Comments on My Words Have Been Copied But Who Will Profit?

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Well said! Lots of people consider impersonation or copying to be a form of flattery, but I personally would prefer to remain unflattered and unplagiarized.

posted by Sira890 on September 13, 2007 at 4:59 PM | link to this | reply

Azur

I agree it is fun to write your own stuff - but getting paid is the difficult part.

posted by johnmacnab on August 31, 2007 at 2:03 PM | link to this | reply

well said azur!

posted by littlemspickles on August 30, 2007 at 1:33 PM | link to this | reply

Azur, I totally agree with you

posted by Straightforward on August 27, 2007 at 6:53 PM | link to this | reply

Bravo on this most excellent post!!

Yes, it is easier in the short run to plagiarize than to do your own work. But in the long run you pay for it much more dearly, in many different ways.

posted by Julia. on August 27, 2007 at 5:20 PM | link to this | reply

Azur, PS

Teach your girl that writing, like drawing or juggling, can be just one tool in your life's workshop, one toy in it's sandbox, or any other metaphor you can come up with.

posted by majroj on August 27, 2007 at 1:13 PM | link to this | reply

Honor does not work amongst anonymity

It is a very pragmatic fact that if you can stay unpunished and still get paid, ripping off patents and copyrights, or just plain plagiarism, are fine for people looking to make money plain and simple. Easier than putting melamine in pet food, or cutting a tenth out of every second of a broadcast movie to fit in one more minute of ads per hour then run the end credits at 200 mph crammed flat on the TV screen's bottom 3 inches under an ad.

Honor has a watershed; on one side, you do what's right (usually a Golden Rule thing) because it is "right"; on the other side, lies the land of the Eleventh Commandment ("Thous shalt not get caught"), where it's "right beccuase you want to and you think it'll work.

(You can use that without attribution!).

posted by majroj on August 27, 2007 at 1:11 PM | link to this | reply

I've got lots to catch up on, it seems.

posted by _dave_says_ack_ on August 27, 2007 at 11:57 AM | link to this | reply

Azur

I agree with your comment on my comment. Gee, that was a mouthful! I don't advocate instant, unquestioned trust. But I do advocate second chances. The second chance, upon expression of repentance, should be allowed to begin as soon as possible. How well the second chance is handled should dictate how quickly any degree of trust is earned. Trust is rarely completely restored, and this is probably how it should be. I always try to forgive. But being human, I can rarely completely forget.

posted by notapoet on August 27, 2007 at 11:14 AM | link to this | reply

Re: Some are writers. Some just want to be called writers,

Pat B, oh yes, the rubs and knocks. I heard my very young daughter say the other day, "I must write" and I thought oh no, I must steer her another way. I find it funny to read people here who think that writers here think they are better than every one. My God, the more I write, the less sure I am of myself.

posted by Azur on August 27, 2007 at 11:05 AM | link to this | reply

Re: thank you.

posted by Azur on August 27, 2007 at 10:58 AM | link to this | reply

Notapoet. Re: I have never condoned plagiarism. Nor will I ever.

I agree about forgiveness. "Those willing to repent and do it the right way should be given that chance." Yes, I agree with that. Part of that chance means accepting the consequences of our actions on the chin and accepting that it is a long slow build back to gaining trust. I think that it is unrealistic to expect that to happen in a flash.

posted by Azur on August 27, 2007 at 10:58 AM | link to this | reply

Re: Very well said, Azur. Bhaskar.ing thanks for reading.

posted by Azur on August 27, 2007 at 10:46 AM | link to this | reply

Re: Azur. Thank you Soul Builder 101

posted by Azur on August 27, 2007 at 10:46 AM | link to this | reply

Some are writers. Some just want to be called writers,

to be famous, glamorous, fawned over. It's pathetic. As usual, Azur, you've stated your case with style and grace. Pros like you make it look as naturally flowing as water downhill. What doesn't show in your polished gems is the number of rubs and knocks it took to get to this point.

posted by Pat_B on August 27, 2007 at 5:02 AM | link to this | reply

posted by A-and-B on August 27, 2007 at 3:02 AM | link to this | reply

I have never condoned plagiarism. Nor will I ever.

But I do understand how easy it is to succumb to the temptation to plagiarize. As an underpaid writer, much like yourself, I know full well how difficult it is to write well. It's even more difficult when you begin to master the craft to get paid decently for it. Many who think they want to write are blinded by the prestige writing well sometimes brings. Most are not willing to do the hard work and drift away from the profession. A few succumb to the temptation and thrive on the accolades from those not well read enough to detect the theft that plagiarism is. When caught, most of these also leave the profession. But a few are talented enough to write on their own and should be encouraged to do so because they are not going to fool many professional editors. This is a land founded on second chances. Those willing to repent and do it the right way should be given that chance. Forgiveness is a virtue that should be indulged in. Mistrust cannot be avoided. But it should be balanced with forgiveness.