Steem Pope Short Sermon: Plagiarism & Attribution
Steemit is an incredible tool to create and distribute original content, and the reward system built into it allows us to support content creators. However, as it becomes more and more popular, the potential for abuse grows as well, and it is our obligation as good internet citizens to provide attribution for anything we did not create.
Nina Paley has a useful song to remind you of the principle:
This isn't a matter of legality. Intellectual property law is a completely different matter. We're talking basic ethical behavior here.
- If you didn't make it, say so.
- If you know who did, say so.
There's a bit of wiggle room, such as using CC0 material as an element in something you made yourself, but don't abuse CC0 material to just plagiarize and post without attribution to make a quick buck. Go the extra mile to be as up-front as possible. And remember, when in doubt, decline payout.
Seems simple, yet overlooked more than you would think!
It's crazy how such a fundamental layer of ethics often goes unheeded by so many people.
I've certainly been in a place where it's tempting not to admit that I'm building on a solid foundation of others' ideas, but at the same time, there's something liberating, and ennobling, in contributing to the canon by acknowledging that you are merely part of it, not a new paradigm.
Nice. Good info. Scam, Plagiarize and post without attribution must be stopped.
Upvote and followed you. We will be in touch.