WikiFray Plagiarism Policy (draft for discussion)

It’s not just because we’re already famous that plagiarism has real implications for WikiFray. When an author seeks recourse under Digital Millennium Copyright Act for unauthorized use of their work, a service provider is obliged to take action and may block access to the site where the infringement has occurred, or they may take down the site altogether.

Plagiarism Guidelines (proposed):

1. Post content that is not original must include proper citation
   • except for phrases in common use. In the event of uncertainty about whether a source is common, the poster should err on the side of caution.
   
   
2. Failure to cite non-original material may result in the following:
   • the poster may be notified of the problem, and asked to edit or remove the post;
   • the post may be deleted by an admin;
   • other blog members may be advised, by post or email, of the actions taken.
   
   
3. When someone spots a problem in a post on the blog, they should
   • contact the poster in question and explain the problem, requesting an edit or removal of the material in question;
   • contact admin if they’re unsatisfied with the person’s response, or if they are unable to reach them;
   • advise others as appropriate.

Because there is always the possibility that a citation is missing due to an HTML error, the benefit of the doubt ought to be accorded the author of the offending post whenever possible. Unless it is a particularly egregious offense, they should be given the opportunity to address the problem before other action is taken.


A few points about citation:

When an idea is common knowledge it is not necessary to cite its source. Less clear is the handling of short quotes that are in common usage, but which nevertheless can be attributed to an author. Does the fact that I had to look up attribution for “cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war” (Shakespeare, Julius Caesar) mean that I can use it without citation? Probably not, but the fact that it’s a phrase in common use probably does. I’m thinking “rosy-fingered dawn” also needs no attribution.

Unless the work you’re quoting is designated as "Some Rights Reserved" or included in the Creative Commons, cutting and pasting entire articles, or even substantial portions of them, violates the guidelines of fair use. Material from the Creative Commons may be used with fewer restrictions than copyrighted material, but attribution is generally required. See the Electronic Frontier Foundation for a brief explanation of fair use and other issues, including the appropriate use of borrowed images in a post.

Other questions to consider:

1. In terms of context, consequences, anonymity and accountability, is WikiFray a different environment than the Fray?
2. What about a member’s history prior to blog? Should someone be held accountable on the blog for something they did on the Fray?

I admit that I didn’t check the copyright on the images I posted in my Poetry Slam posts. I also failed to address the recent problem with topazz's post in the manner outlined above, even though I had every opportunity to do so. And I’m one-hundred percent sure I could find unattributed quotes in one or two of my posts on the fray.

If anyone feels I should remove myself from membership on the blog because of these transgressions, I’m willing to do so. If not, where do you think the we ought to draw the line?