h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The moderators have removed one of my postings because I happened to mention that someone else had copied one of my h2g2 Entries and put it up on their website as their own. Such a practise is illegal, so by implying that someone has done something illegal I am being "potentially libellous". And that's against the house rules.

Anyway, to prevent any further possibility of me libelling anybody, I'm not going to comment on this website any more.

And to prevent anybody from plagiarise my work, a practise I am not allowed to mention, I won't publish any more entries here.

Gnomon logging out.

Gnomon, please contact the Eds directly before you do anything so drastic

I'm much to cross to contact anybody. I'd only insult them. I'll fume for a bit and when I've calmed down I'll think about this again.

That's scandalous! I think the current set of moderators are .
They do seem to have a trigger finger without a reason.
Please, do as lil said and contact the eds about it.

Don't go Gnomon. If you go there's no point the rest of us being here, what with you being the cleverest man in the room.


Geggs

It's whoever pushed the button in the first place that's

The mods are only protecting the BBC as per their remit. If someone says it's potentially libellous the mods will yikes it immediately.

Personally I would advise anyone in a similar situation to avoid posting in the threads and email the Eds directly. Let them sort things out.

Shout at the Eds. They can take it.

Or, better, just send them a link to this conversation.

TRiG.

I agree with the above.

I only hope you will reconsider as you have done before.

You are both a stalwart, a provider of good, sound entries, but most of all a friend and counterweight to all the that goes on here.

Please reconsider, and treat it as an unpleasant, noxious glitch, that a reasoned adult mind can override. Do not sink to their level... It means they have won, and only you suffer! They don't!!!

Please?

MMF

...and I would certainly miss you...

I agree with everything previously said. Please reconsider when you have calmed down. We can't afford to lose you, and I am afraid plagiarism is inevitable on the Internet, along with a lot of other unpleasant things.

Have you told the (alleged) culprit he/she has been sussed? Might be worth it.

Websailor

I hope the Eds will come along soon and explain to the mods that there are certain people who really don't need to be moderated.

It's so typical of many cases where people try to right a wrong, or even just point it out, and get yikesed for that, while the original perpetrator gets away Scott free. (or is that scott free?) If I capitalise it, will I be accused of libelling someone called Scott because he was not convicted for something he did? PC gone mad, as they say.

Isn't libel when you falsely besmirch someone? As opposed to stating a proveable fact? I'm sure the staff can clear up the misunderstanding, once some has passed. It's hardly enough for you to leave a place that you seem to so enjoy and have invested so much in.

I've come across one or two plagiarised h2g2 entries in the time I've been searching for citations. I haven't been properly collecting them, though. I suggest we have a resource on h2g2 which lists those entries which have been plagiarised elsewhere, and shame the perpetrators.

This is always going to happen. Some people (who should know better)have a blindspot when it comes to online copyright. We can't stop them stealing it, but we can tell the world when they do it.

If anyone spots their or anyone else's entries have been plagiarised without proper citation and acknowledgement, then let me know and I'll give them the publicity they deserve.

I'm not sure that we need to have "people who don't need to be moderated" on here, but I do think that moderating things like that just in case someone might think about suing the BBC is, frankly, ridiculous and, unfortunately, all too common in the UK these days.

Which is one reason why I don't live there.

I really hope that Gnomon is just having a huge (deserved) hissy fit and will come back.

for Gnomon.

On this occasion it is an Entry by Gnomon that has been stolen (allegedly) by a third party. I'm sure it has happened before and will doubtless happen again - and to *any one of us*.

So perhaps it's an opportune moment to prepare a plan of action to be taken against this and future perpetrators. For example:

1. If the offending web-site has a forum or a public feedback area, let us all post to it, pointing out that the offending material has been taken illegally, citing h2g2's address, and drawing particular attention to the date at the top of the Entry.

2. The Eds (ie the BBC) should consider the option of taking legal action against the offender on behalf of the Researcher - Eds please comment on the viability of this

3. h2g2 (ie we) could consider taking a collective civil action for damages against the offender. To do this might mean us assigning (donating) our Entries to a collective body that we create to be the 'owner' of our copyright material.

Just a few thoughts. Perhaps any legal beagles we have might throw in some valuable

Gnomon, please don't act precipitately. We are all in the same boat and need to react in a cohesive manner.

with Icy's post

Gnomon's gone!

Assent and agree with all of the above

Forgive me for putting on my Mr Cynical hat, but by my reckoning it's about the fourth time that Gnomon's done this.

We've always got him back thus far.

B