Copy Cat
Mia
Copying Seven words is Plagiarizing
Well known female writer Ms. Wu Dan-Ju was accused of copying Mr. Tsai Yo-Gi's blog article. After close comparison and contrast, there were up to 1 hundred similar words found in Ms. Wu's writing. In our formal writing, there are usually about 3,000 to 5,000 Chinese characters; therefore, writing exactly the same ones with others' would be even harder than winning a lottery. Therefore, making up an excuse that the story was heard from her friend and taxi drivers could be far-fetched.
From the curriculum of academic field, copying seven words in a roll without citing the sources is called plagiarism. An author like Ms. Wu, a well educated elite, should not have made such mistake which could be avoided by using common sense, no to mention she is a prolific writer. In addition, many hardworking students grow up with her books, which have far-reaching influence in the society. She should cherish her self image more. If she did make a mistake, she should apologize in public to set a good example for the coming generation. Instead, holding a press conference to criticize Mr. Tsai only left resentment for the public, and made a wrong impression that plagiarizing is an acceptable thing to do for the next generation.
In fact, plagiarizing has become a serious problem among students who often turn in assignment with articles copying from blogs. Some students even go overboard while copying misspelt words, highlighting paragraphs, underlining others' sentences and using "martian" words in their writing. Without surprise, these students have to retake their course. However, if a noted writer can do nothing but copy and paste, she should stop publishing books.
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