Question

Today @pooja195 and I were discussing how frustrating it is when people plagiarize a websites answers, which normally consists of copying and pasting information, and calling it theirs. Sometimes, when called out, they correct it, and admit their mistake, but others, they get angry and defensive. Though copying and pasting helpful links are helpful and okay, because it is leading the asker to the answer themselves, copying and pasting the information from a site without citing it isn't. I decided to take a look at the Code of Conduct to see if it mentions this, but it doesn't. We think it needs

Answer 1

*****CONTINUED**** We think it needs to. Hopefully this will help moderators crack down on plagiarism, which isn't okay, in any situation.

Answer 2

If plagiarism is a big deal then y isn't it mentioned in coc @erdog82 has a point :)

Answer 3

How many times will you guys post about same thing? I think its already discussed.

Answer 4

@uri Not really, we are bringing the fact that the CoC doesn't mention it.

Answer 5

Oh.

Answer 6

@uri Yeah.

Answer 7

http://openstudy.com/code-of-conduct

Answer 8

see it mentioned anywhere?

Answer 9

@uri

Answer 10

You think I'm gonna read the Coc? Never.

Answer 11

@uri But you are an ambassador, you really should. Also, its actually pretty short.

Answer 12

I know its not mentioned there.

Answer 13

@uri Ok, so do you get our point?

Answer 14

@saifoo.khan Can you explain why its not on there?

Answer 15

@Opcode Do you think this should be in the CoC?

Answer 16

It is in the Terms and Conditions.
http://openstudy.com/terms-and-conditions
At lest in a way it is.

Answer 17

@Opcode No offense, unless you get a reward for reading it, or if the part you are talking about is highlighted, underlined, circled, and in bold, no one is going to read the terms and conditions. Some do read it, but not many.

Answer 18

@Opcode the first things new users look at is the Coc ......

Answer 19

Oh... o.o

Answer 20

@Opcode Yeah..

Answer 21

@Agent_Sniffles Do you have an opinion on this topic that you want to share ?

Answer 22

LOL.

Answer 23

Tbh, I don't care. I think people should cut the crap, and quit giving out answers and plagiarizing. But, there isn't much you can do about it. And I don't think the mods care enough to change it.

Answer 24

@Agent_Sniffles I guess your right. But still, I am very surprised that it isn't on the CoC

Answer 25

Like I said, they don't care enough to be bothered to put it in.

Answer 26

Just live with it.

Answer 27

Ok.. I guess that ends my quest to end plagiarism. :(
Well,
I tried.

Answer 28

@Agent_Sniffles mods should atleast change it even if they dont care new users would think its ok

Answer 29

o.o
Don't give up that easy...

Answer 30

@Opcode Then what can I do? No one really cares. Unless we have an OpenStudy petition, made by someone who can get lots of people to get interested in the topic, and to sign it, its not going to work.

Answer 31

Is anyone on board for the petition idea? :)

Answer 32

@Opcode

Answer 33

@erdog82 jus add there name to the question :)

Answer 34

Even if it is in the CoC, how many website strictly adhere to and enforce that? Youtube clearly states that you cannot post videos that do not belong to you. But type in any song and I guarantee you will find at least one video that has been posted by someone other than the band and it is the music with lyrics in a power point scrolling on screen

Answer 35

This is a learning website which is completly diffrent from youtube @dave0616

Answer 36

You can't compare apple and oranges.
YouTube = Entertainment.
OpenStudy = Study site. (At lest it's supposed to be...)

Answer 37

thats right @Opcode

Answer 38

I understand that the concept of the site is completely different, but they are the same in the concept that they are websites in which people from all over the world are free to express themselves viraly. The distinction between the two sites is that youtube does it through videos, and this is a website to help with homework and learning. But my point is that on a basic level the two websites are similar, and that the CoC us not followed or enforced regardless of what the website is

Answer 39

ok forget the coc but u think plagiarism should be tolerated???

