Season’s greetings everyone, I came across this platform just moments ago and I felt like posting this here. Though this was written a while ago, I decided not to post it till I find the right time and most of all, the right community for it. What better place to post something like this, than a place that stands for “free speech”?
Two months ago, I joined the hive platform. As a newbie, there were lots of things that seemed really new to me. I was a bit confused with some of the rules that every participant is expected to comply with if their work is to be voted or curated.
As I continued to spend more time surfing through the different communities and the rules in each. I soon started to understand how the system works. To me, it is like a country with interconnected states that are bound by not so different rules but are all subject to one and the same government who speedily goes into action when any rule is broken.
My first appeal came just days after joining the platform. Funny right? Due to lack of proper awareness, my post was pasted on another community that is meant for only links of the actual post. Imagine my confusion when my friend told me about the penalty which he assured me would be forthcoming.
I waited in fear and wondered what it would be like. Eventually, I followed up the appeal and explained the reason behind the seemingly recycled post. Luckily, my appeal was waved off with a warning never to recycle posts again.
Now to talk about the issue at hand, ‘The Dark Lord’ of every genuine writer’s work, Plagiarism.
This is a concept I’ve come to hear more about in hive than I did in school as a Linguist. It was difficult for me to understand why anyone would want to take credit for someone else’s work. It just didn’t make much sense to me.
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The way I see it, when you plagiarise, you’re depriving yourself and your innate creativity of finding expression through you.
Yes, the reward might be huge and perhaps satisfactory, but the result is always temporal.
Plagiarism weakens the mind and sends a message to the brain that says, ‘you’re not capable of constructive and productive thinking, so I’d take the work of someone else whom I believe far supersedes you now and perhaps forever’.
I believe within every man and woman is a deposit of great potential which is unique to you just as your fingerprint is unique to you alone.
The people whose works are plagiarized didn’t just get to that enviable level without effort on their part. No, they worked to refined themselves day and night, they dedicated a lot of their time, resources and stayed consistent to their pursuit till they arrived at the peak of their potential.
It is a feat that is possible for everyone to attain. Wouldn’t you like to be recognized and praised for something unique to you? Plagiarism is a disease, much like cancer, it has the power to deaden your ability to achieve greatness and accolades.
Don’t try to cheat the system, even if you don’t get caught, you’ll still lose the deposit of rare genuinty patiently waiting to find expression through you.
Plagiarism is not the way up, it is the way down.
The hive ecosystem prides itself in originality through the creative contribution of each and everyone here. YOU have something to offer to make this platform and or the communities here to advance in growth and excellence.
Let’s make it happen, together.
