Accused of plagiarizing

[cheerful_deviant]

Got an e-mail feedback that really upset me today. It was another author on Lit accusing me of plagaerizing one of his stories. He listed one or two sentences from each story that were quite similar in both meaning and structure. They are both in the same catagory and are both attempting to describe the same thing so it is not all that surprising that they sound similar.

I should have just let this drop and deleted the e-mail and forgotten about it. But me being me I festered over this for a while until I figured I had to respond. So I sent a polite e-mail saying pretty much what I said above and also explained that I don't and never will copy anyones work.

But I continued to turn it over in my mind and it still bothered me. He did not provide me with a title or his pen name but I did have the quote from his story so I plugged it into the Lit search and found a few prospects. One of them had an author name that was identical to the yahoo e-mail address he had used. Bingo. Punch up the story in question... it was submitted two months AFTER mine!

WTF???

Not only am I a plagaerizer, I have apparently master time travel so I could travel ahead in time and steal one or two sentences from someone elses story!?

If someone is going to accuse me of a rotten crime, then they should at least check their facts. I sent him a second e-mail hinting at that. (The second mail was a little less polite.)

Sorry for the rant. I just needed to vent.

CD

 

[Goldie Munro]

Got an e-mail feedback that really upset me today. It was another author on Lit accusing me of plagaerizing one of his stories. He listed one or two sentences from each story that were quite similar in both meaning and structure. They are both in the same catagory and are both attempting to describe the same thing so it is not all that surprising that they sound similar.

I should have just let this drop and deleted the e-mail and forgotten about it. But me being me I festered over this for a while until I figured I had to respond. So I sent a polite e-mail saying pretty much what I said above and also explained that I don't and never will copy anyones work.

But I continued to turn it over in my mind and it still bothered me. He did not provide me with a title or his pen name but I did have the quote from his story so I plugged it into the Lit search and found a few prospects. One of them had an author name that was identical to the yahoo e-mail address he had used. Bingo. Punch up the story in question... it was submitted two months AFTER mine!

WTF???

Not only am I a plagaerizer, I have apparently master time travel so I could travel ahead in time and steal one or two sentences from someone elses story!?

If someone is going to accuse me of a rotten crime, then they should at least check their facts. I sent him a second e-mail hinting at that. (The second mail was a little less polite.)

Sorry for the rant. I just needed to vent.

CD

They probably were jealous of you writing a better story on a same theme! It is hard to write a completely unique story if he could only give you a couple of sentences and nothing else forget it!

 

[minsue]

If the stories are that similar and yours was posted first, report it, CD.

 

[Guest]

I feel for you, CD. I can't imagine what it might feel like to be accused of plagiarism as I regard it a literary crime and immoral (as in theft). I'm glad you did your research and figured things out. The accuser must feel pretty stupid, hope that's some compensation for your grief.

best, Perdita

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I'm with min. Send the sentences to Laurel with the post date and ask her to invesitgate him for plagirism.

But I'm a vindictive bitch, so you probably shouldn't listen to me.

*HUGS*

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Re: Re: Accused of plagiarizing

They probably were jealous of you writing a better story on a same theme! It is hard to write a completely unique story if he could only give you a couple of sentences and nothing else forget it!

Unfortunatly I tend to fester over these things. I shouldn't let them get to me, but they do. I don't even know if his story is any good, I was to aggravated to read it.

Originally posted by minsue
If the stories are that similar and yours was posted first, report it, CD.

It's really just a sentence or two apparently. The part that really pissed me off was when I found he had posted the accusation in the comments section at the end of my story, for all to see. Now people who don't know me think I copied this asshole.

Originally posted by perdita
The accuser must feel pretty stupid, hope that's some compensation for your grief.

I hope so, he hasn't responded to my e-mail, either of them. I'm just glad I found out but it looks like he bombed my stories because they all have gone down quite a bit in the ratings recently. Typical.

 

[Guest]

Re: Re: Re: Accused of plagiarizing

I hope so, he hasn't responded to my e-mail, either of them. I'm just glad I found out but it looks like he bombed my stories because they all have gone down quite a bit in the ratings recently. Typical.

Well, now I'm with Colly. Let Laurel know.

Perdita

 

[cheerful_deviant]

I'm with min. Send the sentences to Laurel with the post date and ask her to invesitgate him for plagirism.

But I'm a vindictive bitch, so you probably shouldn't listen to me.

*HUGS*

I may yet. I'm kindof waiting to see if he responds to my e-mail... denial, counter accusation, excuse, appology (which I doubt I'll ever see) or just ignore me.

I'm not to vindictive and I tend to be quite forgiving but I can be a miserable asshole if someone really pisses me off.

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

So now we all know cheerful_deviant's real name.

Billy Pilgrim













Billy Pilgrim was man adrift in time.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

So now we all know cheerful_deviant's real name.

Billy Pilgrim

Billy Pilgrim was man adrift in time.

Damn,

I wanted to be Dr. Sam Beckett

Remember Quantum Leap?

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

... I wanted to be Dr. Sam Beckett..

