Wikipedia Blog Post

In relation to Russel Wiebe's piece "Plagiarism and Promiscuity, Authors and Plagiarisms", our wikipedia project has the same sort of query about legitimacy, or at least it did when the project was originally proposed. On page 32, he quotes Moore Howard for saying "It is perhaps never the case that a writer composes 'original' material, free of any influence. It might be more accurate to think of creativity, of fresh combinations made from existing sources, or fresh implications from existing materials." The wikipedia page's credibility is based in its lack of opinionated material, or it's heavily reportive style of including factual information with varied sources. Because of this, we walk a thin line as to what we can write and how we write it. The idea of composing material to create a thorough description of the subject without infringing upon previous materials is daunting, especially since we must maintain an unbiased attitude towards our submissions while using "fresh combinations" of the sources. However, I think the inclusion of an editing process of looking at our own work with this in mind will greatly benefit the odds of us becoming aware and changing our own errors of plagiarism.

As Jim Ridolfo and Martine Rife note in their piece "Rhetorical Velocity and Copyright: A Case Study on Strategies of Rhetorical Delivery" with the example of the Maggie case, there is an importance of citation and permissive use of the sources in an ethical sense. Going back to fallibility and ethics, the unauthorized appropriation of Maggie's image with multiple use led to a backlash that showcases the importance of awareness of proper source referencing. Even without the use of images in our article, using the original rhetors intentions and purpose when quoting is integral to the unbiased and legitimate effectiveness that is the purpose of the assignment.

This article also promotes the consideration of appropriation, and how the created material will affect remixed material or new material that sources the creation. Keeping that in mind, to create a true representation of "public sphere writing" that can be used by future readers to better understand the subject, we must understand our own intentions and avoid plagiarism and improper appropriation.