6 ms·

Disclaimer: this is by no mean an endorsement of plagiarism in any of its forms. It is one thing to catch someone plagiarizing an already fake essay. In my opi

by mekoka 15y ago

Disclaimer: this is by no mean an endorsement of plagiarism in any of its forms. It is one thing to catch someone plagiarizing an already fake essay. In my opinion though, exposing the cheater on the Internet by name is a punishment with far more severe consequences, that does not exactly fit the crime. Furthermore, we're not even assured that the student managed to get a passing grade for his version of the paper. If he did, maybe his teacher was also part of the problem. This type of insensitive public lynching is so reminiscent of primary school. Fortunately, we grow up, develop a conscience and learn to regret some of the stupid acts we took, just because we could, that still reverberate in others in present days. Before blowing your horn, please make sure that you're actually righting a wrong and are not causing more damage than you're repairing.

adnam 15y ago
I disagree: the embarrassment of being publicly outed is entirely justified for a plagiarist. It's not a lynching if you tied your own noose!
- granfalloon 15y ago
  maybe announcing it to the rest of his class would be a justified "public outting." or announcing it in a campus publication. but this goes way, way beyond that. i think it's kind of scary how quick people are nowadays to froth at the mouth and go crazy with the big-scale internet public shaming. one of the downsides of the rise of social-media, i guess
  - InclinedPlane 15y ago
    Are you being serious? That's just a slap on the wrist, for what appears to be academic fraud. I would cancel his degree and send a notice to his current employers.
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
  - granfalloon 15y ago
    @ InclinedPlane 3: so would i. i was just pointing out that there are different degrees of public outing. revoking his degree, getting him fired, and ruining his reputation with hsi colleagues is sufficient...no need to make him an international internet villain
    - potatolicious 15y ago
      I don't know about you, but getting fired and having my professional reputation ruined is a fair bit worse than being an "internet villain".
  - bountie 15y ago
    Plagiarism is sometimes punished with the academic death penalty. If you were a journalist who plagiarized in the last 10 years then your career is over.
- mekoka 15y ago
  Ever heard of benefit of the doubt, or extenuating circumstances? Ok, we know the guy cheated on this paper. There's a whole lot we don't know though: who is this guy? what led to the cheating? was it his first offense? is this paper really relevant to his professional career? was he looking to profit from it? Many more things we don't know and for which it's usually better to handle such things away from the Internet.
  - Karunamon 15y ago
    Don't steal other people's work. There is no legitimate reason to do so. EVER.
    - mekoka 15y ago
      For one, I'm not excusing the crime, I'm merely stating that the punishment should fit. Secondly, you sound pretty adamant in your declaration. You know, having had my share of experience with the human element, I'm sometimes curious with the attitude of the morally superior people who can't see shades of gray and are so willing to cast the first stone. I wonder what we would uncover if we were to put their own lives under the magnifier.
      - Karunamon 15y ago
        >I wonder what we would uncover if we were to put their own lives under the magnifier. I'm unclear as to what this has to do with the fact that plagiarism is always wrong, 100% of the time. Just because one may be guilty of doing something they know is wrong doesn't mean their declaration of that action being wrong is somehow invalid.
paulhauggis 15y ago
"t is one thing to catch someone plagiarizing an already fake essay. In my opinion though, exposing the cheater on the Internet by name is a punishment with far more severe consequences, that does not exactly fit the crime." Honestly, after seeing the people here on HN crucify the guy here: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/274100/20111229/ocean-marketing-disaster-paul-christoforo-officially-dumped.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/274100/20111229/ocean-market... I will be surprised if anyone has this same opinion. "This type of insensitive public lynching is so reminiscent of primary school." My thoughts exactly..
- pygy_ 15y ago
  Paul Christophoro is bipolar, and currently undergoing a manic episode. He needs medical attention. See this reddit comment [1] by his sucessor as PR guy for the maker of the Avenger Controller. http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/nw1vm/ama_the_guy_who_replaced_paul_christoforo_and_is/c3ceflu?context=1 http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/nw1vm/ama_the_guy_who_...
  - ontoillogical 15y ago
    While I agree with you that the punishment Paul Christophoro got from the internet is too severe for the crime being a bully (and bad at his job), please don't make a medical diagnosis on the basis of a reddit comment from someone else describing a phone call. Your profile says you are a medical doctor, you really should know better.
    - pygy_ 15y ago
