Saturday, March 1, 2014

Netiquette And Plagerism - A Core Pricipal of Ethics, Laws and Netiquette IQ




The Internet has created many new ways to plagiarize, copy or inadvertently copy material. Some of this may be public domain or, depending on many aspect, legal in the originating country. I have previously discussed some of these both in this blog and my book, "Netiquette IQ - A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email" (see more below). Hardly a day now goes by without an accusation, lawsuit or scandal involving using another's work without acknowledgement! Below is another interesting article which really provide great information. 

It is critical to teach the Internet generations about the laws and ethics against this practice as it is a core principal on Netiquette and Netiquette IQ.

Is it wrong to plagiarize from an email?

By Adam Grant February 25, 2014

Adam Grant is a professor of management at the Wharton School. He is the author of "Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success."

Copy and pasting emails is still copying. Reuters/Nir Elias
 
This post originally appeared at LinkedIn.

Last year, before the launch of my first book, I promised my publisher that I would send an email about it to my friends, colleagues, and former students. I spent hours agonizing over the wording of the first draft, wanting to make sure that I wasn’t spamming the people close to me, but sending something they’d be happy to read. After several days of tinkering, I finally sent it out.

A few weeks later, I was in for a surprise. A colleague had written a book, and he sent an email announcing it to his network, using the text from my message… verbatim.

I was taken aback, but I didn’t say anything. I like and respect the guy, and after all, it was just an email. I didn’t want to embarrass him or damage the relationship; I’m sure he meant no harm by it. You could even make a case for interpreting the event as positive feedback. As Charles Caleb Colton famously said, “imitation is the sincerest [form] of flattery.”

Later that month, I received an email from a different friend who was releasing a book. He had reproduced my message too, word for word, with a few minor adjustments to reflect the content of his book. How could this be? I would never use someone else’s sentences and pass them off as my own. Plagiarism is a cardinal sin in academia, and one of the perpetrators is a fellow professor.

Maybe I was overreacting, though. If two different people found it acceptable to use my words, I might be in the minority in thinking that it crossed an ethical line. The authors clearly didn’t think it was wrong to copy my email without rephrasing it: if they had any qualms, surely they would have removed me from their email lists!

I decided to let it go, but it didn’t go away. In recent months, it has happened three more times. When I described the situation to people close to me, they were mad. As a psychologist who studies motivation, it’s my job to analyze situations that make people angry and approach them with curiosity. To understand it better, I began reading about plagiarism.

Traditionally, courts of law have distinguished between two ways that people can plagiarize the work of others. One is kleptomnesia, a lovely term coined by the psychologist Dan Gilbert to describe accidental, unconscious plagiarism. It occurs when you encounter someone else’s idea, forget the source, and come to believe it was your own. Kleptomnesia has many famous victims, from George Harrison of the Beatles to Helen Keller and Robert Louis Stevenson. In my situation, kleptomnesia clearly wasn’t the culprit, since only people with an eidetic memory—or a freakish amount of free time—would commit more than 400 e-words to memory without realizing they came from someone else.

The other kind of plagiarism is intentional: it’s a conscious, deliberate attempt to steal someone else’s ideas and get away with it. This doesn’t seem like a plausible explanation either. My colleagues copied an email, not a literary masterpiece.

The Internet has cracked down on kleptomnesia and intentional plagiarism. Now, online tools can instantly crawl through millions of records to see if your writing is authentically yours. Yet the digital era has opened the door for a third kind of plagiarism. It’s what I suspect happened to my friends.

Let’s call it cut-and-paste plagiarism. They started out by copying my email as a template, edited it a bit, and then moved on to other tasks. When they came back to it, they genuinely didn’t remember how many of the sentences weren’t original.

It’s all too easy to make this mistake. Most people are careful with books and articles, recognizing that the safest way to avoid cut-and-paste plagiarism is to not cut and paste at all. But email is a gray area. If you like a phrase that a friend coins in an email, can you start using it? Is it wrong that I started signing emails “Cheers, Adam” without acknowledging that I was following the lead of my favorite professor, Brian Little? If I cite him below each signature, should I also clarify that I became especially fond of the habit after spending a sabbatical in England, and list the names of the colleagues who also favor this bit of British cheer?

