All over the internet, bloggers are (rightly) indignant that Colin Cowherd, a radio host for ESPN, used material borrowed from an internet source The M Zone without citing it.
It is wrong to borrow intellectual property without citing your source. Cowherd is pretty rotten for borrowing from somebody's blog and passing it off as his own.
However, do we all need to remove the logs from our own eyes before trying to remove something from the eyes of another?
At many of the blog entries I've read chastizing Cowherd for stealing material from the internet without identifying it, a photo is included of Cowherd. At none of these blogs have I seen citation material accompanying the photo.
All over the internet, we are "borrowing" images without citing the sources. I do it (guess what? I didn't take that photo below of the cute little Shakespearians). You probably do it.
What makes copying and pasting an image without citation acceptable, but repeating written material from a blog without citation reprehensible?
(update: I just emailed Deadspin asking about this, and they have a policy/agreement to use AP photos. That's interesting to know, and I appreciate the response to my query. I don't know if that applies to the rest of us)
(update II: Please don't take this commentary to mean I don't think Cowherd is a dickhead for this, or that I don't side with all the bloggers who are angry with him. I'm just trying to raise a point)
I think the major difference could be that he used it in a paid position, however us schlubs dont get paid for anything.
ReplyDeleteBut yes, we should give credit where credit is due anyway.
funny to see mjd so uptight about this as there is a good chance he once took some of my stuff. at least that's how it appears to me. i posted, then emailed a tip to deadspin (where mjd guest edits), then saw my post appear, nearly verbatim, on his site days after my post. even the pic was the same
ReplyDeletesee the below links:
http://desktopqb.blogspot.com/2006/02/vernon-davis-is-crazy.html
http://www.themightymjd.com/2006/03/01/vernon-davis-is-just-not-fair/
One of my friends, unprompted, left mjd a comment saying she saw the same thing at my place, and he responded very defensively.
Anyway, who cares. Even without getting credit, it is a compliment if someone appreciates your work enough to use it as their own. If it doesn't hurt you financially or professionally, what's the big deal?
I will be cheering for the Bruins tonight.
ReplyDeleteKiah smith is a joke.
ReplyDeleteThe Best of Cheryl Miller and UCLA Basketball
ReplyDelete