      From the mentioned post: > In our conversations, he has compared himself to no less than Howard Stern and Charlie Sheen. He has proclaimed himself to be the biggest thing on the internet, and has repeatedly touted how much power he thinks he now has with the press. He told me tonight "if they fuck with me, I got all these websites all over me. Whatever I tell them to write, they write." He says that he has a TV interview with SPIKE TV next week. I look forward to him telling them what to do and what to edit into their coverage. Tonight, he reiterated that in unmistakable, forceful terms. > His abrupt swings in tone and mood were astoundingly rapid. He told me he would burn the company to the ground and destroy everyone associated with it, including me, he regretted to inform me. "I know you're just a guy doing a job and you don't know any better. I'm gonna ruin your life if I have to." I shouldn't have used the affirmative, but it is highly probable. Megalomania and rapid mood swings are serious telltale signs. Another possible cause for mania would be side effects of drugs. You can read in this interview[1] that he takes testosterone to correct a deficiency, it could also be the culprit. [1] http://www.gameranx.com/features/id/4238/article/oceanstratagy-paul-christoforo-himself-speaks/ http://www.gameranx.com/features/id/4238/article/oceanstrata...
granfalloon 15y ago
agreed...if you think the kid should be punished, contact the professor or the school. no need for the frenzy in the comments section, with people trying to make this a number-one search result
InclinedPlane 15y ago
I can't imagine in what world plagiarism in college should be treated as some private affair that should be kept secret. College students are adults. Plagiarism in order to achieve a college degree fraudulently is worthy of public attention. Edit: note, "public attention" != "mob of ruthless assholes destroying someone's life".
- mekoka 15y ago
  Many records can be expunged after a while. There are recourses for offenders to make amend and with time, find the straight path. The Internet is like a bell, you can't just unring it.
  - philwelch 15y ago
    That's not especially true, actually. If something on the internet receives enough public attention it never dies, but lots of unnoticed and uncontroversial things just rot away quietly without anyone caring or being the wiser.
- raganwald 15y ago
  There is a difference between: 1. This alleged plagiarist’s college convicting him and publicizing the fact that he has been judged a plagiarist by due process, and: 2. A public accusation of plagiarism without process of any kind. Public attention to a conviction is entirely different from public attention to an accusation. I’m with you if you want convictions by due process of plagiarism in college to be worthy of public attention. I am not in favour of accusations like this to be brandished so enthusiastically.
  - dandelany 15y ago
    In general I agree with you in regards to accusations vs. due process. But in a plagiarism case like this, it's hard to imagine a situation in which the accusation isn't true. If the essay was factual, the student could claim that the similarity between the essays was coincidental, but an essay which just happens to contain the same made-up facts as the original? That's proof enough for me.
tcarney 15y ago
Give the guy due process at least.... Sorry, had to add that
- raganwald 15y ago
  No need to apologize. Trail and conviction by mob is odious whether the mob is a collection of allegedly intelligent and educated hackers or whether it’s beer-guzzling trailer-trash. The bottom line is, you have an accusation on the Internet without the benefit of an accused person facing their accusers, without a process for presenting and evaluating evidence in context, and without any kind of judge or referee in place to rule on any issues of admissibility or propriety. We get together and lament how places like Fox news can distort the truth and present biased cases against people. And then when something comes along and plays to our prejudices, we whip out the torches and pitchforks, planning to ruin the accused plagiarizer and whatever professor may or may not have accepted this ridiculous essay. Quite honestly, I find the thought of this person suffering in the future when they apply for a job somewhere entirely repugnant. Now, if there is some process and he is expelled from school or censured on his academic record, let him explain that to whomever asks. But the idea of having to defend himself against mob sentiment is a giant step backwards to frontier justice. People fuss and fret over surrendering their liberties to the TSA. We should think about what part of civilized behaviour we voluntarily surrender when we act like this.
  - tcarney 15y ago
    I was actually apologizing for the due process reference since it was a concept formed from the Magna Carta, and I wasn't necessarily adding to the discussion. But I do fully agree he should have due process, for all we know he was punished already by his university (though I don't know why they would leave the essay posted online...)
kstenerud 15y ago
Calling someone out for misdeeds is covered under libel laws.
mikeash 15y ago
Telling people about something you actually did is not punishment, let alone a public lynching. There is no expectation of privacy whatsoever here.
jmmcd 15y ago
One of the important causes of doubt, even after we are sure that laughable plagiarism has occurred, is whether we've identified the right person. It seems that the moron thief posted this essay under his own name somewhere, which is quite unambiguous. But then we also see a LinkedIn account. Someone else will probably write down a Facebook account, someone else a Skype name, etc etc. Someone along the way will get it wrong, and if the hordes at reddit or 4chan happen to pick up on the story, they could easily do something damaging to the wrong person.