When I shared a draft of this post with another author I know, he replied that e-plagiarism happened to him recently too, and he felt I was “being too charitable.” After he sent a note announcing his book to an email list, another author “ripped off most of my email word-for-word,” laments this author, who asked not to be named:

“I complained—to her, to the publication that sent it on her behalf, and to her book editor. She didn’t respond. Her publication said it wasn’t a big deal. And her book editor apologized profusely. Strange.

You’d figure a writer ought to know better. Plagiarism is a no-no. And an email sent to several thousand people isn’t private communication. It’s much closer to something that’s published. The funny thing is, if she had asked in advance to use some of my language, I likely would have said yes. But since she apparently tried to pull a fast one, I didn’t shed any tears when her book turned out to be a huge flop.”

Where should we draw the line on what counts as email plagiarism? Needless to say, I think a single word is fair game for the taking. Here’s my proposal:

If you use a full sentence or more from an email that someone else wrote, quote it and attribute it to that person. Otherwise, take the high road and rewrite it from scratch in your own words.

If you’re one of the authors who borrowed my email message, I don’t hold it against you. In fact, I’m grateful that you provided the fodder for this post. I couldn’t have written it without you.

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In addition to this blog, I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, " Netiquette IQ - A comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

 If you would like to listen to experts in all aspects of Netiquette and communication, try my radio show on BlogtalkRadio  and an online newsletter via paper.li.I have established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and  Yahoo I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and I have been contributing to the blogs Everything Email and emailmonday . My work has appeared in numerous publications and I have presented to groups such as The Breakfast Club of NJ and  PSG of Mercer County, NJ. 


The Netiquette IQ Quote of the Day -


This blog has discussed Internet neutrality a number of times in recent posts. Many people are still unaware of the fact that the core principal of the Internet since its inception has now been removed. It is possible that one day very soon, people will have to pay for any internet service or application  . . . to multiple people! I urge all of you to learn about the various developments. A good place to start is www.fcc.gov. Let's all do our part to bring back true Internet neutrality.


Net neutrality has been in place since the very beginning of the Internet
 -Al Franken

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In addition to this blog, I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, " Netiquette IQ - A comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

 If you would like to listen to experts in all aspects of Netiquette and communication, try my radio show on BlogtalkRadio  and an online newsletter via paper.li.I have established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and  Yahoo I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and I have been contributing to the blogs Everything Email and emailmonday . My work has appeared in numerous publications and I have presented to groups such as The Breakfast Club of NJ and  PSG of Mercer County, NJ. 


Friday, February 28, 2014

New Domain Extensions in 2014. Some Surprises! - via Netiquette IQ



There will be many more new Internet domain extensions coming out in 2014, both in the United States and throughout the world. Internet addressing authority ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) has released a handful of new domain extensions including .bike, .guru and .singles.There are over 2,000 applications now pending including one for .google (guess who?)

This is the the opportunity to get your brand new domain, even if you are a single user or large corporation. If you would like more information go to http://www.icann.org/

Below is an excellent article by Kathy Nielsen just published. It provides many more details.

Perhaps one day we will have a file extension for .netiquette!

New Internet Domain Extensions: Don't Get Blinded by the Sunrise or Run Over by the Landrush
February 28, 2014
  
