Plagarism on the F-Pee-Pee February 2, 2010 10:54 PM Subscribe
What's—the deal—with FPP plagiarism?
I recently saw a post on Metafilter that I found quite enjoyable! It was full of juicy links, lots of fun information, and some pretty interesting tidbits.
But I think I have a problem with the FPP-part of it...it was a complete paragraph ripped out of a published novel. A pretty good novel that I had been right in the middle of when *BAM* the exact same paragraph was on MeFi the week before!
Can someone please kiss this better, because half of me says "it was a good post!" and the other half says "only because the FPP-part was well-presented which drew me in! Ooops, turns out it was completely ripped off!"
Basically, am I old-fashioned now for even caring?? This frightens me...
**This only interests me at the moment due to a few Guiness' and a tremendous loss at the poker table.
I recently saw a post on Metafilter that I found quite enjoyable! It was full of juicy links, lots of fun information, and some pretty interesting tidbits.
But I think I have a problem with the FPP-part of it...it was a complete paragraph ripped out of a published novel. A pretty good novel that I had been right in the middle of when *BAM* the exact same paragraph was on MeFi the week before!
Can someone please kiss this better, because half of me says "it was a good post!" and the other half says "only because the FPP-part was well-presented which drew me in! Ooops, turns out it was completely ripped off!"
Basically, am I old-fashioned now for even caring?? This frightens me...
**This only interests me at the moment due to a few Guiness' and a tremendous loss at the poker table.
"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, plagiarizing, fearing"?
posted by water bear at 11:02 PM on February 2, 2010
posted by water bear at 11:02 PM on February 2, 2010
No, it was not about the novel. I'm debating whether or not to spill the beans on the particulars. Maybe another *Guiness* will change my mind...? ;) ;)
posted by Khazk at 11:11 PM on February 2, 2010
posted by Khazk at 11:11 PM on February 2, 2010
Are you sure it wasn't credited? Plenty of folks take other's words to make for the copy of a FPP, but it is linked somewhere in there.
posted by bigmusic at 11:16 PM on February 2, 2010
posted by bigmusic at 11:16 PM on February 2, 2010
I like how you winked two times there, it really draws an evocative image of your state of mind.
posted by contraption at 11:17 PM on February 2, 2010 [8 favorites]
posted by contraption at 11:17 PM on February 2, 2010 [8 favorites]
Khazk, in the future please just post the link, this coy "shall I post it" + "I am drunk" routine makes me hope we can burn you.
posted by mlis at 11:25 PM on February 2, 2010 [15 favorites]
posted by mlis at 11:25 PM on February 2, 2010 [15 favorites]
Please, continue drunkposting about things no one cares about.
posted by cmonkey at 11:25 PM on February 2, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by cmonkey at 11:25 PM on February 2, 2010 [3 favorites]
Have that Guiness or this post gets deleted.
posted by LarryC at 11:32 PM on February 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by LarryC at 11:32 PM on February 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
since I have no actual info to base my response on, I've flipped a coin and come to the conclusion that the post you saw was perfectly OK and you're over reacting...
posted by russm at 11:33 PM on February 2, 2010
posted by russm at 11:33 PM on February 2, 2010
Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but since you brought it up:
In his post from Jan. 31st, bardic straight-up ganked the line "78 year-old American actor Rip Torn got drunk and tried to rob a bank last night" from one of my old discarded dream journals.
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:37 PM on February 2, 2010 [23 favorites]
In his post from Jan. 31st, bardic straight-up ganked the line "78 year-old American actor Rip Torn got drunk and tried to rob a bank last night" from one of my old discarded dream journals.
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:37 PM on February 2, 2010 [23 favorites]
I think we all understand that you are reluctant to shed light on the post because it seems kind of hostile and maybe you have a great deal of respect for the poster or something, but in situations like this, context is everything. People often copy and paste text from what they link to. This is normal. If someone has plagiarized this book you're reading and tried to pass it off as their own clever analysis of what they linked to though, it still really isn't against site rules or anything, it's just a mildly upsetting thing to do. Maybe they forgot to attribute the quote? Or maybe it was not plagiarism at all, but thinking the same thoughts as the author of this book? Maybe the poster is the author of the book!
