Absolute Chaos Discussion Boards

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Remember, site banner rules apply here too!

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 7

Author Topic: How to Catch a Plagiarist.  (Read 23086 times)

julilly

  • Master of Havoc
  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *****
  • Posts: 8639
How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« on: May 24, 2008, 09:02:21 PM »

Recently there have been new reports of plagiarism on Absolute Chaos.

I will reiterate right now that plagiarism is NOT tolerated, and you WILL be caught. We are pretty good at apprehending the "suspects".

Given that these issues have been brought up I'm going to give you all a little lesson. For anyone who has considered copying someone else's fic (even if it's from 1998) or anyone who is interested in knowing how people are caught in the act, I give you lesson number one from Professor Julilly's Moderating101 manual.

Plagiarists and the internet.

People who want to copying the hard work of other's rely on the anonymity of the internet. They believe that by turning an NSync fic into a BSB fic or a BSB fic into a Busted fic that no one will catch on, because no one can read every fic indexed on the internet... right?

That is true, to a degree though many people read outside of the fandoms that you may read, and occasionally come across familiar works. These people, or "informants", will contact moderators with information regarding similar works. This is the top way that plagiarists are found.

There are many other ways that people like myself, Mare, and Chaos can implement to catch thieves though. There is a fantastic feature on the internet-machine called Copyscape. You put in a website, and it will find every other page on the internet that is either identical or too similar to be coincidence. By the power of Google, we can perform random checks on those who may have been accused of plagiarism.

Another helpful tool to use against plagiarists is Google Alerts. You can put in information (like a website, say) and it will periodically check its own databases in search for plagiarism.

The internet is very well indexed thanks to corporate giants like Yahoo, Google, and MSN.

If you want to have your name on a  not that well known, mediocre, fanfic at least put your fingers to better use and write it yourself.

That concludes today's lesson, but tune in next time for the next thrilling instalment: Bouncing messages, and how to properly type your own email address.
Logged
~Maple Jellybean~

What's the difference between ignorance and apathy? ... I don't know, and I don't care.

mare

  • Banner hater
  • Queen of Fanfiction
  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *****
  • Posts: 23659
Re: How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2008, 09:28:15 PM »

Very well said Julilly. Now if there was a way to track down spammers life would be grand!

You know there is a small grocery store around the block from where I live that posts names of people who write bad checks up on their huge bulletin board right outside by the street. I always get the biggest kick out of that.

We are ready to make our own bulletin board on this site with the people who are plagerizing others works. So if you are looking for a popular story and it suddenly went bye bye bye...no pun intended... this is probably one of the stories we are talking about!

Stay tuned for that as well. We mean it, if you are dumb enough to plagerize than be prepared to be called out for it!
Logged
Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don't want to make eye contact while doing it. ~ John Green

julilly

  • Master of Havoc
  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *****
  • Posts: 8639
Re: How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2008, 09:02:47 AM »

If spammers were people they'd be a lot easier to catch, but being that they're robot computer machines of internet destruction... it's a tricky one.
Logged
~Maple Jellybean~

What's the difference between ignorance and apathy? ... I don't know, and I don't care.

mare

  • Banner hater
  • Queen of Fanfiction
  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *****
  • Posts: 23659
Re: How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2008, 09:55:24 AM »

Unless they are mandroids!!!

Dun dun dun
Logged
Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don't want to make eye contact while doing it. ~ John Green

SugarMagnolia

  • Fledgling
  • *
  • Posts: 17
Re: How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2008, 11:51:44 AM »

I just wanted to say thanks again for being on top of this.  :)
Logged

mare

  • Banner hater
  • Queen of Fanfiction
  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *****
  • Posts: 23659
Re: How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2008, 01:16:37 PM »

aww not a problem. Nice to see you join in on the fun :)
Logged
Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don't want to make eye contact while doing it. ~ John Green

honey

  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *******
  • Posts: 5321
    • Being Jamie Baker Website
Re: How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2008, 02:57:18 PM »

Unless they are mandroids!!!

