Plagiarism and Crediting

      It is time for me to go into a topic I really should have already. Plagiarism, as defined by Wikipedia, is the expression of another's thoughts, ideas, and expressions, presented as one's own work. It is also a very, very, disliked practice; not just in graphic design, but also in business, literature, research, basically anything that requires a thought to be put out. Now, I try to credit what I can, when I can; I add the name of the website where I find the image, and describe where I get my inspiration from. Even then however, I need to be extra careful not to steal anything. 

      It is going to look obvious that I'm making this post to mostly keep my name clean. While I haven't been accused of anything (that I know of), I want to make my statement here and now. I under no circumstances intend to copy the words or works of other creators. The statements I make on this blog are of my opinion, based on the information I have received, mixed into my own viewpoint. Should I ever take an image from another source, I'll do my best to credit the original host or creator. Should I ever unintentionally plagiarize someone, or steal content, I am sorry, and I hope you call me out.

       As it stands, even that is not enough sometimes. There will be people who want to know the exact article you get the information from; there will be times when your idea is also just similar enough to someone else's without trying. The key factor here is to make sure you properly site your sources as well, so people know you're not making stuff up. That makes it easier to record information for the audience, and keeps a tab on where you did your research.

     Ladies and gentlemen, for as far as I know, plagiarism is always going to be a problem in this business. There as just as many people struggling to be creative out there as there are people who are creative. On the flipside, there are many hurdles when it comes to referencing your inspiration, and accidental overlap. So as it stand, make sure you properly credit your sources, and don't steal ideas. As always, thank you for reading, and stay tuned!