I'm sorry if this question is kind of lame.
I'm new to programming environment. Recently I've learned python, and currently working on image viewer project using pygtk. While coding I had to imitate codes from examples in tutorial and other people's projects to get things done. Does doing so can be considered as plagiarism? Can I claim that the code is mine though there are some similarities in some part of the codes. But I can claim that no complete copy/paste process was involved while writing the code, it's just imitating the way things are done.
I don't see the point of doing things different just for the sake of doing them different. I would say it is just smart to use a perfect existing solution, instead of inventing your own wheel.
In what context it can be considered as plagiarism?
It actually depends, but in short imitate = copy and in life we all copy each other to learn.
My suggestion is to add attributions where necessary.
Once you get the hang of it, you be actually coding the stuff that other people had code before.... I mean the world is huge, surely someone else had done this "peice of code" before.
Depending on how complicated the code is, it is likely that the tutorial is already imitating something else. Unless its a unique algorithm for data compression or something fancy I wouldn't consider it plagarism.
Don't worry about copying algorithms or file formats. Do worry about copying implementations, i.e., if it's something sophisticated, you'll probably want to go about the details in a different way.
I would have to say no. unless its patented or closed source. If a way works, use it. But always be open for other ways to do things.
It's only plagarism if you don't reference someone else's original work.
Incorrect.
It's only plagarism if you don't reference someone else's original work.
>>8 is true in the world of Academics, where you have to reference someone else's work if your work/conclusion is similar, even if you've never heard of those works prior to the conclusion of your works. Mmm, delicious time paradox...
>>1 shouldn't worry too much though. In order to learn, you'll need to learn some by copying. But many times, if you're gonna write something bigger, it will be too much of a hassle to copy different sources, and you'll write your own code to get it done "your way".
Though there's also sometimes when one chooses to use modules of other people's more complex pieces of code within one's own code - i'm not 100% on the legality, but morally you should only do this if you have legally aquired rights to do so, for instance if it's been declared that people may use it by the creator, or possibly that you've purchased the rights to use it, though I have zero experience with buying code. Remember, if you do use bigger chunks of important code, you should reference whose code you used. If not for anything else, for people to know whom to throw the blame on in case that piece of code turns out to be a nest of bugs.
I use what's out there for free, or make my own. Most of the time I'm better off coding from scratch.
So try cut-and-pasting paragraphs and chapters from someone else's work, and putting in a reference at the end, and see if that's accepted.
>>12
that wouldn't be plagiarism, but it might be copyright infringement.
So try it for a text that is not under copyright.
>>12
Probably it needs [quote=author][/quote] tags...
Let us now remind ourselves on how many companies manage to survive with such methods like Clean Room Design.
>>15 Lol'd.
[Java related[
So If I use the FileChooserDemo thing on the Sun website, Modify it, and make it actually do stuff, am I plagurising? It says "Lol have some source code." all over the website =/
>>1
The way to do it is to look at the code, understand how it works, then /put it away before you write your code/. Then you can honourably claim that you wrote the code yourself, even if you got the algorithm from somewhere else. You should probably cite where you got the algorithm from.
A technique that's helpful for doing this is to keep an editor window open, and paste in every source you see that have code you think is useful. That way you won't forget anything when the time comes to do your bibliography; you can just look back over the list.
Finally, copyright only resides in creative works. The thing is, if there's only one sensible way to do something, then this implementation is not creative, and not copyrightable. So it doesn't matter if you copy/paste or rewrite by hand an uncreative element of a work. But copy/pasting other people's code is a bad habit, and you probably shouldn't do it anyway.
For example, " f = fopen(filename,"r");while(s = fgets(f)){} " is not copyrightable, but, for instance, if the core of the while loop uses a regexp, or nested conditionals, or whatever, there's probably creativity in there. This is somewhat tangencial to the issue of plagiarism, but probably still valid.
>>12
That would be perfectly acceptable. But an essay that's entirely comprised of quotes would get no marks. And probably infringe copyright, but that's a completely separate issue.
>>17
If you claim that you wrote it, then yes you are. If you don't, then no you're not.
>>18
So If I refrence "Heavily modified, but taken from (whatever url)" I should be fine educational wise... right?
>>19
Mind the license. Plagiarism only applies to literature, film and such; in the area of programming we talk about copyright violations. Being original on the code level, and particularly without a pressing need, is seriously overrated.
Plagiarism is only a word meant to make people who aren't you rich.
instead of copying something someone else wrote, try writing something other people will want to copy.
Everybody starts out this way. I am a web developer, and about 6 months ago was tasked to write some AJAX applications. They look like the code on Apple's XmlHttpRequest webpage. Now that I thoroughly understand what's happening, I don't need to reference it anymore, although my delegates still look the same (because there's only so many ways to handle a static set of response states.)
If you're in an educational institution, you have a lot more to worry about than a corporate environment, because in the former you're expected to demonstrate understaning and in the latter, you're expected to provide results. Either way, read and understand the code, then stop looking at it and write a first draft. And WHATEVER you do, change variable names.