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I frequently see questions answered by people who have just copied and pasted a block of text from Wikipedia or some other reference source, without acknowledging the source they got it from - implicitly claiming it as their own. This is blatant plagiarism - why does nobody call them on it?
I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE GETTING WORKED UP ABOUT THIS! NOBODY IS TAKING CREDIT FOR IT. PEOPLE USE WIKI' CAUSE IT'S SUCH A GOOD INFO' SITE. INFACT IN A WAY IT PROMOTES THE SITE.
WHY DO WIKI' LET YOU COPY/PASTE? CAUSE SOME SITES YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
IS IT OK TO PUT WIKIPEDIA LINKS ON A SITE? I WOULD SAY IT IS, CAUSE YOU KNOW WHERE THE INFO' CAME FROM. I SOMETIMES USE LINKS, BUT USUALLY THE PAGE YOU SEND SOMEONE TO IS HUGE, SO COPY/PASTE SOME OF IT IS QUICK FOR EVERYONE.
IS THIS THE LISENSE YOU WONT PEOPLE TO POST EVERYTIME THEY USE WIKIPEDIA? IT'S HUGE! AND NO ONE WOULD BOTHER READING IT ANYWAY.
Wikipedia:Text of the GNU Free Documentation License From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Shortcut: WP:GFDL
Version 1.2, November 2002
Copyright (C) 2000,2001,2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc. 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.
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If you'd read what I said, I said that people need to attribute their source. Linking to wikipedia would be fine. Pasting material from wikipedia without attribution does not "promote the site", since you're not even saying where you got it from.
Evidently you haven't been in academia or any sort of IP-oriented business - plagiarism and copyright infringement is a big deal. If I paste a chunk of text from a site without saying where I got it from, I'm claiming it's mine. Simply adding a link is all that's required to legitimise it.
"What really gets to me about it, though, is that by not attributing text to where you got it from, you're implicitly taking credit for somene else's hard work." - Arachnid
I agree completely. When I read an answer, I assume it's that person's own words, unless they've said where they took it from. Often on here it's obvious that the text has simply been lifted - when it's suddenly NOT their style of writing. It's a small courtesy to the original writer AND to the reader, to always name your source.
Yes, they can, but Wikipedia still has a license agreement: It's the GNU Free Documentation License, and it requires that you either include a copy of the license or attribute where you got it from. It's really not difficult to do, and it provides a lot of extra value to the person you're quoting it for.
What really gets to me about it, though, is that by not attributing text to where you got it from, you're implicitly taking credit for somene else's hard work.
oh I see, yeah a link would be much easier and shorter. although if you put a link, there's no point pasting the text! no I haven't been in those sorts or businesses...I'm guessing you have, cause you're so worried about it. I can understand how it's a big deal in some cases. but I don't see how pasting some text to help someone with their prob's on here can end the world! have you tried to contact wikipedia about this?
Copying and pasting without attribution is plagiarism, plain and simple. If you don't reference your source, you're implicitly claiming the content is your own. You're also almost certainly infringing copyright, too. Linking to your source for the material is not difficult, and in fact makes the answer even more useful, as the reader can refer to the original source and find out more.
I would expect answers like that. People are trying to help people. IF they find an answer, they should be able to copy and paste. Most people would be smart enough to realize that it came from the web somewhere.
I can't see to find how to contact wikipedia, cause it's run by volunteers.
I saw this: brief selections of copyrighted text may be used
which seems to be the only part written in english!
I don't think there's anything wrong with it. it's for trying to help others.
people can edit wikipedia themselves anyway!
Well we could look at the news tonight and ask that same question of Obama. Why didn't he attribute his source?
Well even though its helping, the original point was about giving credit where credit is due.
Point taken. Hope you feel better now that you got that off your chest.
Fun Mail me with some examples and I'll look into it..
why is that a problem in ANSWERS? it is helping them
