Re: Plagiarism

From: Noons <wizofoz2k_at_yahoo.com.au.nospam>
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 18:44:17 +1000
Message-ID: <3ef026e5$0$16255$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au>

"Mark D Powell" <Mark.Powell_at_eds.com> wrote in message news:2687bb95.0306171611.6aee6a29_at_posting.google.com...

> Rewritting what has already been written is wasteful. Documenting
> where code is common to other programs/modules is good practice.

So, slapping a comment on the start of a piece of code stating "so-an-so, initial coding, date" is "documenting"?

> Crediting the original programmer is courteous but not necessarily
> required after all the employer owns the code.
>

Precisely. So what is the need to remove credit from prior writer and "re-badge" it as one's own? Other than pure, blatant plagiarism? Or doesn't the word exist anymore?

> I have seen entire programs basically copied with just a few minor
> modifications made and no mention of the original programmer. This
> was not considered improper, but was considered good practice as the
> program was written quicker and if it failed the copying progammer got
> the call, not the original source of the code.

That IMHO is totally counterproductive and should be discouraged. Received on Wed Jun 18 2003 - 03:44:17 CDT