I find it funny and patronizing when people who are caught in the act of plagiarism tender their half-hearted apology to the community, promising never to engage in the act of theft again.
Now, I am not saying that we should crucify plagiarists for being the thieves that they are, that would be an extreme measure to take, don't you think?. Everyone deserves a second chance, right?
Maybe not.
The truth is you're not sorry dear plagiarist. You are everything but sorry. My bet is that you would still be indulging in your act of theft if you were not caught. What you are is embarrassed. Yes, you are embarrassed that your little mischief was brought to light; you are sorry for being caught on your lie.
Now I am not judging you (maybe I am). I just don't have any form of sympathy towards you. First, you don't understand the gravity of your actions. You're only worried about the pennies you won't be earning again, which is fine.
Okay here is a suggestion: how about you start afresh? Rather than begging to be pardoned (which I honestly don't think you should), why not just start over again on a new note rather than hold onto your history of lies and theft.
If you are genuinely sorry for all you have done then why not start afresh and gain people's trust and also understand why they will be unwilling to give you a second shot. I think it is fair.
If I broke someone's trust, I would naturally expect that they wouldn't give me a second chance and if they did I would certainly make the best of it because that's a freaking lottery!
I am not trying to be overly critical of people who do bad things (like stealing content). I do bad things too (but not one that costs me a source of livelihood). I know that there are boundaries that should never be crossed even as someone who likes to play with fire occasionally...
How hard is it to come up with something thought-provoking or ingenious? I would really like a good excuse why people plagiarize other people's content. I believe some form of work goes into theft, so why not channel that into something creatively.
I use theft a lot in this post because plagiarism is quite a fancy word that waters down the act of stealing other people's work.
If you are genuinely interested in solving problems or sharing your thoughts then coming up with decent posts will be easy. There are countless conversations ongoing online now. All you need to do is find one that resonates with you.
When you do find an idea you fancy read more about it. Get people's take on the issue and write yours. In most cases, it might just be a hypothesis, which is a creative endeavour. That might just cost you a few minutes of actual thinking (which is a worthy sacrifice for the economic gain you hope to earn from sharing those thoughts and ideas).
How hard can that be? Unless you have other engagements, which is not even a good reason for content theft, find a convenient time in your schedule to scribble down ideas during the day. Develop those ideas gradually and you will be astonished how creativity becomes second nature in no time.
Once a plagiarist always a plagiarist, especially if you aren't willfully giving up the art of theft. Being sorry for getting caught isn't enough reason for people to welcome you back with open arms. You have done something wrong and an apology only would not fix your wrong.
However, if this shameful experience has made you rethink your position (as a thief) and you want to do better, then understand that it will be a long walk to redemption and a lot of people will never give you a second chance.