My First Experience In Trap17's Forum The Plagiarism Scandal

[tripletriangle 0]

Wow, what I went through!I signed up for Xisto hoping to have the packages it promised but I didn't know I needed to gain credits to do so...So I said to myself, well, If I just copy-paste news-articles and Shakespeare poems, I could fool the "system". I didn't read the ToS saying that the request had to be approved by a moderator and that I needed to make 'good quality' posts...I submitted my request and someone replied to it saying how could I think about requesting that if it was copied... It was spam...And then someone else said I had plagiarised... Then a whole argument about what plagiarism is and if I had done it or not arose......Plagiarisim: n 1: a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is presented as being your own work 2: the act of plagiarizing; taking someone's words or ideas as if they were your own [syn: plagiarization, plagiarisation, piracy] (Taken from Websters English dictionary).In my posts I never did say it was my work. I never took credit for the news article, and honestly didn't think of puting where I got it from since it was way to obvious I copied and pasted... It's not like I wanted to try to fool everyone... I dont believe people are that stupid!So I finished the argument pleading amnesty in this wicked case! The kind and fair people and moderators gave it to me. A second chance to prove myself... This is the first of many posts... 'Good quality' posts...People left with their own opinions... What is yours? What do you think? Did I plagiarise? If I did, did I intentionally do it? If I didn't intentionally do it, would you still hold it against me?There is no right or wrong answer...Thanks!-Triple Triangle (Name unknown... Lost to the abyss of Internet)

[NilsC 0]

It's one of those things that have happened to a lot of people... not just you.I guess, plagiarism and your definition is correct, but here we use the term in a "net" sense. (May not be a correct sentence... or definition)Everyone uses text and articles that gave knowledge. If you write it in your own word, it's OK. If you think a paragraph or quote is needed to emphasize the post there is nothing wrong with that either. If you do that put the quoted text in a quote and give the link to the web site you quoted.What's responded to posts and how we define a post will be up to the user reading that post, they have no way of knowing if it was done on purpose, or accidentally. So a moderator or admin or user sees the post, finds that everything was copied and no reference to the original post.. Then it's easy to assume that the poster is copy / pasting with no regard to where the material was originally created.I didn't read all the posts in question and I think we treated the situation fairly but then again that is in the eye of the beholder.Most websites have a © or in their text and they ask for material not to be used without permission. So what we have tried to do with our TOS is to prevent that kind of material to be posted without the owners permission.Maybe we need to change the TOS and update the wording, so we don't have this kind of misunderstandings again. Then it will work only if everyone reads the TOS.Nils

[vizskywalker 0]

I have an idea, I don't remember being presented with a ToS when I signed up. I think it was just a check box or something saying "I have read the ToS and accept" or something like that with a link. Maybe if you made reading the ToS a page, like setup utilites, and put a note in large colorful text stating "The Xisto ToS is exclusive to Xisto and differs from other ToS" maybe more people will read it. And tripletriangle, to answer your question, yes, I do think you plagiarized, because when you publish something, and according to modern law, putting something on the internet is publishing, you claim credit for that published work. However, I don't think you knew this so I do think you did it unintentially. But let this be a lesson to you that gaming the system is becoming increasingly difficult, and isn't really worth it anymore.

[unicornrose 0]

Every forum in here has a read first sticky on the top of the forum. It tells in those stickies not to spam and to make good quality posts. Most people in general do not read TOS even though they claim to do so. Some people even just skim the TOS. Even if you read it throughly there is bound to be something you miss. Its alot of information to take in at once. That is why if you are unsure about something then you should double check the TOS. Yes you spammed the forum by using articles to get your post credits up. But because you were told that you could not get hosting because you spammed and the TOS was explained to you. You realized your mistake and now are willing to rectify that. Because of that you are now given another chance. People make mistakes. We are all human beings. You are now trying to be a legit part of this community and that gives you points in my book.

[brandice 0]

I remember that it was really hard to think of something to say (as it still is!) I never thought of copying and pasting though. In one of my first posts, I made a silly joke about the topic before I gave my answer. I came back later in the day to find that a moderator had just ripped me apart, "you're wasting all of our time and bandwidth..." I've tried to lay off the lame puns since then. I don't remember who the mod was, but I haven't seen them around in a while.

