"My Childfree Rules" article PLAGIARIZED!

I don't believe this!

Ok, so you all saw my post here about "My Childfree Rules," which eventually became a full, fleshed out blog post, right? Well, I also posted a link to it on TCFL.

I guess a user on TCFL liked it and decided to write their own. Cool, that's great. Except there's just one problem, they DIDN'T write their own. Instead, what they wrote was copied from my post almost word-for-word and then PUBLISHED on Feministing (a major feminist blog.)

Very little of this is actually original. And while I might forgive similar rules like having an abortion in case of pregnancy and not dating anyone who wants kids as being generally applicable to many CF, a lot of this is simply copied from my blog with the wording barely even changed at all.

See for yourself. Here's my list. Here's her list.

Just a few points of comparison in case anyone thinks it's a coincidence:

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Her list
“16) I will not pretend that I find anything about parenting appealing: I simply don’t. I am not phased by “Kodak” moments, intelligible child conversation, drooly kisses (or drool for that matter), or macaroni pictures.”

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My list
“9. I will not pretend to find anything about parenting to be even remotely appealing to me as it simply isn’t. I’m not impressed by Kodak moments of barely intelligible “I love you”s, drooly kisses, or messy macaroni cards.”

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Her list
14) I will not use my career as an excuse to explain my decision: My career choices are definitely incompatible with children, but even if I wanted to work from home typing up descriptions of porn videos, I would still not want kids. There does NOT need to be a conflict of interest.

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My list
4. I have many reasons for choosing to be childfree, but I do not owe anybody a single one. That I simply do not want children is all the explanation anyone needs. I will especially not offer my career as an excuse for being childfree. Although my career goals are likely incompatible with children, even if I lived out my days as a slacker, I would still not want kids. I do not need to have a conflicting interest.

Please leave comments and call this shit out. I don't have anything against the person in question, but this is unacceptable.

Notify the mods or site owner and demand that it be removed. True that it doesn't have a © on the article, but it is your own unique creation and therefore cannot be copied without giving credit to its creator.

ETA: I see you've called her out. This is gonna be interesting

And the timing of when you posted it here, and when she posted hers will be in your favor.

Not only they're a bunch of breeder pleasers and fence sitters, but now there is a plagiarizer among them. I just popped over there to take a look. You published that list weeks ago and it is very obvious that you made it first. I'm glad you've called her out on it.

While she doesn't give you personal credit, she does admit in the first paragraph it is not her work.

A member of a Child Free forum I go to made a list of “rules” about her life as a child free woman. I thought it was pretty good, considering I agreed with, and could relate to, about 98% of them. It’s kind of a handy reference sheet for people who don’t seem to really understand. I guess this could count as a follow up to my blog “10 Things Not to Say to Child Free People.” If you’re going to get offended, don’t read it.

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From a bottle cap message on a Magic Hat #9 beer: Condoms Prevent Minivans
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I want to pick up a bus full of unruly kids and feed them gummi bears and crack, then turn them loose in Hobby Lobby to ransack the place. They will all be wearing T shirts that say "You Could Have Prevented This."

Didn't you publish that list here before you turned it into a blog post??? I know I saw your list LONG before two days ago.

I'm writing up a full post detailing every point comparison vs points of originality.

Even if she admits it's not her work in the first paragraph, she still should have given Julie credit. That would be like me turning in a term paper and putting on the works cited page, "Someone else wrote these books that I'm getting all my ideas from, but I don't really feel like sharing their name." It's still plagiarism and would result in a big fat F.

if she's going to use your list she either needs to link to it or credit you by name. it's fine to use your list as a jump-off, or even add her own commentary to your points, but she says up front it isn't hers, and not only gives you no credit but changes your wording slightly. if she's going to import your text then do so in its entirety; in other words, quote people completely & accurately (and credit them) or don't bother doing it at all. i thought that was common knowledge - didn't this bitch write any term papers in college?

That is soo maddening julie!

I had someone plagiarize a blog entry I wrote once...quite a while ago. I was furious! To add insult to injury, it was a porn site that stole my work (nearly the whole entry word - for- word) but the weird thing was, that my article had NOTHING to do with sex!

It had to do with how to dress well for one's body shape!

It's extremely rude to steal someone's stuff and not even give them credit for it...the fact that they mention it isn't theirs just isn't enough. They should have found out who the original author was (you) and actually asked for your written permission.

Copywrite rules apply to the internet, but I am not quite sure how it works with blog entries or posts.

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navi8orgirl
While she doesn't give you personal credit, she does admit in the first paragraph it is not her work.

