On 26/03/07, Santosh Helekar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Frederick, views. Actually, the way I see it I think I agree with you on the issue of copyright. But I am not sure what your view is on plagiarism because you have never stated it clearly.
I wouldn't plagarise anyone, and always try my best to quote sources. But I wouldn't make a big issue if someone chose to reproduce my writing, with or without credit. At most, I would politely request that credit be given. At the same time, let us not pretend that our views are all original, and not influenced by what we read and hear. My understanding of Goa is shaped by the thoughts and words of the Robert Newmans, the Goa Gazetteers, and so many of the other 2000+ books on Goa in my collection. Let us be honest in acknowledging that "original" thoughts and writing are often not so "original".
1. Should we tell our students that it is bad to copy from others without giving them proper credit?
Yes. But please tell them that there are also other "licenses" such as the Creative Commons Non-Attribution 2.5 license which allow you to do precisely that. Provided the person who put it out has allowed you to do that.
2. Should we be concerned that in this time of easy access to the internet that people are lifting material verbatim from all kinds of websites, both authentic and bogus, and presenting it as their own in forums such as this one?
Maybe. But hasn't this been the history of all knowledge? Dr Timothy Walker has documented how the Portuguese were pilfering information about medical plants in Asia in the 16th and 17th century... not bothering to credit the unknown and unsung vaidyas who had the knowledge then. We know how Western Europe claimed to have "discovered" America, when people lived their millenia before, These are just two examples. But there are many, many more. Take a look at Claude Alvares' earlier contribution on the history of science (a god which you workship as infallable, it seems to me) at http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=history+of+science+Claude+Alvares&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=com.ubuntu:en-US:official&hs=AOt&um=1&oi=scholart Pratik Chakrabarti's biography on Knowledge, Science, and Empire is particularly interesting. In a word, I cannot give yes-or-no answers to your questions. And that's not because I "support" plagarism in any way, as you seek to construe. FN -- FN M: 0091 9822122436 P: +91-832-240-9490 (after 1300IST please) http://fn.goa-india.org http://fredericknoronha.wordpress.com What bloggers are saying about Goa: http://planet.goa-india.org/