by mekoka 15y ago

adnam 15y ago

I disagree: the embarrassment of being publicly outed is entirely justified for a plagiarist. It's not a lynching if you tied your own noose!

granfalloon 15y ago
maybe announcing it to the rest of his class would be a justified "public outting." or announcing it in a campus publication. but this goes way, way beyond that. i think it's kind of scary how quick people are nowadays to froth at the mouth and go crazy with the big-scale internet public shaming. one of the downsides of the rise of social-media, i guess
- InclinedPlane 15y ago
  Are you being serious? That's just a slap on the wrist, for what appears to be academic fraud. I would cancel his degree and send a notice to his current employers.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
- granfalloon 15y ago
  @ InclinedPlane 3: so would i. i was just pointing out that there are different degrees of public outing. revoking his degree, getting him fired, and ruining his reputation with hsi colleagues is sufficient...no need to make him an international internet villain
  - potatolicious 15y ago
    I don't know about you, but getting fired and having my professional reputation ruined is a fair bit worse than being an "internet villain".
- bountie 15y ago
  Plagiarism is sometimes punished with the academic death penalty. If you were a journalist who plagiarized in the last 10 years then your career is over.
mekoka 15y ago
Ever heard of benefit of the doubt, or extenuating circumstances? Ok, we know the guy cheated on this paper. There's a whole lot we don't know though: who is this guy? what led to the cheating? was it his first offense? is this paper really relevant to his professional career? was he looking to profit from it? Many more things we don't know and for which it's usually better to handle such things away from the Internet.
- Karunamon 15y ago
  Don't steal other people's work. There is no legitimate reason to do so. EVER.
  - mekoka 15y ago
    For one, I'm not excusing the crime, I'm merely stating that the punishment should fit. Secondly, you sound pretty adamant in your declaration. You know, having had my share of experience with the human element, I'm sometimes curious with the attitude of the morally superior people who can't see shades of gray and are so willing to cast the first stone. I wonder what we would uncover if we were to put their own lives under the magnifier.
    - Karunamon 15y ago
      >I wonder what we would uncover if we were to put their own lives under the magnifier. I'm unclear as to what this has to do with the fact that plagiarism is always wrong, 100% of the time. Just because one may be guilty of doing something they know is wrong doesn't mean their declaration of that action being wrong is somehow invalid.

paulhauggis 15y ago

"t is one thing to catch someone plagiarizing an already fake essay. In my opinion though, exposing the cheater on the Internet by name is a punishment with far more severe consequences, that does not exactly fit the crime." Honestly, after seeing the people here on HN crucify the guy here: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/274100/20111229/ocean-marketing-disaster-paul-christoforo-officially-dumped.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/274100/20111229/ocean-market... I will be surprised if anyone has this same opinion. "This type of insensitive public lynching is so reminiscent of primary school." My thoughts exactly..

pygy_ 15y ago
Paul Christophoro is bipolar, and currently undergoing a manic episode. He needs medical attention. See this reddit comment [1] by his sucessor as PR guy for the maker of the Avenger Controller. http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/nw1vm/ama_the_guy_who_replaced_paul_christoforo_and_is/c3ceflu?context=1 http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/nw1vm/ama_the_guy_who_...
- ontoillogical 15y ago
  While I agree with you that the punishment Paul Christophoro got from the internet is too severe for the crime being a bully (and bad at his job), please don't make a medical diagnosis on the basis of a reddit comment from someone else describing a phone call. Your profile says you are a medical doctor, you really should know better.
  - pygy_ 15y ago
    From the mentioned post: > In our conversations, he has compared himself to no less than Howard Stern and Charlie Sheen. He has proclaimed himself to be the biggest thing on the internet, and has repeatedly touted how much power he thinks he now has with the press. He told me tonight "if they fuck with me, I got all these websites all over me. Whatever I tell them to write, they write." He says that he has a TV interview with SPIKE TV next week. I look forward to him telling them what to do and what to edit into their coverage. Tonight, he reiterated that in unmistakable, forceful terms. > His abrupt swings in tone and mood were astoundingly rapid. He told me he would burn the company to the ground and destroy everyone associated with it, including me, he regretted to inform me. "I know you're just a guy doing a job and you don't know any better. I'm gonna ruin your life if I have to." I shouldn't have used the affirmative, but it is highly probable. Megalomania and rapid mood swings are serious telltale signs. Another possible cause for mania would be side effects of drugs. You can read in this interview[1] that he takes testosterone to correct a deficiency, it could also be the culprit. [1] http://www.gameranx.com/features/id/4238/article/oceanstratagy-paul-christoforo-himself-speaks/ http://www.gameranx.com/features/id/4238/article/oceanstrata...

