Conservapedia:Blatant plagiarism

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The abbreviation CP does not just stand for child pornography and Conservapedia. It also stands for copy/paste. Primarily, sysops do this (because they are the ones immune from the hand of justice) to save themselves work by using the copy-paste function on the computers. If users are the ones accused of plagiarizing, they are banned, but Conservapedia retains the article.

The wonders of the internet that have enabled Conservapediaheads to plagiarise so much content, also make it easy to spot such dishonest behaviour; simply highlight a block of text in a 'normal' CP article and search for it using your favourite search engine. More often than not the entire text is ripped from somewhere else.

Here is a very incomplete yet still long list of occurrences. In addition to intellectual integrity, academic honesty and copyright law, Conservapedia Commandments 1 and 2 are relevant here.

Memo to Andy Schlafly: Plagiarism is a sin – and potentially illegal.

Articles with copious amounts of plagiarism[edit]

Karajou's copy/paste fest[edit]

Continue ad nauseum...

Plagiarized article series[edit]

  • Most articles written about weather by SharonS are copied from the U.S. National Weather Service. Eye Wall is an excellent example.
  • A series of articles 'written' by cp:user:DrMaine appear to be cut-and-paste jobs. See cp:Argininosuccinicaciduria mentioned above. To be fair PJR and Tash have noted this, but let's see whether they're deleted.
  • Most articles contributed by cp:User:TheAmericanRedoubt are copied from other works, although TAR's attribution is very confusing. (For example, the text of two articles covering books were pasted in from Amazon.com summaries.) He has posted emails from two authors giving him permission to quote (as fair use), but then when it comes time to paste the material into articles, he fails to add quotation marks. He has created templates to attribute the material back to a trio of sources without citing back to a specific source. The permission emails are silent on whether the permission includes further copying by others from CP, so TAR has completely confused the licensing status of Conservapedia.

Image copyright violations[edit]

These are images that are copyrighted, used without apparent permission, and with no obvious "fair use" justification. 

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 7:43 AM
Subject:  telegraph.co.uk -  Use of phototgraphs.[2]
 
Thanks for your email which has just been forward to me.

 
Any use of our material requires payment of licence fees - we do not 
operate a fair-use policy without payment - I believe Conservapedia.com 
have used our image without our permission.

 
Yours,

 
Chi-Keat Man 
Syndication Account Manager

 
Telegraph Media Group Limited 
111 Buckingham Palace Road 
London 
SW1W 0DT

 
Tel: +44-20-7931-****
Fax: +44-20-7931-**** 
Email: ************@telegraph.co.uk 
www.telegraph.co.uk


This image in no way represents the original image as uploaded by Conservapedia

Copyright owner fights back[edit]

A picture of the Grand Canyon uploaded by Joaquin with the qualification "Fair Use" was overprinted at the source site with a rebuttal of that justification. It was deleted from Conservapedia!

China[edit]

The Conservapedia article on the Republic of China is copied almost entirely from the U.S. State Department article. Because works of the State Department and other agencies of the United States Government are not copyrighted, it isn't strictly required to cite the source, but failure to cite shows bad faith. A few sections were rewritten by editors who actually knew what they were talking about and have since left the site.

KEY:

