Plagiarism and Blog Spam

Question

Plagiarism and Blog Spam

chrisn-585491

SSCoach

Points: 16006
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August 11, 2014 at 6:17 am

#99922

I frequent other forums elsewhere and have ran into an issue with another user that frequently post links to his blog about SQL Server and other IT issues. The problem is that most of his blog postings are cribbed or borrowed from MSDN, Wikipedia and other blogs. Other users have pointed out that many times his advice is outdate or incorrect, I'm the only one that has realized that whole paragraphs are copied from other's websites.
I've contact the moderators of the other forum and they will do whatever they consider. But should I contact this individual directly or inform the SQL Server community of his blog? He touts himself as a Senior DBA and a member of a local user group, but the content of his blog makes him a fraud.
What would you do?

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 18 total)

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OCTom SSChampion Points: 11785 More actions · Answer 1

Those who own the copyrighted material are the ones to go after this person. I would be very careful. Accusing someone in public could result in a lawsuit against you. I would start by contacting his user group. Do they know him? What do they think of him? You might want to mention to the user group that his blog seems familiar and could it be possible he is copying/pasting.

Tom

Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 2

What can you do?

If he plagiarises a specific blog, the owner of that blog can file a take down request. Same if he does that to an article. If you're not the author however, there's nothing you can do. I suppose you could comment on the posts with your views, but he could delete the comment.

You can post on any thread where he gives advice correcting it. You can post when he links his blog 'observing' that it appears to be plagiarised.

What do you think contacting him directly will do, other than potentially escalate things? It's not likely he's unaware of what he;s doing. Outright calling him a fraud could have side effects for you.

Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

We walk in the dark places no others will enter
We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

chrisn-585491 SSCoach Points: 16006 More actions · Answer 3

Thanks for the advice. I've also emailed one of my local mentors in my area for their advice.

Koen Verbeeck SSC Guru Points: 259085 More actions · Answer 4

I think to only action you can take is notify the actual owners of the copyright. It is up to them to take action.

Need an answer? No, you need a question
My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP

chrisn-585491 SSCoach Points: 16006 More actions · Answer 5

So do I need to search Google with segments of multiple blog postings on his blog and try to find the copy right holders?

Who owns copy right on Wikipedia articles? Or MSDN? Or random stuff copied off of Linked-In?

I have no idea if anything was copied from well known SQL Server guru's, I doubt that he was that ignorant...

🙁

Koen Verbeeck SSC Guru Points: 259085 More actions · Answer 6

chrisn-585491 (8/11/2014)
So do I need to search Google with segments of multiple blog postings on his blog and try to find the copy right holders?
Who owns copy right on Wikipedia articles? Or MSDN? Or random stuff copied off of Linked-In?
🙁

Since you realize it is copyright infringement, I guess you already know the source material.

* Wikipedia: I guess Wikipedia itself. You can use their content, as long as you properly attribute. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_3.0_Unported_License

* MSDN: Microsoft itself of course.

* random stuff on LinkedIn: normally the person who wrote it on LinkedIn. But this is quite a gray area and hard to proof I think because it is an open forum.

Need an answer? No, you need a question
My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP

Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 7

Microsoft holds the copyright on MSDN. Stuff on Linked In will either be the author of the piece or Linked In themselves, depending on the agreements.

The point is, unless you're the author or copyright holder, you can do nothing about plagarism. The copyright holder has to be the one to make the complaints and the take down requests.

Let's take a step back... There are a lot of people doing this kind of thing, over-stating their qualifications, plagiarising blogs, posting garbage answers. Why is this one bothering you so much?

Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

We walk in the dark places no others will enter
We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

Lynn Pettis SSC Guru Points: 442467 More actions · Answer 8

chrisn-585491 (8/11/2014)
So do I need to search Google with segments of multiple blog postings on his blog and try to find the copy right holders?
Who owns copy right on Wikipedia articles? Or MSDN? Or random stuff copied off of Linked-In?
I have no idea if anything was copied from well known SQL Server guru's, I doubt that he was that ignorant...
🙁

Don't be so sure of that, several well respected people on this site have found their stuff plagiarized on the web. If you find believe that his blogs are plagiarized, contact the owners. If it is MSDN articles, contact Microsoft. If you can identify the author, contact him or her.

Don't do anything yourself, it could come back to haunt you.

chrisn-585491 SSCoach Points: 16006 More actions · Answer 9

"There are a lot of people doing this kind of thing, over-stating their qualifications, plagiarizing blogs, posting garbage answers. Why is this one bothering you so much? "

Because it's affecting a community I'm a member of, the posting may cause others to mess up their servers and the poster is claiming to be a Senior DBA when it's obvious they are less knowledgeable than most true juniors. (I'm also competing for jobs with these jokers. Their resume paddings get them more interviews.)

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1003851 More actions · Answer 10

chrisn-585491 (8/11/2014)
I frequent other forums elsewhere and have ran into an issue with another user that frequently post links to his blog about SQL Server and other IT issues. The problem is that most of his blog postings are cribbed or borrowed from MSDN, Wikipedia and other blogs. Other users have pointed out that many times his advice is outdate or incorrect, I'm the only one that has realized that whole paragraphs are copied from other's websites.
I've contact the moderators of the other forum and they will do whatever they consider. But should I contact this individual directly or inform the SQL Server community of his blog? He touts himself as a Senior DBA and a member of a local user group, but the content of his blog makes him a fraud.
What would you do?

Got a link for this fellow's blog? I'd love to see what you're talking about.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

chrisn-585491 SSCoach Points: 16006 More actions · Answer 11

Jeff,

Sent you a private message with a link. Didn't want to unleash the wolves.

Thanks!

Chris

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 12

I'd like to see a link as well please.

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events

chrisn-585491 SSCoach Points: 16006 More actions · Answer 13

chrisn-585491

SSCoach

Points: 16006

August 11, 2014 at 11:14 am

#1736963

SQLRNNR

Sent you a link, too.

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 14

Thanks. Taking a look.

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events