Plagiarism – Taking Credit Where None Is Due

You do not have to be writing for very long to see how widespread plagiarism and other content theft are on the Internet. Most new writers believe that people will simply find their articles useful, and enjoy reading them; instead, unscrupulous people steal articles all the time. Thieves take credit, where none is due, by replacing your name with theirs, on your written work.
What are Some Ways That People Steal Articles?
How do they steal? Some people use software programs called article spinners, to change your article just enough so that it appears original. Some people are bold enough to keep your content and title exactly how you wrote it, then add their name as the author; other people simply change the title, and leave the rest of the content intact.
Is Content Theft Really a Big Deal?
Everyone knows that stealing is taking something that does not belong to you, and claiming it as your own. However, some individuals have a flagrant disregard when it comes to plagiarizing (stealing) articles. Okay, you might be thinking what is the big deal, right? There are numerous discussions circulating around the Internet by people who don’t believe it is serious thing to steal words or content. However, stealing is serious, even if it is just words!
In some cases, thieves are actually stealing money from a writer, if the writer receives payment for their articles. Many writers are paid per view or by people clicking on advertisements on the article page. If someone posts the entire article on their site, they are stealing traffic, and potential earnings. Just because an article is on the internet, does not mean it is free or public domain.
Make sure you read the terms of the site where the article is posted, to see if it is okay to share the full article on your site or if you should share a link instead. Let’s use EzineArticles.com as an example, if you read their Terms of Service (TOS) for Publishers, you’ll see that EzineArticles allow publishers to post the entire article on their site only if they follow certain guidelines (please see TOS).
What Kind of People Steal Content? Are they New Writers Who Don’t Know Better?
You may also be surprised to find out who is stealing content; you would think that it is mostly new or inexperienced writers, right? Well, sometimes it is, but in many cases, it’s not. Some content thieves sit in big offices wearing a suit and tie, trying to present themselves as a role model, while ripping off someone else on the sly. The most surprising is the fact that accomplished writers or even publishers often “borrow” from other writers without giving proper credit. Perhaps they believe that no one will discover what they did. While that may be true at times, every writer recognizes their own work, even if others don’t, so you can still be discovered.
Attitudes about Plagiarism Need to Change
As mentioned in this article previously, many people have a disregard when it comes to content theft, and don’t feel that it is a big deal. These people really need attitude adjustments to understand that stealing is wrong in any form. If you put your name on someone else’s work, you are taking credit where none is due, and that is stealing. Even employers steal from their employees. You know it’s true, because it happens all the time in the workplace, when bosses rip off the ideas of people working for them. If you want to keep your job, you usually pretend that it did not happen, and you are afraid to speak up to expose the boss who took credit for your work. If it happened to you, how did it make you feel? Not very good, I’m sure. Well, it is the same when someone tries to take the credit of something that you worked long hours to create.
Think hard about how you feel when someone takes something away from you, and then apply that same feeling to plagiarism!