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I had an interesting experience this weekend. I found one of my videojournalism postings in its entirety on another site without attribution, although there was a link that just said basically to see original click here.
When I emailed and requested that my work be taken down because I believed it was plagiarism without the citation, the site owner – Gideon Kimbrell of syragon.com – gave the following response:
It’s not plagiarism. It’s content indexing, and you published your blog so we syndicated it. We nonetheless have removed it, out the goodness of our hearts.
Below is what he posted on his site after taking down my posting. You’ll have to click on it to enlarge enough to read, but the synopsis is he took it down because he is such a nice guy and I’m ignorant and shouldn’t complain.
I did a quick check on splogging, since I generally live with my head in the sand and focus on my own business. Plagiarism Today had an extremely informative article.
So sploggers are parasites who steal the work of others. I guess I was lucky he even linked to my site…from what I gather they generally just steal wholesale.
To protect yourself from raids such as this one, I recommend you do what I do from time to time. Cut and paste a unique sentence or partial sentence from one of your more popular posts, place within quotes, and Google. Then, if you see your work under someone else’s name, complain. I did this last year when alerted there was a plagiarist using my blog postings and was able to get the postings removed and the site taken down.
Can’t guarantee you’ll have success…and you may also be vilified. The trick is to not allow words to get under your skin…do what you have to do and move on. If enough folks help police the cyberworld, we may stand some chance of keeping it honest.
Final word of advice – back up your files. Frequently – or as frequently as you post. Just in case. WordPress has a handy backup tool in their “Tools” setting…so if the worst happens, I’ll be back up with a simple import (thanks to Richard Koci-Hernandez for that information).
Contest, schmontest. Most contests today are “opportunities” to sell yourself out cheaply or for free. If the cause is worth it, go for it – but otherwise beware.
So goes my thinking.
However, I’ve found a contest that I do not even plan to enter, but I will watch closely: The Story Beyond the Still co-sponsored by Canon and Vimeo.
The basic concept is to give a filmmaker (in this case Vincent Laforet) a still photograph and have him create a short movie that begins with the still. His movie ends with yet another still photograph – which a contest entrant must use to begin their movie short. In turn, they must end with a still photograph which the next filmmaker must begin with and so on…
Never mind the prizes…the concept of a continuing storyline carried on by filmmakers who have never met is intriguing.
UPDATE: 1/16/10 @ 12:47pdt
Check out this link from Imarsat. They’re involved in a big way with first responders, but apparently are also taking the time (see below) to try to help a small group of students in Jacmel, south of the capitol.
UPDATE: Inmarsat, the company that provides the Internet service to the Bgan Inmarsat is working with their distributors to try to get a unit to the Cine’ filmmaking students. In the meantime they suggest that any news crews in the area try to hook up with the students and allow them to use the news organization units.
Original posting:
Larry Nance sent me an email with the following links to a group of Haitian film students who are performing an agonizing and amazing service to their community in the midst of disaster.
First the backstory from Sphere News. Twenty-seven students ranging in age from 16 to 28 returned to their devastated school after the earthquake this week to salvage cameras and editing stations, which they set up in a surviving radio station. They spend the following days not only living through, but documenting the struggle for survival in their town of Jacmel.
Look at their stories on the school’s website. Hold your criticism. These are students, remember. And students who have lost their homes, family members. Yet they have produced work under circumstances that would make pros sweat.
Yes, Haiti has been hit hard. But Haiti is more than Port-au-Prince, as the students point out. Their fear is the aid so desperately needed may not get to their town in time, so they work on with minimal resources to get their story out.
I’ll be keeping an eye on these students in the days to come. They do have a request – for a faster internet connection. If anyone has one of these or wants to join in a drive to get one for these students, give me a shout at cyndyg@mac.com.
Why enter contests? Most photogs I know don’t do it for the cash or trophy…they do it for (a) bragging rights and (b) to see how they stack up. Plus, sometimes – just maybe – it can influence the boss (or prospective boss).
The fifth annual Concentra Award deadline is coming up – a competition only for VJs. There’s no distinguishing where you work – be it TV, the Internet…all you need to be is a lone wolf with camera and the ability to cover a story without support from reporters or producers.
Oh – and if you do prove to be the world’s best VJ, there is a cash award of 10,000 euros. In hard US cash (today only, considering the fluctuating dollar) that’s over $14,000.
The deadline is January 22nd 2010.
Here’s the entry form and here are the rules and regulations.
Cohort Kathy Newell and I spent New Year Day morning covering a local version of the polar bear club story – the Frozen Bun Run in Bethel Island out on the Delta.
She was the photog and I took a try at being a reporter – something new for me. While I’ve lugged cameras around and done the job of two (as photog AND reporter)…I’ve never worked alongside the camera as a reporter.
Of course I couldn’t leave it alone…had to have my HV20 w/fisheye attached so I wouldn’t feel like a total freeloader. And that’s what I was. Newell hauled ass, shot, kept on top of it all. I did too, but from my perspective, being a reporter is a job for…well, not the highly energized.
While she shot from the levee and in the crowds, I managed to find the event organizer. Then she shot crowd scenes while I got the names of the first three skiers. I held the mike…asked questions…she got the shots. She anticipated…knew my every move.
Face it – she could have done it all without me. I was a mike holder. I got in her shots. She re-worked my script into something viewable. She handed out cards like they were confetti while I held on to all but one of mine.
The truth is revealed. A good photog does not need a reporter on many stories. Something I would say a certain East Coaster already knows. I just hope in my day I shone as brightly as she did these past few days.
Here’s the final version…enjoy. I know I did.
I won! – or at least can prove I can write drivel faster than the next person with a keyboard. Thanks to teachj for this fun link to a race against time. Set your goal (mine was two hundred words) and type away and try to beat the clock. Didn’t happen to me, but apparently the program will eat your words if you aren’t fast enough.
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