[lometa|Ask Lo]

Hi there! I’m new here and I was wondering at what level can users become an editor?

Gentle noder, that’s a really great question. I think a lot of new noders may wonder the same thing. Users don’t become editors by making a level. The administration invites users who they think would make an asset to the group. They are chosen for the job for a great variety of reasons. Noding well and noding often, professional experience, talent and being willing make good use of suggestions about their work, as well as a willingness to offer positive suggestions and helpful ideas to others about writing. I’m sure there are many more.

This is kind of confusing. Is there a difference between [plagiarism] and [E2 FAQ: Copyrighted Material |copyright]?

There is a lot to confuse between the two that’s for sure. Copyrighted work is usually work done by an author who may or hopes to make a living from the writing. Plagiarism is when someone takes someone else’s ideas and claims credit for it.

Is it still plagiarism if I [cut and paste|copy] the work and cite the sources?

Yes it’s plagiarism. Even if the sentences are put in a different order and the sources are cited it’s still taking someone’s work without their permission. And if the author has copyrighted the page now it’s plagiarism [and] copyright infringement. Since the [E2 copyright changes] copyrighted work is no longer allowed to be submitted unless the author has given permission.

So how can I avoid plagiarizing ?

The simple answer is to put the information you want to write about [in your own words]. Here are several ideas that you may find helpful.

Read through all of the material and take a break. In the back of your mind let the information simmer until *ding* it’s done!
Find someone to tell it to, or say it to yourself out loud. Add your personality to the mix and viola! You have created a collection of ideas that you want to write about.
Sometimes writers come to a paragraph that’s just too irresistible. It’s a [must have] for the write up! That’s okay. Make sure it’s less than one third of the write up, credit your source and it’ll be fine.
Sometimes the information is what the writer wants to include but has a hard time putting into their own words. Many [text editor] s have a thesaurus. Using it will help move the ideas along into your own words.
Exchanging the [subject] and [predicate] of a sentence will inspire more words about the topic.
Rearranging the order of information is a useful idea too.

Here’s an example. This is a biography of poet [Michael Ondaatje]:

Michael Ondaatje was born on September 12, 1943 in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). The son of Mervyn Ondaatje and Doris Gratiaen, prominent members among the inhabitants of what once comprised Ceylon's colonial society. Mervyn Ondaatje was a tea and rubber-plantation superintendent who was afflicted with alcoholism. Doris Gratiaen performed part-time as a radical dancer, inspired by Isadora Duncan. As a result of his father's alcoholism, Ondaatje’s parents eventually driftrd aparts and by 1954 he moved to England with his mother.
(Source: Michael Ondaatje:
http://www.emory.edu/ENGLISH/Bahri/Ondaat.html)

Here is the same paragraph in my own words. Note that the same source was cited so it’s clear I’m not claiming this as my research on Mr. Ondaatje’s life :

There you go! The sentences and grammar are smooth reading and it all makes sense. The order of information has been changed. A date has been translated into Ondaatje’s age. Parentheses have been removed and the information has been incorporated into the summary. I even snuck in a small personal trademark of [alliteration]. It takes practice and time so- be patient with yourself. Eventually it will become easier as your writing skills develop.

The [CST_Group|Copyright Salvage Team] took a look at fourteen write-ups that were submitted between April 11 and June 10, 2004. Congratulations to [Final Solution |SansPoint], [Accidentally In Love |ch'i-lin], [May 27, 2004 |heyoka ] and [There Is a Light that Never Goes Out |bigmouth_strikes] whose write ups [CST Approved|passed] with flying colors! I hope you'll consider dropping by their write ups and offer them your kudos for a job well done.

That’s all for now! Happy noding Gentle Noders.

Editor Log: June 2004 (idea)