Every writer knows how much work one puts into an article or post. It involves not only the mind, but most of the time, so goes the heart. Writing is a form of artistic expression; every article becomes a masterpiece because of the skill it necessitates.We are often caught unaware when writer’s block strikes out of nowhere and there is a deadline to meet. So we pull our hair out and squeeze our brains, until such time that we find inspiration to weave our words again.
After rising above all the stress and pressure of being a normal writer, how would you feel if you see your work in somebody else’s site, with a stranger’s byline?
Crap.
Back in my school days, I remember doing experiments in Science class and answering three-page questionnaires about the activity. And everytime, my classmates who were lazy to construct their own hypothesis and conclusion copy from my work with my full consent. The thing is, after our papers have been checked by our teacher, they even end up getting higher grades compared to mine.
Crap.
Now, I’m having some kind of déjà vu in the blogosphere. There are still people just like my old classmates here; except that this time, they take without permission.
To those who belong to this group, let me give you a piece of my mind in times that you are tempted to, or if you should-- or must, plagiarize:
Use “these” please. Do not copy the article verbatim. There is nothing more annoying than seeing a person publish somebody else’s work as is (punctuation marks, typos and all) without having the courtesy to include its source. You may get inspiration from anybody’s work, but PLEASE don’t claim it solely as your own. This is where the “quotes” come in; use them generously whenever needed.
Thou shall not CTRL C, CTRL V. It’s not brain-draining to inject a little creativity to use your own words for your post. Give it your voice. Readers are intelligent enough to recognize if you are a copy-paste author writing to the tune of somebody else’s piece.
Have faith. If you were good enough to have your blog approved in paid to review sites, then there’s a good chance that you are also a writer in your own right. Believe in your talent and abilities.
Care to add your 2 cents here? :)
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