A member of a Child Free forum I go to made a list of “rules” about her life as a child free woman. I thought it was pretty good, considering I agreed with, and could relate to, about 98% of them. It’s kind of a handy reference sheet for people who don’t seem to really understand. I guess this could count as a follow up to my blog “10 Things Not to Say to Child Free People.” If you’re going to get offended, don’t read it.

I don't know anything about the writing or publishing world - but - wouldn't it have been at least a 'courtesy' to ask about quoting JW's 'essay'?

Which it clearly was, too - like a 'piece' of 'writing'.

I myself would be OK with repeating something like - yeah - I saw on some site some guy who thinks the weather is weird. But if I saw something like "99 Reasons Why Global Warming Is Real" - yeah - I don't think I'd lift anything off that. Would make sure to do proper citation.

I've often quoted stuff here, and even if its just some stupid blurb from Truu Moo I always include a link so that credit goes where it is due. Like a formality, or something. News stories or blog posts, you can link to those so then people can see for themselves who wrote it.

I hope I'm doing OK myself, with these things! I used to belong to this one news / political site and they were real sticklers on proper quotation and citation and all that - so that's the format I tend to keep in the back of my mind. The 'Writing' and such classes I had at school - yeah - I forgot all that - I wasn't too sharp at that kinda thing back then either. *

Anyway, I think JW should get some kind of credit, and/or it might have been better for the repeater to ask first. If she saw it on TCFL - why couldn't she have contacted J / PM to ask if it was OK?

* = I do find all these issues interesting!

Good Luck with it Julie
I know there are some pro lit peeps on here who are sure to come along with advice for you too.

Unleash hell!

Seriously, that's unprofessional and you deserve your credit.

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"[GFG's pregnancy is] kind of like at the stables where that one dumb, ugly-ass mare broke out of her corral one day and got herself screwed by the equally fugly colt that was due to be gelded the same afternoon."- Shiny

I write alot, too, and many of my writings are psoted on the internet so I can realize how infuriating it is when someone steals your work and especially doesn't give you proper credit. Totally get in contact with site staff and give them proof that your the owner and ask them to take it down.

GAH! How utterly maddening for you. That just SUCKS. I'm glad you called her out on that. I would keep after it until she links to you or gives you proper credit. What a douche move.

Your work is protected by U.S. copyright laws even if you forgot to include a copyright notice (Copyright 2012 Julie Was Here 88). The benefit of including a copyright notice on your work is that the infringer can't claim she didn't know she was infringing (the willfulness factor). Maybe demand that she take down your work or give you credit. Sorry this jerk couldn't come up with her own list. I printed yours out and stuck it to my refrigerator.

What a fucking asshole. People can't be original, anymore? WTF is that shit?

Julie, Grace is correct on copyright. You do have copyright to the work you wrote. The notice is nice, but not strictly necessary. Plagiarism and intellectual theft are unfortunately endemic to the Internet.

On the other hand, back before the Net some of my writing for a computer club newsletter was copied without credit and someone else's name placed on it in another club newsletter in another state (we swapped with other clubs). Pissed me off then too.

Whoa, the wrath of another long-term member of TCFL has been rained down on the poacher



I doubt that those of us who sign up to that site just to lash out would be effective, but maybe the support of the regulars on there will make something happen.

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fade_to_pale
What a fucking asshole. People can't be original, anymore? WTF is that shit?

This.

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lab mom

Julie, i wish i had some authority as the admin of this site to help you out.

But what I do say is: Pfeh. Why didn't that person just LINK to your blog post instead of... paraphrasing it. That is just bullshit.

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"I have learned that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everyone off is easy and fun as hell"

:eatu

my rules of child free:

1. go the fuck away and leave me alone. I am not interested in your baby's pictures, watching your kid, hearing poop commentary, etc. Me not having kids is not a "statement" for you to debate with me. Now fuck off!

2. Go back and read rule number one, douchebag. My life is none of your business.

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fade_to_pale
What a fucking asshole. People can't be original, anymore? WTF is that shit?

nobody is original-look at music: they rip off melodies and sample from obscure 70's songs or play the same music with different words (i'm talking to you, Nickelback)

i think mine were original, though...

I sent a complaint e-mail to Feministing about Veronica's "work". I'm not sure which part is worse - this cunt stealing Julie's blog entry and changing a few words here and there or posting the link to "her" article on the same forum where she read the original. Does she think that people are too stupid to realize what she did?

That is completely fucked up.

I checked the link to see if the article was still up and I saw this:

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Plagiarizing Cunt
And I’m sorry if you felt like I tried to steal this from you. Your blog was inspiration for me to write this, I really didn’t mean to make it seem like I was plagerizing your stuff.

Bullshit "apology". She's not sorry that she did it, she's just sorry that you feel that your article was plagiaraized. This situation would totally be acceptable if it weren't for your feelings