Not unless you can control your tendency to wander through the Fourth Dimension.

Remember that psychiatric ward?

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I may yet. I'm kindof waiting to see if he responds to my e-mail... denial, counter accusation, excuse, appology (which I doubt I'll ever see) or just ignore me.

I'm not to vindictive and I tend to be quite forgiving but I can be a miserable asshole if someone really pisses me off.

It seems apparent Cd that thisperson, for whatever rason, was hoping to get you to have your story removed. Accusations of plagirism and one bombs seem to constitute harassment at the very least. I would tell the whole tale to Laurel. I have great faith in her to protect her authors. And if you are being persecuted, I think she will do something about it.

-Colly

 

[Guest]

. . . But I'm a vindictive bitch, so you probably shouldn't listen to me. . .

(yum)

 

[Guest]

CD -

I'm so sorry to hear this has happened.

It seems everyone has already given you the best advice - PM Laurel with details and links.

Good luck and please let us know what happens.

 

[Sabledrake]

"Yew stowle mah stawry."

Mmm. Johnny Depp.

Sorry you had to go through that, CD. Hope it works out for the best.

Sabledrake

 

[lilith1979]

Mmm..quantum leap..I loved that show!

Anyhow, I agree with everyone else. Report the bastard. If you're going to accuse someone of plagiarism-checks the facts first. Also wanted to add, you can delete his comment. But, I wouldn't do that until after you've reported him and it's been investigated. Evidence and all that rut.

 

[Wholemanz]

Holly breaks out the room deodorizer and gives a long spritz.

There, it might not clear the air, but at least is smells like Lilacs...

hehehehe

 

[SnoopDog]

"Yew stowle mah stawry."

Mmm. Johnny Depp.

Sorry you had to go through that, CD. Hope it works out for the best.

Sabledrake

I thought of the exact same thing.

John Shooter.

Snoopy

 

[cheerful_deviant]

Thanks for the support everyone.

I am away today at a seminar but I think I will take your advice tommorow and PM Laurel with the details.

Thanks,

CD

 

[Lord Naraku]

Got an e-mail feedback that really upset me today. It was another author on Lit accusing me of plagaerizing one of his stories. He listed one or two sentences from each story that were quite similar in both meaning and structure. They are both in the same catagory and are both attempting to describe the same thing so it is not all that surprising that they sound similar.

I should have just let this drop and deleted the e-mail and forgotten about it. But me being me I festered over this for a while until I figured I had to respond. So I sent a polite e-mail saying pretty much what I said above and also explained that I don't and never will copy anyones work.

But I continued to turn it over in my mind and it still bothered me. He did not provide me with a title or his pen name but I did have the quote from his story so I plugged it into the Lit search and found a few prospects. One of them had an author name that was identical to the yahoo e-mail address he had used. Bingo. Punch up the story in question... it was submitted two months AFTER mine!

WTF???

Not only am I a plagaerizer, I have apparently master time travel so I could travel ahead in time and steal one or two sentences from someone elses story!?

If someone is going to accuse me of a rotten crime, then they should at least check their facts. I sent him a second e-mail hinting at that. (The second mail was a little less polite.)

Sorry for the rant. I just needed to vent.

CD

Plagiarism is the highest form of flattery, you said something the person could not forget.

BUT I will say this a few sentence doesn't make a case for plagiarism. Not to mention the fact that the core of the bulk of what we write is all about one particular thing. Can't possibly tell you how sick I am of the words 'cock' and 'cum'. Sadly they are some of the best and most erotic sounding words to use. Oops me starting to go off topic .

 

[Guest]

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Send me his name so I can leave a virtual flaming bag of dog poop on his porch, ring the doorbell and run.

No one messes with my Duckman.

 

[Lucifer_Carroll]

I usually protect myself by being so insane that no one particularly wants to copy me or accuse me of copying them. I mean, really, who in their right mind would want to take credit for something like Death in the Party.


And I extend my sympathies with the rest of 'em CD. Someone accusing you of time travel copying is ludicrous and similarily is accusing you of stealing only a couple of lines. Hell, it is often praised when people steal whole styles and it is tolerated and sometimes praised when people steal themes (see Matrix for examples of both) or major plot elements (again, Matrix). He has no case and no reason for anger unless the entire plot (including subplots) or entire paragraphs are copied.

Also, one must always consider that this guy was stupid to think that every sentence of his is unique enough to never have been used before. I believe most real authors believe quite the opposite, that someone somewhere has used each one of our lines in a different place at a different time or will at least invent them without reading our work in the future. After all, literature has been around for a very long time and a lot of people do it. I believe I speak for us all when I say our phrases have been done before, so it's all up to how we use them.

 

[scheherazade_79]

Hey Cheerful,

I can totally understand why it got to you. That's the kind of thing that's enough to give anyone a bad stomach just from sheer annoyance.

Forget taking it as a compliment and forget turning the other cheek - nail the bastard! Leave his comment up, but put your own next to it so that your readers can see who's been copying from whom. Also, don't forget to tell Laurel.

Good luck!

 

[OldScotlandYard]

cheerful_deviant is nicked!