Site Build It! and plagarism

[Ramsus]

Steve's recent post on Site Build It! inspired me to take a closer look at the service, but I'm not real sure what I would do for content. So I filled out the on-site ask-a-question feature, and asked about whether the program would help me to figure out what kind of content to generate. I got an answer back from an SBI advisor, and part of his answer really turned me off, he said : "You then develop content based upon those topics by grabbing information that is already out there and then tweaking the words to make things sound as though they are coming from you."

Correct me if I'm wrong but that sounds to me like plagiarism. Perhaps it's legal, but I certainly wouldn't feel good about myself doing this. Has anyone gone through the Site Build It! program? Does it actually advise plagiarism as a valid content production technique? After looking over some of the testimonials I decided that yeah, it helps out a lot of deciding what kind of content to generate, but I don't want to get involved if it recommends plagiarism as the best way to do things.

[Savage]

I'm really surprised that one of their customers would recommend doing something like that. Can you please forward me a copy of that email via my contact form? I'd like to bring it up with them directly because this mindset seems completely contrary to the values they espouse.

[Ramsus]

I did think that that reply seemed a little bit out of alignment with the rest of the site. And it really surprised me considering how strongly you had recommended it, I guess knowing that this is just an anomaly I can feel good about giving it a try. Thanks.

[Sylvia]

interesting indeed. i actually got quite a good reply to my question from the guy who made the asphalt kingdom website. very in depth and informative. ... perhaps a little too informative for someone who isn't wild about computer jargon... o well. at least i LOVE to learn!

[munish]

Originally Posted by Ramsus

"You then develop content based upon those topics by grabbing information that is already out there and then tweaking the words to make things sound as though they are coming from you."

Site build it has a research tool "Brainstorm it!" That tool helps you to write "KFCP" .

But if (Content-Traffic-PREsell-Monetize) concept is not clear to you. You will find it difficult to write a theme based web page .

I don't understand why you have asked them this question , when these details are available at their web site (Free of cost .). There is a separate section about " Not Sure You Can Write?"(Just click on that .)

Go to chapter 2 (Written Action Guide Table Of Content)

SBI! Action Guide

[Ramsus]

I heard back from the one who originally made the comment, he said that he hadn't intended to say it how it sounded. So, no, SBI doesn't support or endorse plagiarism, which is good to know. I'm going to give it a try as soon as I convince my wife of what a good idea it is.

[Savage]

I informed Ken Evoy about this directly -- it was definitely a mistake and doesn't represent the values of SBI. Ken was pretty surprised by it and had a long talk with the guy who sent that email to sort things out.

[Ramsus]

Originally Posted by munish

Site build it has a research tool "Brainstorm it!" That
I don't understand why you have asked them this question , when these details are available at their web site (Free of cost .). There is a separate section about " Not Sure You Can Write?"(Just click on that .)

Go to chapter 2 (Written Action Guide Table Of Content)

SBI! Action Guide

You're right, in hindsight it was a pretty silly question. I feel really bad about the whole thing now, I hope this doesn't negatively affect anyone's view of SBI, as I've investigated it more I've been really impressed with it.

[Art2Wist]

I have created 2 web sites with Site Build It. I knew nothing about computers and the internet.

SBI consistently OVER-DELIVERS, are attentive and very responsive and most importantly SBI is completely trustworthy.

If you're considering using SBI to build your web site, you won't regret it.

Cheers!

Cheryl
A delightful decorative painting studio in rural Ottawa! A lovely get away!

[WRX AJT]

Where was this site when I had lengthy papers to do?!?! Jk In all honesty, I sometimes took other peoples work (a sentence at a time...not an entire paragraph or paper) and changed the wording around to make it fit my style of writing. Now, on the other hand, I've learned quite a bit from reading and doing research that for me to actually do that, it would take me more time to find all the info then to just write it!

[MartialDev]

Plagiarism is when you don't change the words. When you change them, it's called research.

