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npjnpj View Drop Down
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Points: 2720 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Band Bio copied from Wikipedia?
    Posted: November 06 2009 at 06:35
I only just noticed that the bio of Shadow Gallery is taken word for word from Wikipedia.
I haven't bothered to check other bios yet, but is this generally done, and if so, is it acceptable?
I have doubts about the legitimacy of this, especially as this is not acknowledged anywhere.
 
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Points: 19643 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 06:38
From what I understand, this is definitely not a legal practice, as it has been plagiarized from Wikipedia. You're allowed to use anything as a source for information, but definitely not copy it word for word.

I really have no idea if this has been done for any other artist pages, and I hope not

(Note: I hope I don't sound like I'm being rude towards you! )
-Joel
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Points: 2720 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 06:41
Rude? How?
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chopper View Drop Down
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Points: 20033 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 06:44
As I believe anyone can edit Wikipedia, what is the legal copyright situation with regard to Wikipedia entries?
 
Also, it's possible that the person who wrote the Wiki entry copied it to PA.
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Points: 32995 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 06:45
Maybe the person who wrote the bio here also wrote it for Wikipedia?
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Points: 5210 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 08:33
I was of the impression that Wikipedia information was open domain. But I don't know for sure.
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
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Points: 32995 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 08:45
Originally posted by Negoba Negoba wrote:

I was of the impression that Wikipedia information was open domain. But I don't know for sure.
Exactly. So it could be the same author.
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Points: 32995 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 08:46
Originally posted by chopper chopper wrote:

As I believe anyone can edit Wikipedia, what is the legal copyright situation with regard to Wikipedia entries?
 
Also, it's possible that the person who wrote the Wiki entry copied it to PA.

Sorry for repeating you...we posted at roughly the same time!Smile
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Points: 20033 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 10:21
Great minds think alike Ian.
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Points: 17651 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 10:33
Originally posted by chopper chopper wrote:

Great minds think alike Ian.


Cool


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Points: 16715 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 14:34
Originally posted by Negoba Negoba wrote:

I was of the impression that Wikipedia information was open domain. But I don't know for sure.
But you do have to cite it.
 
I have heard that the whole genre definitions used to plagiarized, so it doesn't surprise me that some more instances slipped through the cracks. Hell, while not plagiarism, the post-rock definition is still the Wikipedia article, which I think is really lame.
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Points: 65684 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 14:35
I know Certified has written for both PA and Wiki.. that aside, IMO all PA bios should be original if only on priciple, I'd rather see a simple original bio than a detailed but plagiarised one

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Points: 66607 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 14:38
I believe that there used to be/are a number of bios that are the same on PA and on AllMusic Guide, but it is my understanding that the author on AllMusic Guide is the son of one of PAs founders.  Is it possible that the definitions on Wiki are the same as the ones on AllMusic guide too?
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Points: 7969 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 14:52
Is it allowed to copy bio from Wiki or somewhere else and give the link where the information is taken from?

I think, for originally written bios, it's also worth to point out the sources used for preparing articles.
Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour)
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Points: 19643 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 14:55
Originally posted by Snow Dog Snow Dog wrote:


Originally posted by Negoba Negoba wrote:

I was of the impression that Wikipedia information was open domain. But I don't know for sure.

Exactly. So it could be the same author.


Thats a very big could, isn't it?


Why isn't the Wikipedia URL just added onto the end of the bio then? Just like this:

Biography sourced from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Gallery


Edited by progkidjoel - November 06 2009 at 18:27
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Points: 29630 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 14:57
Write it here first.  Wiki is useful, but they don't deserve first copy when it comes to prog even if you are the author of both entries.  Better yet, screw Wiki altogether.  If someone wants to use us as a source for a Wiki entry, fine as long as you don't plagiarize.  
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Points: 66607 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 14:58
Shadow Gallery were probably with the original group of bands added to the site at the beginning of its existence.  I wasn't here, but I have heard it mentioned that many of the bios were taken from elsewhere at the time.  Since then there have been a number of people that have come along and re-wrote the bios. I know that at least some of the genre teams have made it a point of re-writing them all to clean them up.  I want to say that the Prog Metal team was doing that for awhile, but then got bogged down with new suggestions and members leaving the team, etc...

Edited by rushfan4 - November 06 2009 at 14:59
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Henry Plainview View Drop Down
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Points: 16715 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 15:04
Originally posted by rushfan4 rushfan4 wrote:

Shadow Gallery were probably with the original group of bands added to the site at the beginning of its existence.  I wasn't here, but I have heard it mentioned that many of the bios were taken from elsewhere at the time. 
That's really, really terrible. Unless at the beginning they were cited, unlike Shadow Gallery.
 
And I have some problems with the style of some of the bios, particularly the effusive Tool and Neal Morse bios, but that's probably not going to be fixed any time soon and plagiarism is more important.
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Points: 19557 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 15:12
When we took Symphonic, we found more than 100 plagiarized bios.

We deleted all and made them again, because we believe that if we are N| 1 sitte, we must be original.

Now, in some cases I asked the band members to write a bio and they sent one previously used, but in this case we can't do anything, because the author is credited and is a band member.

Iván
            
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Points: 37430 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 06 2009 at 15:17
Yeah, well Neal Morse's bio was lifted from his website so one can't expect objectivity.

Back when this site was first being built, I believe that the common practice was to lift from other sources without proper accreditation (or any in many cases).  It was a way to quickly build up the site, and this is before building up a sizable volunteer base.  From what I think, once the volunteers were in place, then the standards became stricter.  Now there are many volunteers to work on the site and there are quite high expectations for the work they submit.
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