Plagiarism is NOT a Victimless Crime
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Plagiarism is NOT a Victimless Crime

That code of conduct applies to more than college essays

870
Plagiarism is NOT a Victimless Crime
Marta Bevacqua Photography

Co-Written - Callie Porcher

How wonderful is it to live in a world run by individual minds that have the freedom to express their unique opinions in the form of any type of media? It’s honestly beautiful, the way we are able to organize words into an essay that half of the internet can relate to in one way or another.

Odyssey was created to encourage this type of creativity in a way that rewards the creator as much as it seems to reward the reader's imagination. At the same time, it gives creators an equal opportunity to share ideas that mean the most to them without the unfair advantages others may have if they’re popular on social media. “The monopoly on minds is over. Odyssey democratizes content, giving people the opportunity to share what’s most important to them and their communities, enriching everyone with broader, more honest perspectives on topics they care about.” – Odyssey

"Many people don't understand how being a content creator for Odyssey works. The nitty gritty truth is that we get paid for how many times our articles are viewed and shared. Basically the more people see your article the more productive odyssey considers you. So when it was uncovered by fellow Odyssey creator Kait Stafki that my content had been screenshotted and posted on twitter, I was fuming. Not only had someone cost me views, and shares (aka the moolah) but someone took my very personal emotions, and a piece that was extremely hard to write and passed it off as their own personal thoughts and ideas. I thought back to every paper I'd ever written in school, every code of conduct I'd been forced to read and acknowledge, and I realized how important citations are. Because not only did someone else take the time to write something, but they took the time to research, fact check, and make sure their ideas are being presented in the most influential and helpful way possible. There is no feeling better than someone telling you something you wrote helped them. Possessing the ability to put your thoughts, ideas and feelings into words that many people couldn't and helped them express themselves is the most empowering feeling. You made a difference to someone and your words made them feel like they had an ally with whatever they were facing, despite how hard it was to write those words. This feeling getting ripped away from you as someone else passes your experiences off as their own feels like a violation."

Odyssey creators are faced with the constant struggle of writing something that people will relate to and want to share with their friends on social media. That’s why we constantly pimp our articles on so many different social media platforms. If someone messages us and says they really liked or connected with an article we encourage them to share it, we encourage all the people who comment on it to share it, and we have a few close friends who share everything we write just in support and solidarity of our creativity. While a piece of this is the purely selfish pride of wanting your work to be seen by as many people as possible (and have all of your aunts and uncles tell you how smart and well written you are), another piece of this is the validation that you receive when people you DON’T know say that they enjoyed your piece. And the final piece of this pie is the knowledge that as your views rack up so does your monetary incentive. While some may think taking content that’s posted on social media and not crediting or linking the source it came from isn’t a big deal, what they don’t realize is that doing that is not just plagiarism, but it’s also preventing someone, somewhere from receiving credit for their work. And many times that accreditation is how their productivity is quantified. Which means you’ve not only stolen their thoughts, ideas, and words, you’ve prevented them from benefitting from them.

We don’t write for Odyssey for the money. Odyssey is the best creative outlet I could have ever stumbled across, and it prevents my Facebook friends from being accosted by my lengthy statuses and rants (and telling me I need a diary). Odyssey helps me put things into words and share feelings or opinions without having to worry about the confrontation or reactions (or being ignored) that could arise from saying these things to someone directly. Odyssey allows me to bring visual order to cerebral chaos.

That being said, it’s important to understand the absolute wrongness of plagiarism. It truly affects the author, and many don’t seem to understand the consequences of it. Though it doesn’t affect you (that’s if you don’t get caught), it takes a very negative toll on the creator. Publishing the literary writings (or work) and not giving them the correct citations, credit or even publishing it as one’s own is the literal definition of plagiarism. As discussed above, it is not only morally wrong, but against the law. Copyright infringement and plagiarism is a misdemeanor of the second degree, which means a conviction can result in a jail term of up to 60 days and a fine of up to $500 (s. 775.082).Yup. We’re talking about a criminal record here.


So moral of the story, don’t even think about it. Don’t you dare to highlight that article, and keep your fingers away from copy and paste. If you see the writings of someone else, don’t be afraid to call them out and tell the author!


Wanna read more from the Millennials of Texas? Check out our community page here.

Follow our Facebook page for all the newest articles!

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

70730
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

132351
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments