Sunday, December 21, 2008

Derivative plagiarism in New Zealand; humor

The New Zealand Herald has a plagiarism piece including text relating to New Zealand plagiarist Noelle McCarthy:

Specifically in my case, for many years I have been copying Noelle McCarthy's columns and using much of the lesser-quality work as my own. If I had used the better stuff it would've been too obvious, and as apparently some of that may have already been plagiarised, it could have meant I was plagiarising twice when I only really wanted to plagiarise once. Noelle, to her credit, is a fine thinker and writer and probably doesn't need to plagiarise.

The piece ends with the line: And of course one that I may or may not have made up myself: "Creativity is great but plagiarism is faster."

IPBiz recalls an earlier IPBiz post which had the text Channel 6 tv in Orlando, FL videotaped a sign "Plagiarism Saves Time" at a Hooter's restaurant on Lake Underhill Road located across the street from Legacy Middle School, leading to its removal.

Of text in the beginning of the Herald piece I appreciate that many of you only really buy the paper for my column, so it is understandable that in many cases you may have felt a little short-changed, especially those of you who get it delivered, as you wouldn't have had any way of knowing it wasn't going to be in there., Illinois folks wanted plagiarist SIU President Glen Poshard to remain, and it looked like most US voters thought more of plagiarist, Acela-rider Joe Biden than his hockey-mom opponent. So "That Guy" in New Zealand has many role models to invoke.

Anything you take credit for saying without attribution can, but will not, be held against you. And, as the Kinnock speech matter of 1987 illustrated, you can even plagiarize your own life, and fool a lot of people.

For the Noelle plagiarism matter, see
Plagiarism in New Zealand


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In passing, New Jersey radio station WMGQ (98.3) is running an ad (for employment listings) wherein a currently unhappy job holder is asked by her employer to draft an essay on Gilgamesh for the employer's child. The curious thing is that the employer is a judge, the employee a clerk. One sees this in relation to Laurence Tribe's problems with plagiarism and ghost-writing, and Alan Dershowitz's observation of law promoting a culture of plagiarism. More "role models" for "That Guy" in New Zealand!

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