Plagiarism - What's Common Knowledge?, Public Domain Graphics, Portfolio Question. Handlebar Laptop

Subject: Plagiarism - What's Common Knowledge?, Public Domain Graphics, Portfolio Question. Handlebar Laptop
From: stergius -at- att -dot- net
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 01:31:36 -0700


Hello everyone -

I have 3 questions here - all related.
I'm creating an article for my portfolio. I don't have much writing I can
offer as samples because almost everything I've done up to this point was
written for one big company to give another for their internal use
only....
Just don't think throwing it then general direction of potential customers
would be a very savvy idea. Getting a non-disclosure agreement just isn't
working out.


First -

QUESTION: When creating items for a portfolio, if you want to display
that
you can un-jumble complicated information by creating a graph or other
display of that information, is it ok to 'create' the numbers? If so,
where
do you say 'THESE NUMBERS ARE FAKE, I'M JUST SHOWING OFF'?


Second -

I'm writing an article about a popular desktop peripheral, but of course
I'm
not an expert on them so I had to read a few other articles and such I've
found on them. Some parts of them just aren't that complicated, but I
have
to explain how they work, the different types, etc.

I'm struggling with judging what is common knowledge and what parts need
to
have the source cited. It would be clearer to me if this was some sort of
object that not many people had, or had seen - like, a Segway scooter for
instance - there isn't that much common knowledge out there.

But these critters (scanners) have been around a while - When I describe a
particular type or function - just summarizing in my own words several
articles I've read - it reads remarkably like the originals because, heck,
there just aren't that many ways you can describe one. One article I read
was clearly, word for word, section by section, lifted off of another BIG
NAME website, with a couple of odd words changed around. No brainer -
that's plagiarism.

QUESTION: Is taking this conglomeration of things that seem like common
knowledge, even if I didn't already know them, and just citing them as
general references at the end of the article acceptable? I think this
might
be a gray area open to different opinions, but I'm interested in how other
people have dealt with this. I'll be doing my own reading about this,
too,
but thought you all would be a good forum.

Third -

Searching for graphics to put in same portfolio item. Keep finding things
that say - you can use this for non-commercial purposes. Is a portfolio
item that no one paid for and that isn't selling anything, but that is
potentially bait for a customer considered commercial? Or is it only
commercial if someone paid me for this item?

Last -

Not a question - but I read in yesterday's digest that someone wanted to
know how to mount a laptop to exercise bike handle bars. Jokingly, I
believe, but maybe only because they haven't figured out how. I can show
you
how. Requires old aero-bars (find a triathlete who has too much gear) and
some shelf-grating like you use to make shelves in a closet. Also works
as
a map holder on a mtn bike. Write me, I'll take a picture and send it to
you.

Thanks,
Helen

PS - I'm on digest, so if you reply only to the digest I won't see it 'til
tomorrow - you can cc me directly if you wish.

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