is an idea. I often hear an idea or posiiton that is not mine and I make a point to cite the author. If I don't know where I heard it or am uncertain as to it''s origins I'll give a disclaimer that someone else said the same thing elsewhere.

This is something that was drilled into my head at a very early age. The message was, you plagarize and you're toast. Cite, quote and rephrase all you want but don't steal. In journalism, there is a high premium paid for originality. That originality is rare and writers and journalists are often lazy and sloppy. Now with the interweb, they can't be any more. Try it these days and you're bound to get caught. The magic of Google lets employers and teachers put your phrase into a search engine that can track down the source in less than a second.

Cite, quote, and don't steal. Overcompensate if you have to.

Comments

Anna Venger said…
I write a blog that nobody reads

Oh, yeah, and what am I? I always feared I was a nobody. Thanks so much for the confirmation! ;)
The Last Ephor said…
Dearest Anna,

I meant "nobody" in the broad sense. Plus if you check SiteMeter, it's me you and DonViti reading this.

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