Topic: Stop stealing content from other sites ... ?

[Ness_the_Mess]

"Cutting and Pasting content from other websites and posting it in our Forums is a BANNABLE offense. It's stealing, whether you give credit to those sites or not. Websites live and breathe on advertising revenue, and when you steal their content, they don't get the hits, so they don't get paid. I've already banned a few repeat offenders, but we will now start banning ANYONE who steals content from other sites, unless you can prove that you had permission. "

I realize I am a new member, however I have been visiting the news page of this site for several months.  I realize this may sound like a smart remark, however I am trying to be totally sincere when I say hypocracy isn't exactly appreciated either.  You see, as I do visit this site at least weekly, I have noticed that all information gathered here is just a compilation of news from other sites.  Occasionally, something original will become available for viewing here, and the reviews at other personal comments are 'home brewed' so to speak, but most 'news' can be found at www.ign.com a few hours before it can be here.  And if not there, another gaming news site.  True, you do often refer to these sites, but you still display all the information and sometimes even quote, without linking to their sites, and thus they are no longer getting the 'hits'.  I know by now I have some enemies among staffers, but I am sincerely trying to point out an error in this forum.

[Infernal Monkey]

Well, if we wanted to post news from PGC, it wouldn't matter. We're already here!

Most of the time, when someone wishes to share news, it's from another site. Pasting it here means that other site will get no love.

No love = Death.

PGC may have news found on other sites, but then again, every site does. One site will gather something, others will read, rewrite it, post up. Winner!

[Ness_the_Mess]

Well then that may be a problem that PGC could help to stop.  If one man jumps off a cliff, do the rest follow?  They do, and it brings all eternal damnation.
Copying is called plagerism ... in some spelling of the word.  True, what goes on isn't word for word.  But plagerising is stealing ideas, whether or not the sentences are the exact same.

[Berto2K]

You have to remember too that all PGC staff is "donating" their free time to work on the site. Sure they may not get the info up right away, probably because they are living their own life. Other sites like you mention, ign, those editors are at work getting paid 8 hours a day with nothing else to do. Usually when information comes here later, it is because they are trying to get a confimation from a solid source rather than just mentionings (a word?) around the net.

[Bloodworth]

The majority of the news we post is from official company press releases which are designed to be used in such a fashion.  IGN will usually take a couple of snippets from the same release instead, but we certainly aren't ripping off IGN.  If we do source an interview or something from another site, we always make it clear where that info came from, and only provide a brief excerpt so that readers will be encouraged to visit that site if they're interested.

Another thing to point out is that news is news and facts are facts.  It's not plagiarism to source facts from other works when you write a research paper, and the same is true for news.  

[ruby_onix]

The thing is, PGC pays attention to this kind of thing, and they always make sure they're in the clear with the stuff they write.

If you can't prove that what you're quoting is proper, then you shouldn't be doing it. Or at least, not on these boards.

If you see PGC quoting something that was said on another site, like Penny Arcade (for example), it could be because they have an arrangement (and just didn't mention it). It doesn't mean that we have a right to start directly quoting Penny Arcade, here or elsewhere, because we've never met the guys who make Penny Arcade, and don't have that same kind of deal worked out that PGC does.

Plus, there's this legal term called "fair use". It gives journalists certain legal rights. Unless you can prove it applies to you, reporters (like the ones running PGC) will always have the edge over you (or I) in what they're allowed to say (without breaking laws).

[BigJim]

The subject line that you're taking out of context is referring to people who copy and paste other people's news, particularly pay-for content, into forum posts, which is wrong and usually illegal. PGC has long had a very high reputation for the way they operate and source.

[Ness_the_Mess]

The post that you're referring to is about a web site who plagurizes other people's news, rarely pay-for content (however the other sites still make money through adds), onto a web site, which is wrong and always illegal. PGC has long had a very high reputation for the way they operate - by copying news from other sites.
I realise how harsh I am sounding, and I really don't care so much about the legal aspect of it.  I just want some original news.  Most of the original stuff I read here is B-grade reviews.  Which are fine - they take more patience than I have to make.  I still think that for this site to become a major gaming news site, it has to have some original news.  I really don't want to become hated because of this post.  It's purely in the interest of the site, because I believe that the staff of this site are intelligent people, and could do this proffesionally some day, but if they want to follow that path (and even if they dont, they should...) doe some research, rather than scoping a couple of websites each day for material.  The reason I realise this is because I scope the same sites, and then come here.  Every once in a while, they will have something from a different website.  Sure, they reffer to the site.  Sure, it's often in quotation marks.  But the original forum notice that this topic is talking about talked about people stopping from visiting other sites because the information was quoted on this one, and so hits go down, and add revenue goes down.  It's the same deal.
I really hope that by pointing this out I am not stopping myself from having new friends at this site.  I would really like to continue to visit here, and like I said before, I just want to make it a better place.

[RickPowers]

Would you rather we just made up news, like many other sites?

Look, news happens.  Sometimes we get it first, sometimes we don't.  In fact, we FREQUENTLY get it first.  Just because you saw it someplace before you came here doesn't mean we're the ones that copied it from someplace else.  But quite frankly, most of the "news" is simply information released by publishers, and we all get it at the same time.  

If you're not happy with our news, and you certainly don't seem to be ... feel free to read it elsewhere.  You seem to think this is such a cut and dry issue, but you simply haven't thought it through.  We can post all the news we want, and if you see it someplace else, then it must not be "original".  Well, here's a news flash for you ... 99% of the "news" out there isn't original.  That's just not the way NEWS works.

[PIAC]

heh yeah, its not like you watch CNN and then... some other american news show (i only know 1 ) and go OH WOW THE SAME NEWS! damn copycats!

[Ness_the_Mess]

Something rings a bell about the word news ... a yes, the root ... new ...

In responce to Rick, you're right, lots of people have the same news.  Thats how it works.  I agree.  But, often, IGN.com and Gamespot (for example) have the same news, and yet deliver it totally different ways.  In contrast, I often find that articles here are extremely similar to those at, say, IGN.com.

I'm sorry that some people feel they have to reply to me in a sarcastic mannor.  However, since you brought it up, CNN is a horrible news station, albeit large, which just gives the public what they want.  I suppose that can be said of most North American news stations, but nevertheless.

I said earlier in this thread that this place had 'B-grade reviews', however, I'd like to retract that statement.  They're well made and thought through, and I shouldn't have said that.  I will refrain from editing the post that it's in because I don't want to look like I'm hiding the fact that I said it.

I'm not trying to be a bad guy - I know I am continually saying this, but since I have gotten a snide remark (previous post) I realise I'm not emphasizing it enough.  I just wanted to point out an apparant failing which plagues many small video game news sites.  I don't think anyone does it on purpose, really.

Anyway, I would appreciate it if a staffer were to have a last word (hopefully a respectful one) and then lock this thread.  I don't want various forum members to post their opinions, since I'm fairly sure they're all negative.

[RickPowers]

I already did post my say.  I think you have an unrealistic expectation of "news".