Answer 40

@Opcode I understand that they are different species, but both the same family. @pooja195 Under no means should plagierism be tolerated, but on the other hand, how are you going to enforce that? Yea, it isnt right, but people are going to do what people are going to do. And in the grand scheme of things I dont think that it should be an enormous issue on this site simply based off the fact that there isnt anything being turned in here. People come for help (or unfortunately exact answers), and then use that learned knowledge on an assignement that is going to be turned in.

Answer 41

ok u have a point but every new user that comes on OS is gonna thinks its ok an that will cause more people to plagerize so it should strictly be mentioned @dave0616

Answer 42

I believe the rules are enforced...
People that step out of line are warned by moderators and admins.

Answer 43

but some people ignore warnings and when they get suspenede they create a new account

Answer 44

Eek! Don't tag purples o.o
Anyway that has been brought up.

Answer 45

@pooja195 I have personally not run into this issue, but then again I have only been using this site for about a month. All I'm trying to say is that in the grand scheme of things, no one is really getting credit for an answer using this site. If someone gets a correct answer off of this site, and puts it on their homework, should they have to cite that answer to this site? No one is going to do that, it wouldnt make sense, yet it would fall under the same category as plagiarism being discussed right now. This site is to help people, and if people feel the need to plagiarise in order to help someone else learn, that is what is going to happen. @Opcode brings up a good point as well, if someone gets banned from the site for plagiarising, then makes a new account, then really what good is being done by creating the rule in the first place?

While i dont agree with plagiarising, I believe that if someone is helped through an answer that has been plagiarised, then some good has been done, and this site has served its purpose

Answer 46

yes @dave0616 u have a point again we just want to make sure it gets to the COC even if no one bothers to read it atleast the people who will get something out of this

Answer 47

Not that it would be a hard thing to change the CoC (or i would imagine), I honestly just dont see the point. Yea maybe throw it in for show, but if at the end of the day if someone was helped by the site, i think it doesnt matter what the CoC, or rules or anything say. Some good has been done.

Answer 48

@dave0616 plagerizing is a serious matter if it is not sited then no good has been done

Answer 49

I realize it is a serious matter, I completely agree, but the sites that people are plagiarising are meant for learning, and the person answering with the plagiarised answer is just relaying that information from the source to the person. But just ask the person who is up til 4 am working on physics and cant understand the concept, ask them if it didnt do any good. Im sure theyll disagree

Answer 50

well then how come they dont just search it themselves plagerizing is copying and people rely on perfect work ask the person who got busted for a plagerized answer from OS by there teacher????

Answer 51

*their. and well that goes back to my other point, if people get an exact answer from OS, then why dont they cite in their homework? they wont do that, and that is a completely different issue because in the CoC it does state that exact answers should not be given, and that it should only be used to help the person get to the answer on their own.

Answer 52

OMG
HOW MANY DAMN THREAD DO YOU NEED FOR THE DAMN THING

NOTHING WE CAN DO.


I OFFERED CODE FOR PREVENTING THIS PLAGIARISM, BUT I DOUBT THEY WLL IMPLEMENT IT. IDK. IT'S THEIR CHOICE.


ALL WE CAN DO AS A COMMUNITY IS REPORT.

CORRECT.

OR ASK THE MODS.

THOUGH TBH THEY DON'T DO HAVE OF THE WORK THAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING, AND WE NEED MORE/ACTIVE MODS.

gosh.
close this damn thing.

Answer 53

@dumbsearch2 if u don't like this u should go help someone and @dave0616 u have a clear point but it should state NO Plagiarizing

Answer 54

Whats the point of this ._.? I'm pretty sure they know its not in the CoC....

Answer 55

Dil mai meray hai Dard e disco.

Answer 56

I'm sorry.
But what can we do at this point.
Excuse me getting mad, but I'm being serious.

Medal-hounders, what's the point of making 55000000 threads about this ???