So please: give us some context here.
posted by battlebison at 11:41 PM on February 2, 2010
So please: give us some context here.
posted by battlebison at 11:41 PM on February 2, 2010
Well.
Frank Farian/Milli Vanilli post hit me when I read pgs. 257-258 of "Faking It" by Hugh Barker...
"Frank Farian, a German producer, had been behind the inexplicible success of Boney M., a group he created. Farian combined straightforward Euro beats with absurd but catchy lyrics about anything from Rasputin to Ma Baker, recruiting a group of session singers and dancers to perform the records. He later tried to follow up by using the same strategy again, but the results were less fortunate."
I guess I got that paragraph confused with the FPP which was:
"However, it was an open secret that Boney M was masterminded by producer Frank Farian. Farian wrote Boney M's songs and performed all of the male vocals (and many of the background female vocals) in the studio. Farrell and the rest of the band merely mimed Farian's heavily manipulated vocals when appearing on television."
So I was completely wrong...again.
I guess I should stick with what I know: razor blades, bathtubs, and the circulatory system.
You know, I thought I was on to something there but it was nothing. Sorry.
posted by Khazk at 11:44 PM on February 2, 2010
Frank Farian/Milli Vanilli post hit me when I read pgs. 257-258 of "Faking It" by Hugh Barker...
"Frank Farian, a German producer, had been behind the inexplicible success of Boney M., a group he created. Farian combined straightforward Euro beats with absurd but catchy lyrics about anything from Rasputin to Ma Baker, recruiting a group of session singers and dancers to perform the records. He later tried to follow up by using the same strategy again, but the results were less fortunate."
I guess I got that paragraph confused with the FPP which was:
"However, it was an open secret that Boney M was masterminded by producer Frank Farian. Farian wrote Boney M's songs and performed all of the male vocals (and many of the background female vocals) in the studio. Farrell and the rest of the band merely mimed Farian's heavily manipulated vocals when appearing on television."
So I was completely wrong...again.
I guess I should stick with what I know: razor blades, bathtubs, and the circulatory system.
You know, I thought I was on to something there but it was nothing. Sorry.
posted by Khazk at 11:44 PM on February 2, 2010
I guess I should stick with what I know: razor blades, bathtubs, and the circulatory system.
Not funny.
posted by grouse at 11:54 PM on February 2, 2010 [32 favorites]
Not funny.
posted by grouse at 11:54 PM on February 2, 2010 [32 favorites]
This post is our balloon boy. The paragraph was in the attic all along.
posted by minifigs at 11:57 PM on February 2, 2010 [4 favorites]
posted by minifigs at 11:57 PM on February 2, 2010 [4 favorites]
I guess I should stick with what I know: razor blades, bathtubs, and the circulatory system.
Nah, you seem to have a pretty good handle on that Guinness thing.
posted by graventy at 11:57 PM on February 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
Nah, you seem to have a pretty good handle on that Guinness thing.
posted by graventy at 11:57 PM on February 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
hey, cool, my coin was right!
posted by russm at 12:01 AM on February 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by russm at 12:01 AM on February 3, 2010 [2 favorites]
Yeah, just enjoy that Guinness, Khazk. I recommend getting into a comfy armchair, or possibly a couch. They're both great for dozing off in after some lovely drinking. Late night TV is fascinating when buzzed. And if you can find an episode of Law & Order you should be set for the night.
posted by Kattullus at 12:07 AM on February 3, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Kattullus at 12:07 AM on February 3, 2010 [3 favorites]
Ok, looks like this one is a solved problem so I'll be closing this up.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 12:12 AM on February 3, 2010
posted by mathowie (staff) at 12:12 AM on February 3, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by brundlefly at 11:00 PM on February 2, 2010