Ron Borges - Plagiarist?

I just read both versions. Boy, that's pretty bad.

 

That's pretty bad. An obvious and blatant theft. One or two paragraphs (and maybe even three) with the exact same language and maybe Borges could claim he screwed up, but it's like seven consecutive paragraphs with similar structure and punctuation. For pete's sake, if you're going to steal, at least do some additional rewritting or reporting, or SOMETHING other than move commas around.

 

ron's a long-time buddy. but when i received the email from "cold, hard football facts" yesterday and read the deal, i thought, "uh-oh." it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

 

You are kidding, right?

 

off with his head!

but give every jock/coach/boor serial criminal/drug/basic human civility offender a second chance. and third, fourth, fifth, etc.

infinite patience and compassion for those we write about.

but for colleagues...

he's below contempt! put him out on the streets!

the mob is circling - smelling blood.

 

"Wow, it looks like so-and-so more than likely committed such-and-such."

Oh? Hmm. I see.

"Yeah, and usually that's punishable by termination."

Yeah.





(And this kind of conversation is wrong how?)

Oh, and the comparisons you made? Apples and oranges on multiple levels.

 

hh

it's the business we've chosen, kid. we must be above the fray. that's simply the way it is. even moreso when you hit as hard as my buddy ron has.

 

I have no inside knowledge whatsoever, but I'd be willing to bet a lot of money that Borges and Sando are part of the same notes exchange network. And I'm convinced those things are more trouble than they're worth.

I used to be involved in those on a couple of different beats, and I was always amazed by the people who saw them as a license to cut-and-paste. Some people think that running a "Material from other sources, blah, blah, blah" tagline at the end of their notes column absolves them from having to attribute, or even change the damn wording, but it doesn't.

 

This whole notes exchange thing has been a very slippery slope for a long, long time.

If this isn't way over the line, it certainly pushes it hard.

 

This may not be the first offense.

http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Article.php?Page=1307

 

listen, in this day-and-age, you don't even have to be part of a notes network. there are sites that post every nfl story in every paper. so what? you still have to at least write the info in your own words. looks like ron was just pressed for time or something.

again, i am proud to consider ron a friend. but i'm no apologist. it certainly appears that he effed up here.