RE: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976846330
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976844354
and http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976853159
To plagiarize is:
1. To use and pass off (the ideas or writings of another) as one's own.
2. To appropriate for use as one's own passages or ideas from (another).
Any reasonable look at the articles mentioned in TJ's post should make it clear that either one was copied from the other or they were both copied from the same place. To put it more simply any teacher that saw those two papers as responses to an essay for a class would fail them both or at least determine which was the original and fail the other.
I could find no mention of any 'original source' in either article so neither can claim to be a paraphrase or parody of the other on that basis. The original can not reasonably be considered likely to be so widely known that any readers of the second would recognize it as a satire or parody of the original so the charge of plagiarism cannot be avoid on that basis.
So unless the two writers are, in fact, one person I can not see how the charge of plagiarism could be denied.
However I can say "who cares"! They are not important pieces, merely one Gather member patting another on the back. No important ideas, no majestic signs of creativity, no big buck-bucks in the wrong hands. So who cares!
What I find more disturbing is the apparent attack on the 'maturity' of TJ. If we indeed saw the totality of the emails between TJ and SK then I fail to see any grounds for that complaint. I find that attack a much more serious a problem, if this really a multi-person argument. However; the whole thing is so ridiculous that I am tempted to believe that all the parties involved are in fact the same person just drumming up Gather points by raising a fuss.
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Comments: 35
Why would one person on Gather be so desperate they they would have to steal someone else's article and only change one person's name, and call it their own.
Why would a so called Intellect spend her night attacking a young writer, and her only insults are that he is young, biased, and does not do enough research. If we were to look at her responses-they are very biased. Many people do not do enough research before commenting, let alone writing articles, so should we tear them all apart? There are many younger writers on gather, and at times, i have mentioned that through life experiences TJ's outlook may change, but his age is not a detriment to his writing.
It also amazes me that "mature" adults would take the time to try and black eye an article that told of the escapades of 2 adults slamming a teenager. That article, and the people involved showed a lot. The teenager was more mature than the so called adults, and the adults have nothing to add but sarcasm, bigotry, and intolerance.
I thank you for your article, and I hope i have not taken up to much space.
I know my article/s were no big deal, however, I find the practice of plagarizing and then hiding behind "Satire" is wrong and should be corrected. Since this has all come to light and been shown in several articles, I have decided to do something about it. I was going to just ignore it. However, these two have been doing this for over a year and it seems people are afraid to call them on it. (They will hone in on you if you disagree with anything they say or do.) Since this "debate" has become so public, I feel it is time something be done.
If they would steal such a simple article as praising another Gather member, what would they do with a very serious article?
"Who cares?" Well, if it was your article that was plagarized you would probably care. "They're not important pieces..." That is in your opinion, others may find them important and the writer may also find their piece important. It doesn't matter how much importance you personally put on someone else's work, you still have no right to plagarize it.
This is a matter of principal, it should not be a matter of opinion, and legally it is not!
As I understand, those being plagarized must complain to Gather. That is the steps I will be taking.
Thank you.
Yes, you may add that to your icon if you like: Dan, Officially a Gatherite. We will support you, maybe even make a fan club for you!
Sorry, Lori, I guess I need to make a fan club for you too. Should we call it "Chubbles' Fan Club"?
Satirical writing is to make fun of in a whimsical way. Not to downgrade, or insult.
If you read my satires, that is satire. The Antichrist' article was no satire. It was theft of the author's thoughts and writings.
Thank you for listening.