granfalloon 15y ago

agreed...if you think the kid should be punished, contact the professor or the school. no need for the frenzy in the comments section, with people trying to make this a number-one search result

InclinedPlane 15y ago

I can't imagine in what world plagiarism in college should be treated as some private affair that should be kept secret. College students are adults. Plagiarism in order to achieve a college degree fraudulently is worthy of public attention. Edit: note, "public attention" != "mob of ruthless assholes destroying someone's life".

mekoka 15y ago
Many records can be expunged after a while. There are recourses for offenders to make amend and with time, find the straight path. The Internet is like a bell, you can't just unring it.
- philwelch 15y ago
  That's not especially true, actually. If something on the internet receives enough public attention it never dies, but lots of unnoticed and uncontroversial things just rot away quietly without anyone caring or being the wiser.
raganwald 15y ago
There is a difference between: 1. This alleged plagiarist’s college convicting him and publicizing the fact that he has been judged a plagiarist by due process, and: 2. A public accusation of plagiarism without process of any kind. Public attention to a conviction is entirely different from public attention to an accusation. I’m with you if you want convictions by due process of plagiarism in college to be worthy of public attention. I am not in favour of accusations like this to be brandished so enthusiastically.
- dandelany 15y ago
  In general I agree with you in regards to accusations vs. due process. But in a plagiarism case like this, it's hard to imagine a situation in which the accusation isn't true. If the essay was factual, the student could claim that the similarity between the essays was coincidental, but an essay which just happens to contain the same made-up facts as the original? That's proof enough for me.

tcarney 15y ago

Give the guy due process at least.... Sorry, had to add that

raganwald 15y ago
No need to apologize. Trail and conviction by mob is odious whether the mob is a collection of allegedly intelligent and educated hackers or whether it’s beer-guzzling trailer-trash. The bottom line is, you have an accusation on the Internet without the benefit of an accused person facing their accusers, without a process for presenting and evaluating evidence in context, and without any kind of judge or referee in place to rule on any issues of admissibility or propriety. We get together and lament how places like Fox news can distort the truth and present biased cases against people. And then when something comes along and plays to our prejudices, we whip out the torches and pitchforks, planning to ruin the accused plagiarizer and whatever professor may or may not have accepted this ridiculous essay. Quite honestly, I find the thought of this person suffering in the future when they apply for a job somewhere entirely repugnant. Now, if there is some process and he is expelled from school or censured on his academic record, let him explain that to whomever asks. But the idea of having to defend himself against mob sentiment is a giant step backwards to frontier justice. People fuss and fret over surrendering their liberties to the TSA. We should think about what part of civilized behaviour we voluntarily surrender when we act like this.
- tcarney 15y ago
  I was actually apologizing for the due process reference since it was a concept formed from the Magna Carta, and I wasn't necessarily adding to the discussion. But I do fully agree he should have due process, for all we know he was punished already by his university (though I don't know why they would leave the essay posted online...)

kstenerud 15y ago

Calling someone out for misdeeds is covered under libel laws.

mikeash 15y ago

Telling people about something you actually did is not punishment, let alone a public lynching. There is no expectation of privacy whatsoever here.

jmmcd 15y ago

One of the important causes of doubt, even after we are sure that laughable plagiarism has occurred, is whether we've identified the right person. It seems that the moron thief posted this essay under his own name somewhere, which is quite unambiguous. But then we also see a LinkedIn account. Someone else will probably write down a Facebook account, someone else a Skype name, etc etc. Someone along the way will get it wrong, and if the hordes at reddit or 4chan happen to pick up on the story, they could easily do something damaging to the wrong person.