The Big 3
Follow these links to uncover the truth behind the myths and legends!
Warning: This is a multi-part production, so clicking on a link may take you to another page where the story continues to unfold!
These are best read in order, but can be enjoyed however you like!
It all began one dark and rainy night; Rewriting came home from a hard day of hustling the local content gangs, only to find that it had been framed for a crime that it did not commit. Afraid of what would happen if it were ever caught, Rewriting vanished into the wind. Sure, we can still find plenty of evidence that it is alive and well, but no one has been able to pin down its exact location….until now.
Yesterday afternoon the Content Police issued a warrant for the arrest of Rewriting on charges of violating the Laws of Content Creation. Paraphrasing, Rewriting’s younger twin, says that it has no knowledge of the other’s whereabouts, but could not be reached for further comment.
The world of Content Creation has been abuzz with gossip and speculation since the arrest of Spinning, the most notorious of the “Big 3″ as their group is known. Spinning, Rewriting, and Paraphrasing have long been seen as major players on the Content Creation scene and thought of as untouchable, until recent events began to unfold. An anonymous tip led to the arrest of Spinning, which is currently in custody and awaiting trial. Rewriting is on the run, and all eyes are on Paraphrasing, wondering what move it will make next!
Wanted: Rewriting
Authorities issued a statement yesterday when they announced the warrant for Rewriting’s arrest; if what they say is true, Rewriting has been very naughty indeed!
The statement reads:
Rewriting is wanted on charges of Grand Theft, Criminal Misrepresentation, and Fleeing & Eluding the Content Police. It is considered armed and extremely dangerous, and should be approached with caution. Able to turn things around and confuse those around it, Rewriting is a dangerous individual; any and all sightings should be reported to the nearest Content Police station.
A little digging reveals that Rewriting is being accused of stealing thousands upon thousands of original pieces of content, editing them, and releasing them again under the guise of these edits being original works as well. It is also charged with misrepresenting itself as a law-abiding citizen to such a degree as to obscure and distract users from realizing the full extent of its criminal nature and shady past. The last bit about fleeing and eluding the Content Police is just icing on the cake and the sort of error that will likely turn even the most staunch of supports against Rewriting’s cause.
Exhibit A: Witnesses for the Prosecution
- “Rewriting” Is Plagiarism, Like It Or Not - by Angela Booth
Get to Know the Accused
Some say that the easiest way to catch something is to think like it does; knowing your prey can make it that much easier to track and capture!
Rewriting is a unique character, and a sort of middle-ground between spinning and paraphrasing; many have said that it is like a combination of the two. When Rewriting is at work, an original work (or two, or three) will be consumed, and a “final” piece of content created from the information in whichever sources were referenced. If Rewriting were to go straight, it would simply add citations, telling people who saw the content it created that there were sources that provided some of the information in their content put out by Rewriting. The trouble is, most of the time Rewriting keeps silent, and instead of citing its sources simply leaves that part off of the new content. For most this is theft, pure and simple. Rewriting is allowing someone to profit from the work done by the author of the original piece of content, and this doesn’t go over well at all with the world of Content Creation.
On the right hand of Rewriting is Spinning, one of the most wily and unpredictable of the Big 3. Spinning can make a real mess of things really fast, but can be hard to catch at work unless one really knows what to look for. On the left hand is Paraphrasing, Rewriting’s younger twin. Rewriting and Paraphrasing look a lot alike and even operate in similar ways at times, but they have very different motives for what they do. Where Paraphrasing wants to keep everything the same as the original and just put the content in its own words, Rewriting is trying really hard to create something original from the information it has to work with.
Sources say that Rewriting claims that this is all just a big misunderstanding and that it has been used!
Admitting to a less than reputable past, Rewriting is said to have confided in a close friend who shall remain nameless that it was only trying to do the right thing, and like any tool was misused by those who handled it. For many clients Rewriting was a model worker, helping them to re-purpose their older content and give it new life in the form of a rewrite. Just as surely as there were good times, there were times that were dark as well; Rewriting fell in with a bad crowd, one that convinced it that it was okay to take content from other people and rewrite it for the client’s use elsewhere. The original author never gave permission, and might not even know to this day that their content was taken and used in this way.
Video: What is Article Rewriting?
This video shows a prime example of the “bad crowd” that rewriting often falls in with; just look at all of the pages with the same content, only distinguished by the order the words are used in, and where they fall in the content of the page.
Many content creators shake their heads and look away from the whole issue, not wanting to get involved in something like this; if Rewriting is apprehended and brought to trial this is one confrontation that is sure to get ugly very fast…
Exhibit B: In Defense of the Accused
- Good Writing is Rewriting – by Ariel Paz
- Effective Article Rewriting – by Bizz
- How To Rewrite Articles In Your Natural Voice – by Lisa Angelettie
- Rewriting Your Writing: How to Be a Better Writer – by James
What You Can Do
If you want to help, either bringing Rewriting to justice or helping prepare for the upcoming trial, here is what you can do:
- Review the Exhibits mentioned in this post; they contain valuable information about the accused and arguments for an against its merits.
- Stay on the lookout for information regarding Rewriting’s whereabouts
Leave a comment below and let us know what you think about this whole situation; Is Rewriting all bad, or just misunderstood and misused?
