Writing is an art. And some people are so gifted in expressing their thoughts through fresh and original writing that they capture the loyalty of the readers in no time. Established writers are usually those who ink their ideas doused in originality.
In recent times, many of the aspiring writers have found their refuge in the print media because there is a constant demand for write-ups, essays and articles not only on current socio- economic and political affairs, but also on topics much beyond. Such demands have given rise to both genuine writers, who pen their original thoughts in their own writing, and the not so genuine writers who write only so that they can either impress upon those who matter them most or pocket a few bucks that come as remuneration for the articles.
The genuine writers, because of their honest ways, always command the readers’ respect. The same cannot be said about those writers who revel in writings that are not original. In recent times, the second group of writers has come to rule the roost, mainly in the English dailies. In a country where the literacy rate is not up to the mark, the number of those writing their views in good English is lower than those who write their articles in Nepali. The dearth of good English writers seems to have forced the English dailies to entertain articles of any kind and from any quarter.
Thus, insincere writers are cashing in on the helplessness of these dailies. Many of these writers are well adept at lifting others’ ideas and words to make their articles and essays presentable in the eyes of the innocent readers and unsuspecting editors. But if you ask them to write an original piece, you would unmistakably find that "what is original is not good, and what is good is not original".
The vast number of Internet sites have become a safe haven for these writers. They can lift articles from the websites and submit them as original pieces of writing. There are plenty of examples of such acts of plagiarism, popularly known as copy and paste action, which go unnoticed on many occasions. Honest readers and editors are unaware that some writers have no qualms about stealing others’ ideas.
While the Internet sites are good sources for the "copy and paste writers", there are other types of writers who also engage in plagiarism: the translators. Since there are very few writers who have a good command in English, those having good language skills involve in translating articles from the vernaculars into English and selling them as original pieces. Again, the unsuspecting editors and readers take them as original pieces while these translators make a mockery of the papers.
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