Week+Two+Notes

=__Note Taking Skills__=
 * Remember to read the passage and then write one or two words in **summary**
 * There are Three Topics in this section:
 * **Online Etiquette**
 * **Internet Ethics**
 * **Plagiarism**
 * Remember to take brief notes on each section (on paper or on your personal wiki page)
 * Remember to study the notes. The quiz will be in **Week Four** and only open for **One Week**

=Online Etiquette= @http://www.kent.edu/dl/Technology/Etiquette.cfm  Taking an online course and corresponding via the World Wide Web presents communicators with the task of overcoming the lack of nonverbals in communication. When taking a course online, it is important to remember several points of etiquette that will smooth communication between the students and their instructors. 1. **Avoid language that may come across as strong or offensive.** Language can be easily misinterpreted in written communication. If a point must be stressed, review the statement to make sure that an outsider reading it would not be offended, then post the statement. Humor and sarcasm may easily be misinterpreted as well, so try to be as matter-of-fact and professional as possible. 2. **Keep writing to a point and stay on topic**. Online courses require a lot of reading. When writing, keep sentences poignant and brief so that readers do not get lost in wordy paragraphs and miss the point of the statement. Also, do not introduce new topics; it may just confuse the readers. 3. **Read first, write later.** It is important to read all posts or comments of students and instructors within the course discussion before personally commenting to prevent repeating commentary or asking questions that have already been answered. 4. **Review, review, then send.** There’s no taking back a comment that has already been sent, so it is important to double-check all writing to make sure that it clearly conveys the exact intended message. 5. **An online classroom is still a classroom.** Though the courses may be online, appropriate classroom behavior is still mandatory. Respect for fellow classmates and the instructors is as important as ever. 6. **The language of the Internet.** Though still a fairly young type of communication, certain aspects of this form of communication are becoming conventional. For example, do not write using all capital letters, because it will appear as shouting. Also, the use of emoticons can be helpful when used to convey nonverbal feelings (example: :-) or :-, but avoid overusing them. 7. **Consider the privacy of others'.** Ask permission prior to giving out a classmate's email address or other information. 8. **If possible, keep attachments small.** If it is necessary to send pictures, change the size to an acceptable 100k. 9. **No inappropriate material.** Do not forward virus warnings, chain letters, jokes, etc. to classmates or instructors. The sharing of pornographic material is forbidden.

=What Are Internet Ethics?=

@http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-internet-ethics.htm

Internet ethics generally focus on the appropriate use of online resources. A broad overview of Internet ethics  was addressed by the  Internet  Architecture Board (IAB) in 1989, using recommendations from the Division Advisory Panel of the National Science Foundation Division of Network, Communications Research, and Infrastructure. The aim of the resulting document was to give general guidelines of web ethics  instead of providing hard-and-fast rules about online usage. Known as Request for Comments (RFC) 1087, the document is still held up as the standard for [|ethics issues] online.

The main area explored in the RFC 1087 Internet ethics  document is how web resources should be used. The authors were primarily concerned with unauthorized access to, and misappropriation of, Internet  resources. The document also contains statements against compromising the privacy of other Internet  users. Overall, the aims are to keep the Internet  as a way to promote the exchange of information without compromising the integrity of the medium or the privacy of its users. The results of the RFC 1087 Internet ethics  document have been far reaching. Fee-based and free [|email] service providers have strict regulations about sending out [|spamming] messages, which are looked at as a waste of web resources. In addition, most websites that require users to input personal details provide registrants with a clear-cut privacy policy that outlines what information the website protects and what information it shares with third parties. Websites found to be in [|violation] of the Internet  [|ethics policy] are often publicly called to task.

Global networks make it nearly impossible to create consistent repercussions for violating established Internet ethics , so users are encouraged to take on the responsibility of monitoring the websites they visit for compliance. In some countries, users are able to report violations to an appropriate government agency, which then has the task of charging and prosecuting the perpetrators. As an example, in the United States, the federal government has set up several agencies, such as the Internet  [|Fraud] Complaint Center (IFCC), to handle  Internet  [|ethics violations]. In certain cases, such as extensive [|online piracy], government organizations with [|extradition] agreements will work together to shut down and prosecute perpetrators.

There are some critics of governmental interference in Internet ethics  issues. These people believe monitoring ethics  on the  Internet  should be largely left to individual responsibility and community policing. The fear that many of these critics have is that creating mechanisms to enforce [|online ethics] would be prohibitively expensive and would restrict the flow of information between users.

What is Plagiarism?
@http://www.plagiarism.org/ Many people think of plagiarism as copying another's work, or borrowing someone else's original ideas. But terms like "copying" and "borrowing" can disguise the seriousness of the offense:

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, to "plagiarize" means
In other words, plagiarism is an act of fraud. It involves both stealing someone else's work and lying about it afterward.
 * to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own
 * to use (another's production) without crediting the source
 * to commit literary theft
 * to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.

But can words and ideas really be stolen?
According to U.S. law, the answer is yes. The expression of original ideas is considered intellectual property, and is protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions. Almost all forms of expression fall under copyright protection as long as they are recorded in some way (such as a book or a computer file).

All of the following are considered plagiarism:
Most cases of plagiarism can be avoided, however, by citing sources. Simply acknowledging that certain material has been borrowed, and providing your audience with the information necessary to find that source, is usually enough to prevent plagiarism. See our section on [|citation] for more information on how to cite sources properly.
 * turning in someone else's work as your own
 * copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit
 * failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
 * giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation
 * changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit
 * copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not (see our section on "fair use" rules)

__//Searching vs. Researching//__
Today's students learn quickly that finding and manipulating data on the Internet is a valuable skill. With the wealth of information available online, the production of original analysis and interpretation may seem like "busy work" compared to finding the best or most obscure sources. Teach your students that the real skills they need to learn are interpretation and analysis -- how to process the information they find. Tell them that anyone with some basic knowledge can find information on the internet -- it's what they do with that information that is important.

