Most crimes are forgiveable. Most crimes are rehabilitatable [sic]. In the most general sense, if you screw up, you can be forgiven and reaccepted. There are exceptions, the most notable being those found dead to rights as being a plagiarist at PTC. Given that most PTC feds foster a different kind of writing than what you'd find at FW or other promo fed circuits, plagiarism is a much, much larger problem there.
When a plagiarist is brought to light, well, it can get ugly, quickly. More often than not, the plagiarist isn't really welcome in any PTC-related fed or event. Example, this thread where a returning guy by the handle "Educator" is trying to make friendly with the community. He was perhaps the most infamous plagiarist in AWC history, using stolen work to gain all the top titles in the fed.
So, no one should be surprised at the reception he's gotten thus far, and you know what? I don't blame them one bit. There are certain things you should understand about this game and about the environments it is played in. You don't go looking for a second chance at PTC if you've stolen someone's work. I mean, it doesn't matter if you've stolen it from a fellow e-wrestler (which to me, is the ultimate in unforgiveable crimes) or from some author on the Internet somewhere. Don't expect them to want to take you back if you've done that in the past.
I mean, to some it may seem irrational, but plagiarism isn't easily monitored. Once someone is found out to be a plagiarist, the fedheads and interfedheads have to now check every single one of his/her work against Google. Really, anything else, fed cancers, shooting, etc. is easily monitored, and it's easy to see if people change or not.
And for all those who think that plagiarism doesn't really hurt anyone, well, think again. The Jewish religion has been the center of a worldwide conspiracy because of a plagiarized work. Have you ever heard of the book The Protocols of the Elders of Zion? It's a book that's regarded as the manifesto for Jewish world domination, trumpeted by anti-Semite groups everywhere. It's also a raging fake, a plagiarism of a satirical book about Napoleon III.
That is an outlandish example, but really, if I were running a PTC fed or a writing event at PTC, why the hell should I want a plagiarist involved? Regardless of what you think about the offense, PTC takes it seriously. If you don't like their stance, then go somewhere else and either try to start fresh or pull the wool over their eyes. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
9 comments:
There's so much I could say here, but yeah, its all been said before, although a refresher probably wouldn't go astray from time to time. Just thinking out loud... more from me on it over the weekend when I have time.
A question for you : what are your thoughts on a "statute of limitations" for plagiarists? Is 4 years a long enough time for people to forgive and forget? If not, how long?
I guess I knew respect the guy for saying he's a cheat in years gone by. I mean, the easier thing to do would have been join a whole other circle.
I'm not condoning cheating. Not in the slightest. I just think it's good he had some balls to face up. Though, who knows if the can write at all. Srsly. I dunno what I'd do if someone ripped off my stuff. I'd probably be flattered and angry all at once.
I say a minimum 1,000 year ban on plagiarists. 10,000 if your stolen work involved implying anyone should respect Tom Siegel.
I keed, Tom. I keed.
Personally? I think it's up to the fedhead to decide a statute of limitations. I wouldn't blame someone for wanting to keep a plagiarist out of their fed, especially with all the extra work they'd have to do googling their RPs and segments to cover their asses in case of recidivism.
When I ran TEAM, I handed out a lifetime ban for plagiarism. I didn't want to be bothered with it, and really, in TEAM with its promo-based RP set-up, you'd be more likely to come across plagiarized works of other e-fedders rather than what Ashley Scott got banned for (i.e. plagiarizing short stories, and in her case, plagiarizing really bad short stories about zombies and shit). To me, that's about as bad as it gets.
So I guess I don't have a statute of limitations. But if other fedheads do, hey, they can knock themselves out.
I agree. If you're gonna copy something, copy something good.
That was your main point, right?
:-)
Why don't we just set up a fed for plagiarists where winners are determined by who plagiarizes better stuff?
Come to think of it, fuckin' Razor Ramone verbally plagiarized Al Pacino. Sumbitch shoulda been banned from WWF 4 4 4 4 LIFE!
But yeah...plagiarizing another E-Fedder is grounds for death, in my humble opinion.
By the way, did I tell any of you guys about my new character Dan Ryan? I'm trying to think up a nickname for him...what do you guys think of "Ego-Buster"? Feedback is helpful!
P.S.
El Plagiarismo would be an awesome FMLL character. That's his gimmick: he plagiarizes!
LOL I wouldn't mind seeing El Plagiarismo. I would specify the gimmick a bit: his signature lines/moves are all plagiarized.
Although that didn't work so well with Eugene, so. Yeah...
Anyway, good discussion! I feel like I'd enforce a lifetime ban on plagiarists. There's no more despicable act for a writer, that I can think of, imho.
Also, what if this person wanting a second chance were to write original work, now, and it was really good? You know people would be scouring the interwebs and claiming plagiarism. Too much unnecessary frustration. Just keep them out.
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