# Cut & Paste clarification, please

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-paste-clarification-please/510325>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [September 16, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-paste-clarification-please/510325 "2009-09-16T14:52:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-paste-clarification-please/510325/1 "2009-09-16T14:52:35Z")

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In the\*\* DudleyGarrett\*\* pit thread, Twickster posted:

> [@DudleyGarrett, you're a plag\[i\]arist and a coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dudleygarrett-youre-a-plag-i-arist-and-a-coward/510227/126):
>
> The warning for plagiarism was rescinded, because, as several people have pointed out, “plagiarism” isn’t exactly the right category for cutting and pasting a long piece of text that’s been floating from email to email for however long. (Please note, however, that “not against the rules” doesn’t mean “something we’re enthusiastic about that we’ll hope everyone will start doing right and left.”)

I find this confusing. My understanding has always been that cutting and pasting any large block of text here was against the rules, especially if done without attribution. It may not necessarily be a warnable offense, but the offending content is generally removed, and the poster instructed to avoid doing it again in the future.

Is my understanding correct or not?

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-paste-clarification-please/510325/2 "2009-09-16T14:54:47Z")

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Your understanding is correct. In the quoted text, I was using “against the rules” to mean “something you can receive A Warning for.” I should have been clearer.

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**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-paste-clarification-please/510325/3 "2009-09-16T14:56:02Z")

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Ok, thanks for clarifying.

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**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cut-paste-clarification-please/510325/4 "2009-09-16T14:59:12Z")

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We have a copyright and fair use policy. Posting large blocks of text that you didn’t create, in most cases, violates the policy. The fair use policy also requires attribution. We don’t have a separate rule against plagiarism, and we don’t generally issue warnings for copyright-related stuff, at least on the first offense.

ETA: When I wrote this, there were no replies in the thread.