[squishybear 0]

i haven't really thought of pasting articles, since they said, no copying from other articles! its easy though, to gain points! my first time to be in trap 17, i was excited to post, and have many post to get an account. then i had an account, and that was really cool. i discovered this site by searching for free web spaces.! but after a while, i became busy and havent posted for a while, so my account was down for a while. i discovered that trap 17 is now counting and monitoring the posted replies and topics. Soon i want to buy an account, since i'm a bit having a hard time maintaining because of my buzzzyyy schedules! but for now, lets posts and read, and post!!!

[alive 0]

Hi, I own four websites all other the web and personally I think 'pagerism' or whatever it is is wrong. I get annoyed when peoplecopy the work that I spent ages preparing, but I don't know if it is the same case with you. I honestly don't know. I don't think it matters to be perfectly honest. Being as careful as I am online I read the TOS but it is at times a little confusing and becomes a problem working out if you are actually doing/ creating spam.It's been said I know, but it's worth it just writing good posts. That way you get the hard earned points and you get to meet the guys in the community. It's best I think if you post on the 'Real Life Experience' board seen as it is dead easy to field topics or reply, it's just your own opinion. Thanks. Sean Webber (alive).

[wild20 0]

Here is how I look at it. A while ago I was told that I needed to start using quotes when using Bible texts. Why? It is someones else's writings. And although I am free to post about my view on them, and use them to discuss things, it doesn't give me the right to get credits from them. I didn't mean to, and I didn't get a warn on the warning system, just told to get better knowledge about how to post. So, in short, although you didn't do it on purpose, like me, by posting, you have a duty to properly post and read the TOS. So although I wouldn't say you are in the wrond completely, I will say that like me, you should have read the TOS carefully. And I am still learning. I try hard to post quality, but every once in a while, you make a mistake, that is what the friendly Mods are here for. It just happens to everyone. Keep up those "QUALITY" posts. Happy posting!

[mayank 2]

well I think the post you have just made is a good quality post and with these kind of posts I am sure you'll be getting your hosting very fast. Now you said that you didnt do it Intentionally then let me tell you my friend that because of your fair intentions only you are getting the second chance to prove yourself.And I am pretty much sure that you'll get your hosting if you'll post the way you have posted this one. :)But, It is not about plagiarism over here....because you get the credits of your hardwork...not of anyone else's. This is the credit system and credit system wants you to write and not copy and paste others work on to it..even if you are not doing it intentionally but that is written by someone else so it must be quoted.

[rip 0]

i think its fun to be here ....there are kind mods and admin...lot of topic to reply with...easy to use forums..: )

[Avalon 1]

So I said to myself, well, If I just copy-paste news-articles and Shakespeare poems, I could fool the "system".

62183[/snapback]

I think what you wrote above tells us whether you did it deliberately or not, clearly you did, in an effort to fool the system. As you found out, the system is not easily fooled, especially when posts are checked by moderators, not just some script that counts words. Did you commit plagiarism? I don't really know, but I don't think it really matters. You knew what you were doing was wrong, otherwise you wouldn't have called it 'fooling the system'.

 

It's not like I wanted to try to fool everyone... I dont believe people are that stupid!

62183[/snapback]

We are all part of the 'system' because we 'are' the forum, therefore you did try to fool us.

 

I think the moderators have been very lenient with you, I don't know that I would have been as lenient. I would have given you a second chance, but not right away.

 

But then again, maybe I'm just a grumpy old man.

 

P.S. Had you posted like this in the first place, there wouldn't have been a problem now would there? As you can see, it's not hard to do. I look forward to more posts like this from you.

[michaelper22 0]

I have a relatively good record on Xisto - just one topic got locked.I never copied Web content onto a forum as long as I remember. I almost always play by the rules. This reminds me of 7th and 8th grade, where I almost never did homewok, and took the consequenses. If I do something against the rules online, I accept the punishment (I never got punished, to tell you the truth - no system warnings ever recieved, only verbal warnings). But I have never in all my days of being part of a forum plagiarized for posts.

[OpaQue 15]

Topic Started on Mar 21 2005, 12:02 AM

 

then after a few posts, Its discussion is continued again on,

 

Jun 24 2005, 02:23 AM (After 3 Months)

 

Then,

 

Sep 6 2005, 04:49 AM (Again 3 Months Gap)

 

Then,

 

May 11 2006, 08:08 AM (2 Months Gap)

 

and now my post.. after 9 Days on

 

May 20!