3 thoughts on “If Imitation’s the Sincerest Form of Flattery, Plagiarism Is …

  1. Andy Hall March 29, 2011 / 7:47 am

    That’s a confusing post over there. Is that a black Confederate soldier? With an AK-47?

    Does Harry Turtledove know about this?

  2. Donald R. Shaffer March 29, 2011 / 5:53 pm

    Brooks: are you sure this “blogger” isn’t copying blogs at random? The blog’s articles seem to put it mildly pretty eclectic . I’d say this blog might even be automated, and given the very loose similarity of the photo in the article to your subject automatically choosing a photo for the article based on keywords or someting of the sort. I also notice the blog is an Amazon affiliate. Maybe the purpose the blog is to draw people to the blog via search engines with various random content to try and sell them the beef jerky that’s for sale. For example, there are plenty of fake porn blogs on the web that serve as feeders to pay porn sites. I think the plagiarizing blogger here is copying that approach.

    In any case, the blogger should have given you proper credit, but then again plagiarism is endemic on the web. Sometimes when I track down a plagiarized paper from one of my students, I find 3 or 4 websites or more using the passage in question. It’s tragic since it sends the message to students that plagiarism is okay when they find it all over the web. C’est la vie.

    • Brooks D. Simpson March 29, 2011 / 6:18 pm

      Oh, I think it’s taking blogs at random, but then adding a picture, etc. It’s an eclectic collection of entries.

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