The new kind of plagiarism

During my years of studying, we were encouraged to read research papers as a guide to making ours. Though I have always heard of people hiring to make theirs we were poor and even if we can afford it, our pride had the best of us. So, not to buying and copying.

I never expected it to be this rampant these days that even writing simple articles need to be plagiarized just for the sake of having an article. It's easy, just write. True, not everyone can write but during our time, those people who don’t write well are able to compose good articles as they were forced to make one else. It’s true, I for one was always forced to make scripts when I never like making one as I am more prose and reactions, narrative, never comical. Wow! New age really has its ways, always find the easy way round, thus, short cuts? If read.cash was already during my time, oh wow! I would have written all these years! Lolz.

Then I just noticed, that plagiarism did evolve. It's not just mere content but ideas and even narratives, even presentations are now copied. How do I say it exactly?... hmmm… the content is the same but presented on a different scale. Wow! Like the sample, content about morals and someone read it and thought he can present a better idea, re-write as prose or anecdote then publish. Well, of course, with the help of Grammarly and other apps, well played! The audacity, and claim his artwork!

I studied literature in college but I never encountered such in old days… there is a “re-written” version, “unabridged” but never this, especially on poetry and anecdotes. It’s mostly original. I guess old writers prided themselves on an all original composition at that time that their reputation as a writer is at stake and not to be trampled with… and now working on a publishing company, I hardly encounter anything like this. The same title yes, but the content is really different.

While in novels, oh! Gosh… controversies surrounding a character portrayed as a thief of ideas and even identities. The horror of being labeled as a thief in a design competition is that one’s design is copied and even to the point stolen during the competition and one has to prove the design was yours. Oh! Yes… though, a designer from our batch started as a sketcher and submitted his designs which are really awesome but were under the label of one store because he was still starting in designs and didn’t mind at that time. Though it was not a thief and him exploited there wasn’t much he can do since he was just a newbie. It was a small exchange to be introduced to the world of designs while the skills are innate, he is confident to be able to make designs in time.

Even novels. There are many very unique, Stephen King's books are quiet, Tolkien too! But there are spy novels that have become too all the same familiar novel written conspiracy theory stories that are really quite discouraging to read. Now, I am addicted to Chinese novels where the plots are almost ridiculously the same but I love their passion and couldn’t get the

 Though this is nothing new still, the audacity.

Well, I don’t know. Gone were the days when writers compete for attention and write more fiercely than ever so as to showcase their capacity and talent instead of plagiarizing?! Oh well, the taste and quality of life these days have become duller by the day. Or simply, preference.

August 04, 2022
Image: Pinterest