We can just do what we can do as a community.

And the mods are lazy.
Can we change that, right now ?


And I suggested programtically a way of checking if the answers are plagiarized, so hope the admins will do that.

Answer 57

@Carniel i completely agree. They wrote the CoC, and im sure plagiarism came across the table in writing it.

Answer 58

wow @pooja195 our question blew up!!

Answer 59

i kno rite

Answer 60

@dumbsearch2 yr rite about mods being alittle lazy but u think there gonna go out there and site every answer

Answer 61

What is the point.

The mods know that plagiarism is wrong.

So what are you even discussing ?

Answer 62

then what are you suggesting, what are you gonna do ? @pooja195
I just suggested code-wise how to prevent this.

Answer 63

@dumbsearch2 I just think it is needed... its just enforcing the fact.

Answer 64

@dave0616 Then why do they decide to keep this pointless post up T^T? They know what they are doing. You guys (People in general) aren't helping them do anything for the site.... Plagiarizing.... I mean really?

Answer 65

@Carniel This post doesn't seem very pointless...

Answer 66

what is needed?

Answer 67

@Carniel this has been a recent problem an it gets really frustrating to see this thats y

Answer 68

@Carniel I was just trying to get the point across that it isnt going to happen. I'm on your side of the issue, I just decided to say something about it, forgive me for voicing and opinion

Answer 69

@pooja195 why is it frustrating to you? have you written things that people are plagiarising and then using without your concent? i doubt it.

Answer 70

@dumbsearch2 The need to mention plagiarism in the coc

Answer 71

Not saying your the prob @dave0616 Just saying this is pointless when they bring this up and don't just PM an Admin or something e.e

Answer 72

@Carniel I agree, it would do more than getting 10 people fired up over something that the admins probably dont read half of anyway haha

Answer 73

@dave0616 if u dont agree with this u should go to another post(not being mean)

Answer 74

Well i thought this was a discussion board @pooja195, im discussing the issue with you and asking why it gets you so fired up. I reallly would like to know your motives behind this issue, because im sure youve gotten help from a plagiarised post if its happening as much as you say it is.

Answer 75

@pooja195 Just because someone doesn't agree means they have to go to diff post o_O?

Answer 76

^ thats what im saying! haha

Answer 77

Dang.
Close this. ._.

Answer 78

@dumbsearch2 stop spamming

Answer 79

@Carniel @dave0616 No, you don't have to leave.. This is my post.!!! I welcome debating

Answer 80

@dumbsearch2 :(

Answer 81

lol
thats not the purpose of openstudy @erdog82
Lets close this
this is pointless

Answer 82

im sorry i didnt mean for this to get into a fight

Answer 83

stahp being a medal hounder
and close dis dang thing

Answer 84

Its not a fight. Just getting this closed should be top priority

Answer 85

@dumbsearch2 In fact, there are only TWO medals on this question..

Answer 86

who is spamming @pooja195?, well thank you @erdog82, and pooja, please answer my question i really would like to know your motives behind this issue. And by the fact that you havnt answered that yet it makes "medal hounder" (dumbsearch92, second to last post), seem more and more obvious. note my cited quote....

Answer 87

@dave0616 it is my question, so you don't need to ask @pooja195

Answer 88

I'm thinking you both gave each other medals...

Answer 89

@erdog82 then you answer my question, what are your motives behind this issue? I only aasked pooja because she was the one arguing with me over the topic

Answer 90

guys we don't want medals this is getting out of hand we just wanted plagerizing to be mentioned in the COC

Answer 91

@Carniel i wanna give you a medal for your last answer, but i dont know how well that would support previous statements hahaha

Answer 92

@dave0616 My motive is that I had a bad experience with a user because he cited an answer as his own, and when I called him on it, he started to go crazy and 'yell' at me. IN the past few weeks I have seen more and more of this, and I was surprised to see that it wasn't in the CoC. Is that good?