I can understand why some people might be attracted to lifting their stories from elsewhere on the web. Writing is hard work. It takes time, research, skill at choosing the correct wording, sentence structure, wtf punctuation? And where do I put the damned paragraph break for organizing the story in a way that makes sense to the reader (not the writer)...
I am one of these people who cringe when I see poor writing - run on sentences, lack of clarification when using pronouns or tense, incorrect grammar. At the same time, it's reassuring when I see content here on Steemit because I know that the writer didn't copy and paste, that there is some general thought process going on.
Conversely, whenever I see a professional looking article on Steemit, a red flag immediately goes up because anyone who has an iota of strong journalistic talent is usually looking to find a better market for their work, unless their specialty is Bitcoin stock articles or writing about Steemit Etiquette.
And photos! Wading through a swamp of all of the free photo web sites that seem to promise, only to find the particular photo you like requires an introductory price of $29.95 blah blah blah, is frustrating as frick.
Finding the appropriate photo to accompany a particular story without either lifting from a copyrighted source , or the alternative, paying for images - requires a lot of leg work. Versus the potential of quick money for little effort... ah that has even me wishing I wasn't so ethical today. But I know better.
Simple truth is, unless you are a good writer to begin with, people eventually catch on when your writing style and skill changes from article to article, especially if you don't source your work.
Here are some of the top blunders that tip the reader off that your story is not your own.
flawless writing and photography with facts that indicate an incredible amount of research was done, but absolutely no sources to indicate where your data comes from.
naming your source with a specific link to one article where the reader can verify that you lifted the content word for word from an author who is not you. this is plagiarism folks. naughty!
posting professional photos taken in several different exotic international locations, with absolutely no documentation. any photographer worth their salt loves to brag about equipment and technique.
taken with a Nikon D5300 at 200 iso, 1/1000 sec. f/9 29mm
My advice? Don't do it! Don't try to be perfect, even if that's what half the people here seem to vote for because they are too lazy to look at the authenticity of the work. It's ok to be average, if you have a voice worth listening to or a particular interest that you are passionate about. I'd rather read an article that tells me something about the writer, that gives me a glimpse into how they think, than see a bunch of glossies and an article I can find elsewhere.
If you simply must write on a particular article, you can quote a paragraph and link to it, but then give something more. Why is this story so important? How does it resonate in your life? Tell why you disagree with it or how you would resolve the conflict. Because if you are only here to parrot, you aren't thinking or giving anything back.
Above all else, document. I don't care that you aren't an expert on fusion, yurt building or basket weaving. If writing about that is your passion, do so. But don't present others ideas and research as your own. If you want to put in a graph from your Uncle Charlie who works for Nasa, tell us where it came from. If you can only afford free photos from Pixabay, no shame. But don't pass off someone else's professional photography like it was your own. Cite, source, credit, notate.
I see Steemit as a sort of punk writers work club, a cultural revolution and testing ground where we can improve our journalistic skills and make social links in order to reach a broader audience. I believe it was @stellabelle who wrote (link below, this is really an exceptional article!):
"Steemit is made up of social fabric. This is not really a commodity culture where the best idea wins. Those Steemians who focus their efforts equally on building social bonds plus thinking in deep ways about things that affect tons of people are the ones who do well on here. "
Be a part of. Leave your ego at the door, your nationality, your social class, your flaws and fears. Steemit without worrying about your worth at the end of the day. Write your passion, as long as it's real.
all stock photos from pixabay, unless noted otherwise. icon and footer created in imgur.
"don't try to be perfect" is great advice... just get out there and do it / interesting post, ty
thanks :) too bad it didn't get more attention, but oh well..
you just never know around here... keep trying to connect, like if you are in to writing join one of the the writers groups that is circulating here or on discord, etc.
thanks, ya finally got around to figuring out discord. steemit is like the web. as soon as i think i've gotten to the end and seen all there is to see, another facet unravels..
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by torico from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, theprophet0, someguy123, neoxian, followbtcnews/crimsonclad, and netuoso. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows and creating a social network. Please find us in the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.
yay!
This post has received a 1.56 % upvote from @drotto thanks to: @banjo.
ty banjo :)