In this article, you'll learn...
·         Why you should be paying attention to the hundreds of new domain extensions that will launch in 2014
·         What the difference is between a Sunrise and Landrush period of a new domain launch
·         Tips to help you actively manage the onslaught of new domains so you can protect or advance your brand
2014 is going to be a landmark year for the Internet as the oldest and most basic form of user online navigation gets a major overhaul. The domain names that marketers and end users have relied on since the Internet's inception—extensions like .com, .net, and .org—will no longer be the only game in town. New generic top-level domains (gTLDs), including extensions such as .app, .sports, .club, .healthcare and many more, have already started to launch.
However, bringing those new extensions to market is more complicated than slapping on a price tag and hanging a for sale sign. It's been a multiyear process already; and, despite some hiccups, the organization that governs the Internet and is managing the roll-out, ICANN, has tried to make it fair for everyone involved. Accordingly, introducing domains under a new extension is a multi-step process that's designed to include protections for trademark holders and give average users a fair shake at getting the names they want.
Every marketer should understand the two important phases under this process: the Sunriseand the Landrush periods. ICANN mandates that a Sunrise period lasting at least 30 days must take place for every new domain extension that launches. During that time frame, trademark holders are given an opportunity to claim domains that are associated with their marks before anyone else is able to register them. If multiple parties are seeking the same domain, disputes will be arbitrated or will go to auction at the end of the Sunrise period.
The Landrush period is optional, but almost always used by new registries. During this time frame, premium domains are offered at a premium price. They might include generic terms or category-defining terms that could give instant credibility to an online brand—a tactic used by sites such as Hotels.com or Cars.com.
The Sunrise and Landrush periods are the only times you'll ever be able to purchase a domain directly from registries, the organizations that manage domains and make sure they direct users to the correct websites when typed or clicked in a browser. After Sunrise and Landrush comes general availability—the time when anyone can buy a domain from a registrar, companies such as GoDaddy or 1&1.
You'll want to be engaged long before general availability or risk having the perfect new domain slip through your fingers. Months or years down the road, it'll likely cost much more to purchase that same name on the secondhand market, so it's important to pay attention now so you know your options and can make fully informed decisions to either purchase now or watch from the sidelines.
As you navigate the tidal wave of new domains, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
1. Start early
Although there could be up to 1,000 new domain extensions released onto the Internet within the next year, not all of them will be relevant to you. Start looking now at the domain extensions that have been applied for and approved so you can keep track of the ones you may want to use.
To help you keep track, this calendar has a list of all the new domain extensions being introduced, along with estimation on when their Sunrise and Landrush periods will take place: http://key-systems.net/english/news/new-gtlds/new-gtld-launch-dates.html.
2. Use both sides of the dot
The rules have changed for selecting domains and building a comprehensive portfolio that includes company and product names, trademarks, defensive registrations, and other considerations.
Before, you mostly had to think about names and keywords to the left of the dot, and then match them with the right country-specific or generic domain extension. Now, you have to think in terms of categories and keywords to the right of the dot as well, because you can register names such as Running.Shoes, MainStreet.Coffee, and Medical.Careers.
The combination of what's to the left and right of the dot is much more important.
3. Save energy with the trademark clearinghouse
Many companies are concerned about the time commitment and cost of defensively registering domains within hundreds of new registries. They should use the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH), an ICANN-mandated service that's being managed by IBM and Deloitte.
Registering in the TMCH is a mandatory step for participating in a Sunrise period, and the service will also provide you with notification if anyone tries to buy a domain under any of the new extensions that contains a mark you've registered.
4. Understand 'pre-registration'
A lot of registrars are offering pre-registration of new domains, which is an excellent way to jump on the names you want before they're actually released. However, it's important to understand that pre-registration doesn't necessarily guarantee that you'll get the domain.
With pre-registration, you're essentially asking the registrar to attempt to purchase a domain for you as soon as it's available, but someone else may have also "pre-registered" for the same domain though a different registrar.
Still, it's a good idea to pre-register so you're one of the first in line and can be actively informed about important release dates or auctions related to your desired domain, and will have someone working on your behalf to secure the domain for you.
5. Have your checkbook ready
New TLDs will not be as expensive as dot-coms, but generic terms could still command top dollar if multiple parties are interested. If you become involved in Sunrise or Landrush auctions, the domain you're interested in could be bid up in price if multiple parties are involved.
In those situations, domains will fetch their market value, which could be as high as six or seven figures, so at the beginning of the process it's good to think a little bit about what a name would be worth to you so you're not blindsided later.
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In addition to this blog, I have authored the premiere book on Netiquette, " Netiquette IQ - A comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email". You can view my profile, reviews of the book and content excerpts at:

 www.amazon.com/author/paulbabicki

 If you would like to listen to experts in all aspects of Netiquette and communication, try my radio show on BlogtalkRadio  and an online newsletter via paper.li.I have established Netiquette discussion groups with Linkedin and  Yahoo I am also a member of the International Business Etiquette and Protocol Group and Minding Manners among others. I regularly consult for the Gerson Lehrman Group, a worldwide network of subject matter experts and I have been contributing to the blogs Everything Email and emailmonday . My work has appeared in numerous publications and I have presented to groups such as The Breakfast Club of NJ and  PSG of Mercer County, NJ.