Fundamentally, I do not understand

[jmtorres]

So when it's "get a paper done or fail a class" and the paper ain't happening, I can see how plagiarism would be... attractive. Wrong, but attractive. PS this shit gets caught by the way. I have one prof who was going, "I am the head of the department you are all taking this class as a prereq to, it's a class on ethics, we focus heavily on ethics through out the program, did I mention I AM THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT and will be judging all your applications for entry into the program, and every year we have to fail one student for academic dishonesty." Seriously, what, there are times it's extra stupid. For realz.

But in fanfic? I do not understand at all. Why the eff do you plagiarize fanfic? What, you need attention that badly, that you don't care if you're getting praised for someone else's work? Because like, there's no pressure to get an A or whatever. All the pressure you might have about fanfic is internal. Even if it's like, a ficathon or something, guess what, you chose to sign up for that, it's not institutionally mandated, and you can back out rather than submit a lie. There is no pressure there that you did not self-inflict. Also, this shit gets caught as well. Especially when you rip off a well-known and much-beloved fanfic writer with a distinctive voice.

Why do people do it?

Comments

[laurashapiro]

Beats the hell out of me. I've wondered that for years now.

[isis]

I imagine it's the attention aspect. You see the cool kids getting comments and praise, and you want some of that, too. And by you, obviously, I mean that plagiarist.

And of course you rip off a much-beloved fanfic writer (and a pro novel as well). That's what people, apparently, like.

[klia]

What isis said: attention and status. I always get the feeling, too, that both fic and vid plagiarists think they're much smarter than readers/viewers, because they always seem REALLY surprised when they get caught, even the ones who don't rip off well-known writers/vidders.