Plagiarism Inc.

Here's an interesting article on the life and times of 24-year-old Jordan Kavoosi, who has made a business of plagiarism. His Essay Writing Company employs writers from across the country, and will deliver a paper on any subject for $23 per page. In addition, his company will get it done in 48 hours, and he guarantees at least a B grade or your money back. From the article: "'Sure it's unethical, but it's just a business,' Kavoosi explains. 'I mean, what about strip clubs or porn shops? Those are unethical, and city-approved.'"

Plagiarism? or Ghost writing? Outsourcing?

[gmezero]

This sounds like a ghost writing service more than plagiarism. Plagiarism is where you steal someone elses work and take credit for it. Highering someone else to write your academic paper is unethical yes, but plagiarism? If it's an original work... no. It is not plagiarism.

Re:Plagiarism? or Ghost writing? Outsourcing?

[Tekfactory]

Well the claim its your own work, when its the work of somewone else is where its plagarism.

If you're desperate enough to use a service like this, how likely are you to know or care if your work for hire ghost writer is copying from some other PHD candidate's paper that he sold after he graduated?

Re:Porn?

[Locke2005]

It depends. If you give them a dollar hoping to see tits, but then you don't see tits, then that is unethical. If, however, they deliver tits as expected, then that is perfectly ethical.
In the case of a reports-for-hire service, it is the customers that are being unethical, not the report writers.

Re:Plagiarism? or Ghost writing? Outsourcing?

[Anonymous Coward]

To claim someone else's work as your own, that you paid to commission, is not plagiarism... as the GP said, its Ghostwriting.

Does a company plagiarize your work by claiming ownership when you leave the company? No, that work was commissioned for them, and it is now their work. They are not the author, but they are the owner.

Re:it's like doping in sports

[bdcrazy]

why do people want to go to university? There were told the piece of paper that is a diploma is worth lots of money. That is the only reason.

Re:Plagiarism? or Ghost writing? Outsourcing?

[Surt]

It's not plagiarizing if you have permission, which having purchased the paper, you have.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarizing [merriam-webster.com]

Re:Plagiarism? or Ghost writing? Outsourcing?

[TubeSteak]

It's not plagiarizing if you have permission, which having purchased the paper, you have.

Plagiarism is about citing your work, not about copyright or permission.

If you use someone else's work without citing it, you have plagiarized.

How is it that people don't know WTF plagiarism is?

Re:Plagiarism? or Ghost writing? Outsourcing?

[shimage]

I agree with your sentiment, but not your conclusion. As a TA, I caught no less than 10% of my students literally copying text off of the internet and pasting it into their essays. None of them were punished in the least. The lesson I learned from the experience is that if you don't have any pull in the department, you let cheating slide because it is not worth the hassle. And this wasn't at some no-name school, either. It's one of the top research universities on the west coast.