  • Removed
  • Replaced/moved
  • Added
Conservapedia U.S. State Department
A 9-year public educational system has been in effect since 1979. Six years of elementary school and 3 years of junior high are compulsory for all children. About 96.2% of junior high graduates continue their studies in either a senior high or vocational school. Taiwan has an extensive higher education system with 163 institutions of higher learning. Each year, about 170,000 students attempt to enter higher education institutes; about 69% of the candidates are admitted to a college or university. Opportunities for graduate education are expanding in Taiwan, but many students travel abroad for advanced education. In FY 2006, over 16,000 U.S. student visas were issued to Taiwan passport holders. Since 1979, six years of elementary school and three years of junior high have been compulsory for all children. About 95% of junior high graduates continue their studies in either a senior high or vocational school. Taiwan has an extensive higher education system with 162 institutions of higher learning. In 2008, about 156,213 students took the entrance examinations to enter universities and colleges; about 73% of the candidates were accepted by a college or university. Opportunities for graduate education are expanding in Taiwan, but many students travel abroad for advanced education. In FY 2008, over 19,400 U.S. student visas were issued to Taiwan passport holders.
According to Taiwan's Interior Ministry figures, there are about 11.2 million religious believers in Taiwan, with more than 75% identifying themselves as Buddhists or Taoists. At the same time, there is a strong belief in traditional folk religion throughout the island. These are not mutually exclusive, and many people practice a combination of the three. Confucianism also is an honored school of thought and ethical code. Christian churches have been active on Taiwan for many years, and today, the island has more than 600,000 Christians, a majority of whom are Protestant. According to Taiwan's Interior Ministry figures, there are about 11.2 million religious believers in Taiwan, with more than 75% identifying themselves as Buddhists or Taoists. At the same time, there is also a strong belief in traditional folk religion throughout the island. These are not mutually exclusive, and many people practice a combination of the three. Confucianism also is an honored school of thought and ethical code. Christian churches have been active on Taiwan for many years, and today, the population includes a small but significant percentage of Christians.
Taiwan's culture is a blend of Chinese, Japanese, local Taiwanese and Western influences. Fine arts, folk traditions, and popular culture embody traditional and modern, Asian, and Western motifs. One of Taiwan's greatest attractions is the Palace Museum, which houses over 650,000 pieces of Chinese bronze, jade, calligraphy, painting, and porcelain. This collection was moved from the mainland in 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Party (KMT) fled to Taiwan. The collection is so extensive that only 1% is on display at any one time. Taiwan's culture is a blend of its distinctive Chinese, Japanese, and Western influences. Fine arts, folk traditions, and popular culture embody traditional and modern, Asian, and Western motifs. One of Taiwan's greatest attractions is the Palace Museum, which houses over 650,000 pieces of Chinese bronze, jade, calligraphy, painting, and porcelain. This collection was moved from the mainland in 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Party (KMT) fled to Taiwan. The collection is so extensive that only 1% is on display at any one time.
The authorities in Taipei exercise control over Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, the Penghus (Pescadores) and several other smaller islands. Taiwan is divided into counties, provincial municipalities, and two special municipalities, Taipei and Kaohsiung. At the end of 1998, the Constitution was amended to make all counties and cities directly administered by the Executive Yuan. From 1949 until 1991, the authorities on Taiwan claimed to be the sole legitimate government of all of China, including the mainland. In keeping with that claim, when the Nationalists retreated to Taiwan in 1949, they re-established the full array of central political bodies, which had existed on the mainland. While much of this structure remains in place, the authorities on Taiwan in 1991 abandoned their claim of governing mainland China, stating that they do not "dispute the fact that the P.R.C. controls mainland China." The authorities in Taipei exercise control over Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu (Pescadores) and several other smaller islands. Taiwan is divided into counties, provincial municipalities, and two special municipalities, Taipei and Kaohsiung. At the end of 1998, the Constitution was amended to make all counties and cities directly administered by the Executive Yuan. From 1949 until 1991, the authorities on Taiwan claimed to be the sole legitimate government of all of China, including the mainland. In keeping with that claim, when the Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan in 1949, they re-established the full array of central political bodies, which had existed on the mainland. While much of this structure remains in place, the authorities on Taiwan in 1991 abandoned their claim of governing mainland China, stating that they do not "dispute the fact that the P.R.C. controls mainland China."
The first National Assembly, elected on the mainland in 1947 to carry out the duties of choosing the President and amending the constitution, was re-established on Taiwan when the KMT moved. Because it was impossible to hold subsequent elections to represent constituencies on the mainland, representatives elected in 1947-48 held these seats "indefinitely." In June 1990, however, the Council of Grand Justices mandated the retirement, effective December 1991, of all remaining "indefinitely" elected members of the National Assembly and other bodies. The first National Assembly, elected on the mainland in 1947 to carry out the duties of choosing the President and amending the constitution, was re-established on Taiwan when the KMT moved. Because it was impossible to hold subsequent elections to represent constituencies on the mainland, representatives elected in 1947-48 held these seats "indefinitely." In June 1990, however, the Council of Grand Justices mandated the retirement, effective December 1991, of all remaining "indefinitely" elected members of the National Assembly and other bodies.
The second National Assembly, elected in 1991, was composed of 325 members. The majority were elected directly, while 100 were chosen from party slates in proportion to the popular vote. This National Assembly amended the Constitution in 1994, paving the way for the direct election of the President and Vice President the first of which was held in March 1996. In April 2000, the members of the National Assembly voted to permit their terms of office to expire without holding new elections. The National Assembly elected in May 2005 voted to abolish itself the following month, leaving Taiwan with a unicameral legislature. The President is both leader of Taiwan and Commander-in-Chief of its armed forces. The President has authority over four of the five administrative branches (Yuan): Executive, Control, Judicial, and Examination. The President appoints the President of the Executive Yuan, who also serves as the Premier. The Premier and the cabinet members are responsible for government policy and administration. The second National Assembly, elected in 1991, was composed of 325 members. The majority were elected directly, while 100 were chosen from party slates in proportion to the popular vote. This National Assembly amended the Constitution in 1994, paving the way for the direct election of the President and Vice President the first of which was held in March 1996. In April 2000, the members of the National Assembly voted to permit their terms of office to expire without holding new elections. The National Assembly elected in May 2005 voted to abolish itself the following month, leaving Taiwan with a unicameral legislature. The President is both leader of Taiwan and Commander-in-Chief of its armed forces. The President has authority over four of the five administrative branches (Yuan): Executive, Control, Judicial, and Examination. The President appoints the President of the Executive Yuan, who also serves as the Premier. The Premier and the cabinet members are responsible for government policy and administration.

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ↑ TK's Conservapedia article, "After the liberation of the camps in April 1945, Wiesel spent a few years in a French orphanage and in 1948 began to study in Paris at the Sorbonne." word for word plagiarizing Elie Wiesel Bio at Virginia.edu
  2. ↑ Full email available on request
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