Dun dun dun

dude! Mandrois ROCK!
Logged
If Ryan looked at me the wrong way, I lost it. If Ryan looked at me the right way, I lost it. And whenever he tried to kiss me, something usually blew up. Someone ought to teach him a little control.

RokofAges75

  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *******
  • Posts: 18533
    • Dreamer's Sanctuary
Re: How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2008, 03:40:54 PM »

Down with the Tanjas of the world!!!  I'm all for public humiliation of criminals - you should totally post names on the forum!
Logged
~Julie

"Sometimes writers and sociopaths are hard to tell apart." -J.K. Rowling

Sakabelle

  • General Pandemonium
  • *****
  • Posts: 2608
Re: How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« Reply #8 on: May 25, 2008, 03:43:03 PM »

^Agreed!  Plagiarism is totally lame!
Logged
~Saka ♥

"Write a lot. Write something you’re scared to write. That’s the best advice I can give: If you have an idea, and you can’t stop thinking about it, but something about it scares you half to death—WRITE THAT."
- Rainbow Rowell

nicksgal

  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *******
  • Posts: 10984
  • Fool, said my Muse, look in thy heart and write
    • Could You Do Me Right?
Re: How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« Reply #9 on: May 25, 2008, 03:45:16 PM »

Down with the Tanjas of the world!!!  I'm all for public humiliation of criminals - you should totally post names on the forum!

Or the news page....
Logged
~*Dee*~

People think it would be fun to be a bird because you could fly. But they forget the negative side, which is the preening.

From "And Now, Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handey

mare

  • Banner hater
  • Queen of Fanfiction
  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *****
  • Posts: 23659
Re: How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« Reply #10 on: May 25, 2008, 03:47:34 PM »

Yup we're thinking about it.
Logged
Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don't want to make eye contact while doing it. ~ John Green

RokofAges75

  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *******
  • Posts: 18533
    • Dreamer's Sanctuary
Re: How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« Reply #11 on: May 25, 2008, 03:52:42 PM »

News page too, definitely.
Logged
~Julie

"Sometimes writers and sociopaths are hard to tell apart." -J.K. Rowling

mare

  • Banner hater
  • Queen of Fanfiction
  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *****
  • Posts: 23659
Re: How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« Reply #12 on: May 25, 2008, 03:54:25 PM »

I will tell you that the story was called Cheap Thrills and it was originally an Nysnc story called Somewhere in the Middle that this girl just changed the names and posted it as her own.

This is the link to the real story

http://archive.nsync-fiction.com/viewstory.php?sid=28

This girl also had another story on the site called The Walk which we deleted and now we're thinking she might be trying to repost it using another name so if anyone on here has read The Walk (It had a banner of Nick and Mandy Moore) and you think you are reading a very similiar story please let us know.

Her reasoning behind plagerizing was that her friend told her to post it up.

Nice reason lol what a bonehead!

And yes I am calling her out on a public messageboard but if you are going to copy someone else's hard work you best be ready to face what happens if you arte caught!
Logged
Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don't want to make eye contact while doing it. ~ John Green

RokofAges75

  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *******
  • Posts: 18533
    • Dreamer's Sanctuary
Re: How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« Reply #13 on: May 25, 2008, 04:19:08 PM »

She did repost it.  This story: http://accidentalchaos.net/viewstory.php?sid=9056&chapter=1

is really "The Walk": http://www.somewhere-someday.com/walk/walkframe.html


Ahh, the power of Google. :D

Let's draw and quarter her!!!
Logged
~Julie

"Sometimes writers and sociopaths are hard to tell apart." -J.K. Rowling

mare

  • Banner hater
  • Queen of Fanfiction
  • Supreme Time Waster
  • *****
  • Posts: 23659
Re: How to Catch a Plagiarist.
« Reply #14 on: May 25, 2008, 04:21:33 PM »

Oh...My ...GOD! How stupid can one person be!!!

Logged
Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don't want to make eye contact while doing it. ~ John Green
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 7