COPYING

The reason for bringing this up is that I have been discussing with several members the severity of copying and using other sites to cut and paste information into reviews, and it seems some were totally unaware that what they were doing was not acceptable.

Copying from other sources and not giving the original author the credit for the work is fraud.

It has gotten pretty bad lately

It'S not meant to be specifically aimed at anyone's reviews, but a generalisation so that people understand the seriousness of it. For those who do not know how to check for copies, take odd phrases that don't seem to fit in, and cut and paste them over to google. If an exact match comes up, check it. It may be a reviewer with the same name on another site, or it may be a copy.

The thing I find most remarkable is that people are so surprised when they get caught. And they wonder how we knew. Duh

The thing I find even more surprising is that even when you have rated NH and explained fully why, people still carry on giving VH !

I have been having long guest book conversations with a new member relatively recently, kindly guiding as guides should...member acknolwedges it, then promptly goes out and starts copying even more..!

As for people rating differently, yes that is odd. When I see an NH I read the comments first...However I remember once rated a more established member NH and copied and I noticed that lots of members afterwards made comment that my rating was too harsh etc and what a fabulous piece of work it was....strewth. A clique, I think they call it....

Copying is copying no matter who did it.

Thingywhatsit wrote:

Copying is copying no matter who did it.

You'd think so wouldnt you?

Actually that was the orange side, and it was an obvious clicking cartel.

Then I trust you used the forms to report it and got the standard email from ciao telling you to use the forms to report it.

helencbradshaw wrote:

When I see an NH I read the comments first...

That's exactly what I do, there's normally a reason why someone rated NH/NU (unless it's revenge rating) and I then go and check the link provided.

Thingywhatsit wrote:

Then I trust you used the forms to report it and got the standard email from ciao telling you to use the forms to report it.

Yep

They are all still there, and back slapping abounds..!

Minnitee wrote:

helencbradshaw wrote:

When I see an NH I read the comments first...

That's exactly what I do, there's normally a reason why someone rated NH/NU (unless it's revenge rating) and I then go and check the link provided.

I dont usually check the link to be honest, unless something makes me think the first rater has it wrong...

Thingywhatsit wrote:

For those who do not know how to check for copies, take odd phrases that don't seem to fit in, and cut and paste them over to google. If an exact match comes up, check it. It may be a reviewer with the same name on another site, or it may be a copy.

If you use Firefox as your browser its even simpler. Highlight the phrase, right click and select 'search google' and it instantly searches for the phrase in a new tab

helencbradshaw wrote:

I dont usually check the link to be honest, unless something makes me think the first rater has it wrong....

Me neither a lot of the time, especially when its an established member who I have no reason to doubt.

Thingywhatsit wrote:

Copying is copying no matter who did it.

Copying is copying no matter who did it.


Sorry could not resist.

at least you credited me with it.

helencbradshaw wrote:

Minnitee wrote:

helencbradshaw wrote:

When I see an NH I read the comments first...

That's exactly what I do, there's normally a reason why someone rated NH/NU (unless it's revenge rating) and I then go and check the link provided.

I dont usually check the link to be honest, unless something makes me think the first rater has it wrong...

same for me, if a known name has commented on a copy I usually don't check the link out myself. Also often you find eloquently written blocks of writting surrounded by "this film is way cool" and the like and I will often google the professional sounding passage as well.

Its odd that some people think that us "readers" wont notice a style change due to a stolen paragraph. I remember a review of a rock album and it started out along the lines of

"this band is ace. You should all get this ablum. ITs the bbest alum ever"

and the continued along the lines of...

"blending a pop sensibility with the power of contemporary rock, this album provided a bench mark for the genre..."

like you wouldnt spot that one?

Quote :

this band is ace. You should all get this ablum. ITs the bbest alum ever

I spotted it. This part was obviously a copy.

Thingywhatsit wrote:

Quote :

this band is ace. You should all get this ablum. ITs the bbest alum ever

I spotted it. This part was obviously a copy.

If i had read it, i would of spotted it as well.

It's even funnier when you leave a comment saying where the review has been copied from, and they still deny it. Lisa x

Have only recently reported a "very clever" guy (on ciao though) - he just copied reviews from ciao Germany, got them translated by google translator (or something similar) and posted them on ciao UK.....

"blending a pop sensibility with the power of contemporary rock, this album provided a bench mark for the genre..."

If you see stuff like this appearing in one of my reviews, then check whith the outmost urgency!

Quote :

Have only recently reported a "very clever" guy (on ciao though) - he just copied reviews from ciao Germany, got them translated by google translator (or something similar) and posted them on ciao UK.....

Are you sure it wasn't the same person ?

Thingywhatsit wrote:

Quote :

Have only recently reported a "very clever" guy (on ciao though) - he just copied reviews from ciao Germany, got them translated by google translator (or something similar) and posted them on ciao UK.....

Are you sure it wasn't the same person ?

They were from different German Ciao members, I also had my suspicions and suddenly the member was no more - but the reviews remain.

Silverblue wrote:

Have only recently reported a "very clever" guy (on ciao though) - he just copied reviews from ciao Germany, got them translated by google translator (or something similar) and posted them on ciao UK.....

But at least that shows initiative, not justified, but initiative all the same and a pretty good attempt at covering his tracks.

Silverblue wrote:

Have only recently reported a "very clever" guy (on ciao though) - he just copied reviews from ciao Germany, got them translated by google translator (or something similar) and posted them on ciao UK.....

Aha, I think I know who you mean - dreadful meaningless auto-translated crap. But did you notice that people keep on giving him VH's for it? One of the German writers whom the writer had copied, joined ciao.co.uk just to send me a message saying that the other person had copied his work - but I had to say he'd need to report it himself because my German wasn't up to the job of assessing if it was copied (I start at directions and end at food and drink)

I know that German is your first language Silverblue - but only because you said so somewhere. There are some excellent writers on Ciao who don't have English as their native tongue (and plenty of awful writers who do and should be ashamed of themselves). In your case I wouldn't have known by your work that you weren't 'native'. So it really annoys me that so many other people come along, claim they want to 'improve their English' and then autotranslate either their own (or in the case you mention) someone else's work. How's that going to help their English?

The raters who generously leave all those 'oh no, your English is so much better than half the English writers' comments on people who do this are doing NOBODY any favours - including the so-called writers. And people like me get a reputation for being really nasty for pointing out that the review doesn't make any sense.