__//"But their words are better"//__
Some students might think, "Why sweat over producing an analysis that has already been done better, by someone who knows more?" Students may also be intimidated by the quality of work found online, thinking their own work cannot compare. Tell your students that what interests you most is seeing how they understand the assigned topic, and how they develop their own style and voice. This might go a long way toward making them feel more comfortable with writing. Explain to them that you know writing is a learning process, and that you do not expect them to be as brilliant as experts who have devoted years to the subject. You may also want to let them know that their experiences and the context of your class give them a unique perspective that may give them a far more interesting angle on the issues than those of the "experts."

What is plagiarism?
Simply put, plagiarism is the use of another's original words or ideas as though they were your own. Any time you borrow from an original source and do not give proper credit, you have committed plagiarism and violated U.S. copyright laws. (See our [|What is Plagiarism?] page for more detailed information on plagiarism.)

What are copyright laws?
Copyright laws exist to protect our intellectual property. They make it illegal to reproduce someone else's expression of ideas or information without permission. This can include music, images, written words, video, and a variety of other media. At one time, a work was only protected by copyright if it included a copyright trademark (the © symbol). According to laws established in 1989, however, works are now copyright protected with or without the inclusion of this symbol. Anyone who reproduces copyrighted material improperly can be prosecuted in a court of law. It does not matter if the form or content of the original has been altered -- as long as any material can be shown to be substantially similar to the original, it may be considered a violation of the Copyright Act. For information on how long a copyright lasts, see the section below on the [|public domain].

Are all published works copyrighted?
Actually, no. The Copyright Act only protects works that express original ideas or information. For example, you could borrow liberally from the following without fear of plagiarism:
 * 1) Compilations of readily available information, such as the phone book
 * 2) # Works published by the U.S. government
 * 3) Facts that are not the result of original research (such as the fact that there are fifty U.S. states, or that carrots contain Vitamin A)
 * 4) Works in the public domain (provided you cite properly)

What are the punishments for plagiarism?
As with any wrongdoing, the degree of intent (see below) and the nature of the offense determine its status. When plagiarism takes place in an academic setting, it is most often handled by the individual instructors and the academic institution involved. If, however, the plagiarism involves money, prizes, or job placement, it constitutes a crime punishable in court.

Academic Punishments
Most colleges and universities have zero tolerance for plagiarists. In fact, academic standards of intellectual honesty are often more demanding than governmental copyright laws. If you have plagiarized a paper whose copyright has run out, for example, you are no less likely to be disciplined than if you had plagiarized copyrighted material. A plagiarized paper almost always results in failure for the assignment, frequently in failure for the course, and sometimes in expulsion.

Legal Punishments
Most cases of plagiarism are considered misdemeanors, punishable by fines of anywhere between $100 and $50,000 -- and up to one year in jail. Plagiarism can also be considered a felony under certain state and federal laws. For example, if a plagiarist copies and earns more than $2,500 from copyrighted material, he or she may face up to $250,000 in fines and up to ten years in jail.

Institutional Punishments
Most corporations and institutions will not tolerate any form of plagiarism. There have been a significant number of cases around the world where people have lost their jobs or been denied positions as a result of plagiarism.

Does intention matter?
Ignorance of the law is never an excuse. So even if you did not realize you were plagiarizing, you may still be found guilty. However, there are different punishments for willful infringement, or deliberate plagiarism, and innocent infringement, or accidental plagiarism. To distinguish between these, courts recognize what is called the good faith defense. If you can demonstrate, based on the amount you borrowed and the way you have incorporated it in your own work, that reasonably believed what you did was fair use, chances are that your sentence will be lessened substantially.

What is "fair use," anyway?
The United States government has established rough guidelines for determining the nature and amount of work that may be "borrowed" without explicit written consent. These are called "fair use" laws, because they try to establish whether certain uses of original material are reasonable. The laws themselves are vague and complicated. Below we have condensed them into some rubrics you can apply to help determine the fairness of any given usage.

The nature of your use.
If you have merely copied something, it is unlikely to be considered fair use. But if the material has been transformed in an original way through interpretation, analysis, etc., it is more likely to be considered "fair use."

The amount you've used.
The more you've "borrowed," the less likely it is to be considered fair use. What percentage of your work is "borrowed" material? What percentage of the original did you use? The lower the better.

The effect of your use on the original
If you are creating a work that competes with the original in its own market, and may do the original author economic harm, any substantial borrowing is unlikely to be considered fair use. The more the content of your work or its target audience differs from that of the original, the better.

What is the "public domain?"
Works that are no longer protected by copyright, or never have been, are considered "public domain." This means that you may freely borrow material from these works without fear of plagiarism, provided you make proper attributions.

How do I know if something is public domain or not?
The terms and conditions under which works enter the public domain are a bit complicated. In general, anything published more than 75 years ago is now in the public domain. Works published after 1978 are protected for the lifetime of the author plus 70 years. The laws governing works published fewer than 75 years ago but before 1978 are more complicated, although generally copyright protection extended 28 years after publication plus 47 more years if the copyright was renewed, totaling 75 years from the publication date. If you are uncertain about whether or not a work is in the public domain, it is probably best to contact a lawyer or act under the assumption that it is still protected by copyright laws.