SBI's advice was impolitic, but at least it was honest. I can tell you that 90% of the content in my own niche is produced this way (my site is an exception), and I assume most other niches are the same.

[DavidDavidDavid]

I actually asked a similar question on the private SBI! forums recently...about a very highly-ranked (as by alexa, which isn't very accurate but still useful enough) site by an SBIer that's simply just photos of scantily-clad female celebrities.

I was wondering whether the person actually paid royalties for using all those photos, which, even though the site is highly-ranked, would likely eat whole holiday meals into his profits because these ladies are mostly household-names....

Just one response, from a moderator telling me to report any suspicions of illegal activity.

Anyway, I'm sure the SBI! guy who wrote the e-mail didn't mean plagiarism, but being "inspired" by others' content...unless you're sharing God's lost secret name or Google algorithms, there's not much out there that's even 80% "original"....

Also, it's very feasible to hire a ghost-writer for your site...a very successful SBIer who deals in hacky sacks (yeah, no joke!) pays someone to write occasional content for his site, in order to keep up his Google ranking.

[BrettAshlee]

As a member of the SBI community, I'm sorry to hear you received such a reply. I have no doubt that a large majority of people are trying to cash in on quick profits by building websites in exactly that fashion. However, I don't believe this is standard advice from SBI, and certainly nothing that is supported.

I've found the majority of SBI people (online help, forums, support) to be quite conscientious when giving out advice. And SBI truly does have a wealth of tools available to help you every step of the way, from generating content to (legitimately!) writing your own material!

I've been extremely happy with my SBI experience - starting my 3rd year.

BrettAshlee

[coder]

I've used SBI for 4+ years. The answer you got is contray to all the system stands for. I would never have had my own website if not for he SBI system.

[audreytheeditor]

I'd like to address this from two perspectives.

1. I'm an SBIer and have been since March 2003. As others have said, there is absolutely NO tolerance for plagiarism in the official company policy nor in the forums where members help each other out.

2. I'm an editor and writer. Unless we are inventing something completely new, we all write what we have learned from someone else. In my case, my first Web site is about writing and editing. How many ways do you think there are to say, "Put a period at the end of a sentence?" Many topics are comprised mainly of information that a large number of people have.

The originality comes in the organization or expression of the ideas.

I recently launched an ebook on self-editing. Very little in it is actually original (although I have learned enough about online writing that I do have one observation in the book that I have never seen elsewhere). What is original is that I thought of telling lay people how to edit.

I am now writing a book on punctuation that will cover the conventions of North America, Britain, and Australia (if I can get the Australian reference book I want). I don't invent the conventions. I simply report them.

Organizing the conventions geographically will be unique as far as I know. My examples will be unique. I will word the rules as much as I can differently from the wording that already exists, but I will absolutely be using the reference books already in print.

That's fine. That's what the writers of those books have done as well. I found one of the best references by checking the Acknowledgments of another reference I was using. So although I can understand the original poster's worry about a company (s)he was thinking of working with, and the wording may have been unfortunate under the circumstances, finding information others have already written and making it truly our own through understanding it and adding it to what else we know, and then passing on what we know is in now way immoral. It's just what we do as humans.

[stevedevane]

I agree with Audrey that the organization and expression should be yours. You shouldn't lift stuff straight from someone else, but you can respond or react to it. I wouldn't just rewrite it without saying where the original stuff came from.
The question then comes down to how much attribution you need. As a journalist for more than 20 years, I was more often called by my editors for attributing too much rather than not enough. But I tend to err on the side of caution. I'd rather link the info to someone unless I thought it was a well-known, generally accepted fact or unless I'd observed it myself.
For example, I wouldn't have to say, The sky is blue, according to Chicken Little. I would need to say, The sky is falling, said Chicken Little. And after the incident had become common knowledge (or before it was common knowledge as long as I said where I got the info), I could write a blog about how he's off his rocker because no one else had been hit by falling sky debris, or about how we should all build underground bunkers just in case he's right.