I was surfing around when I found a site whose pages where, either verbatim off a book I read, or phrases mixed with the owners thoughts. (no, no distinguishing quotes, etc.)
As an (amateur) writer I immediately thought "Plagiarism!", so I wrote the owner an e-mail, asking (politely) if she had permission to put that stuff on the web and if there was a mention of who the true author is on her website.
She wrote back, saying that, yes, there are a lot of quotes of that particular author in her pages and yes, there is a mention.
So I went back to the site and searched carefully, till I finally found a mention, in very small print. ("The quotes and inspiration were taken from (authors name)")
So she doesn´t feel it´s plagiarism, since she did put that mention in. But as the reader, you couldn´t tell which were her thoughts and which were quotes, and basically, the whole website is one big quote.
I thought you could only quote for a review and then only brief passages. Now I´m confused. :(
>I was surfing around when I found a site whose pages where, >either verbatim off a book I read, or phrases mixed with >the owners thoughts. (no, no distinguishing quotes, etc.)
>As an (amateur) writer I immediately thought "Plagiarism!", >so I wrote the owner an e-mail, asking (politely) if she >had permission to put that stuff on the web and if there >was a mention of who the true author is on her website.
>She wrote back, saying that, yes, there are a lot of quotes >of that particular author in her pages and yes, there is >a mention.
>So I went back to the site and searched carefully, till I finally >found a mention, in very small print. >("The quotes and inspiration were taken from (authors name)")
>So she doesn´t feel it´s plagiarism, since she did put that >mention in. But as the reader, you couldn´t tell which were her >thoughts and which were quotes, and basically, the whole website >is one big quote.
>I thought you could only quote for a review and then only brief >passages. >Now I´m confused. :(
>So, what do you think?
>Anja
--
Who by the pen has taught mankind Things they knew not (being blind).
> I was surfing around when I found a site whose pages where, > either verbatim off a book I read, or phrases mixed with > the owners thoughts. (no, no distinguishing quotes, etc.)
> As an (amateur) writer I immediately thought "Plagiarism!", > so I wrote the owner an e-mail, asking (politely) if she > had permission to put that stuff on the web and if there > was a mention of who the true author is on her website.
> She wrote back, saying that, yes, there are a lot of quotes > of that particular author in her pages and yes, there is > a mention.
> So I went back to the site and searched carefully, till I finally > found a mention, in very small print. > ("The quotes and inspiration were taken from (authors name)")
> So she doesn´t feel it´s plagiarism, since she did put that > mention in. But as the reader, you couldn´t tell which were her > thoughts and which were quotes, and basically, the whole website > is one big quote.
> I thought you could only quote for a review and then only brief > passages. > Now I´m confused. :(
> So, what do you think?
> Anja
If she used substantial text from another person without permission, it's not necessarily plagiarism, but it is a copyright violation. Just crediting the author is not enough; you need the author's permission.
>>I was surfing around when I found a site whose pages where, >>either verbatim off a book I read, or phrases mixed with >>the owners thoughts. (no, no distinguishing quotes, etc.)
> I was surfing around when I found a site whose pages where, > either verbatim off a book I read, or phrases mixed with > the owners thoughts. (no, no distinguishing quotes, etc.)
> As an (amateur) writer I immediately thought "Plagiarism!", > so I wrote the owner an e-mail, asking (politely) if she > had permission to put that stuff on the web and if there > was a mention of who the true author is on her website.
> She wrote back, saying that, yes, there are a lot of quotes > of that particular author in her pages and yes, there is > a mention.
> So I went back to the site and searched carefully, till I finally > found a mention, in very small print. > ("The quotes and inspiration were taken from (authors name)")
> So she doesn´t feel it´s plagiarism, since she did put that > mention in. But as the reader, you couldn´t tell which were her > thoughts and which were quotes, and basically, the whole website > is one big quote.
> I thought you could only quote for a review and then only brief > passages. > Now I´m confused. :(
> So, what do you think?
> Anja
"I was surfing around," Anja said in her email, "when I found a site..." This is a form of attribution that leaves no doubt who authored it. If I were to say "As the reader, you couldn't tell which were her thoughts...," then the line becomes gray even though it is quoted. Lots of writers mistakenly use "orphan quotes" with the mistaken intention of emphasizing the words. Attribution belongs directly with the quoted material. Now, even with attribution, the main message of the text must come from the writer. Disregarding fictional dialog, quotations can be used to add credibility from an expert to ones own statements, to strengthen a point made, or to show the position of someone else. You imply knowledge of the author of the purloined stuff. Send him an email and point him at the URL. You'll be doing him a favor. -- Regards,
Casey Wri...@verizonxmail.com Freelance Writer and Photographer [remove the ''x'' to send email]
>"I was surfing around," Anja said in her email, "when I found a site..." > This is a form of attribution that leaves no doubt who authored it. >If I were to say "As the reader, you couldn't tell which were her >thoughts...," then the line becomes gray even though it is quoted. Lots of >writers mistakenly use "orphan quotes" with the mistaken intention of >emphasizing the words. > Attribution belongs directly with the quoted material. Now, even >with attribution, the main message of the text must come from the writer. >Disregarding fictional dialog, quotations can be used to add credibility >from an expert to ones own statements, to strengthen a point made, or to >show the position of someone else. > You imply knowledge of the author of the purloined stuff. Send him >an email and point him at the URL. You'll be doing him a favor. >-- >Regards,
>Casey >Wri...@verizonxmail.com >Freelance Writer and Photographer >[remove the ''x'' to send email]
