In early 1999, a frequent visitor to my website directed me to a site she thought I might be interested in seeing.  I couldn't believe my eyes.  The website owner had copied my then nine curriculum pages and the activities -- verbatim.  She had even accepted awards for my work and displayed letters of praise.  I was later directed to another site whose owner had plagiarized parts of my pages.  Upon confronting these gals, one of the responses I received was "blah, blah, blah."  I took this to mean that I was being concerned about something quite trivial.  So, after much soul searching, I asked myself, "Why should I care, in fact, shouldn't I be flattered that someone likes what I've done enough to want to copy it?  Maybe I was, as one offender said, "selfish."  But then I remembered all the work I had put into that year of creating my website before ever placing it on-line.  Being a "newbie," not just to the internet, but also to using a computer, I had to learn lots of "know-how" before I could even think of doing a website.  Then, because my goal was to try and avoid being like any other preschool site, I surfed the internet for months, finding none at the time that was like the one I had planned and sketched on paper.  So I created each page carefully.  I searched for days to find just the right graphics.  I worked for weeks at trying to come up with something that would be professional yet fun.  And when I placed it on-line, I knew it wasn't perfect, but I felt a sense of accomplishment.  So now, call me selfish, but when I see duplicates of my pages looking back at me from another website, especially when that person uses my very own heartfelt "I" statements as if they were her own, I get a little offended.  These belong to me ONLY.  The fact that someone else can relate to what I've said doesn't give them the right to express themselves through MY words.  The dictionary is full of words that belong to us all and are there for the taking.  And by the way, writers know when their statements have been manipulated into someone else's version of the same thing.

But now, wait a minute, isn't it reasonable to expect all preschool/child care websites to have similiarities?  Of course.  Do my curriculums have themes on them that may be common to curriculums of other sites? Yes.  Is it possible for preschool websites to have some activities, songs, or fingerplays in common?  Sure.  Is it possible for two website owners to use the same graphic from a public domain graphics site?  Yes.  But, when an offending site has the same exact themes with the same graphics, the same text, and the pages are set up the same way, it's not a coincidence -- that's "copying" someone else's website.  To create a webpage from scratch, you have to decide how to present your material, type it onto your PC screen, then turn that material into HTML language (a process that sometimes includes days of dealing with "computering" snags -- especially if, like me, you aren't an expert at it).  To plagiarize, all you have to do is go to a website on the internet, highlight the material, press a "copy" button, then simply hit "paste," and WOW -- instant webpage, having done none of the work.

So, how does one prove their site is the original when anyone can slap the word "copyright" and a year on a webpage?  The alternative is to ignore an offending site and allow web visitors to wonder who copied from whom.  Still, given the size of the world wide web, what are the chances that web visitors will visit both sites anyway, and therefore remember their likenesses?  My offenders have told me that no one will care, but I've received numerous e-mails from people who feel differently.  Most web visitors searching for ECE sites type the words preschool or child care in their search box and all related sites come up as options.  The internet is endless but the ECE community on the net is comparatively small, as reflected by the fact that frequent visitors to my site are the ones who directed me to the "copycat" sites.  Call me selfish, but I still believe in that old fashioned word--honesty.  I want others to know I'm truthful.  It matters little to me whether or not my site becomes the biggest or the best of all ECE websites.  But because I have found the most loyal friends and the world's greatest teachers while traveling this internet pathway, reputation does matter.

Since I'm on the subject of plagiarism, I'd also like to address another side of the issue: As a result of having my pages copied, I've placed "Do Not Copy" statements throughout my website.  Since then, although most of my e-mail has been overwhelmingly supportive, I occasionally receive e-mails criticizing me for the statements.  In the words of the person who wrote me the harshest letter of all: "You are a hypocrit.  You don't allow anything to be copied from your website while you yourself are an admitted plagiarist by saying you got ideas from books.  None of the ideas on your site are yours, and besides, I see nothing of real value anyway."  The sender of this e-mail was referring to "content," not "website creation," but because of her accusations, I want to express my opinion on the subject.  First of all, many of the ideas on my website and in my booklets are indeed mine -- that is, I created them from scratch -- they came straight out of me.  All other ideas come from a now-yellowed collection of mostly hand-written index cards, zillions of notes, and hand-outs I've saved since 1980 and beyond.  The bulk of my collection started as a college class requirement.  Since that time, I've continually collected (compiled) ideas for use in the classroom -- a habit encouraged by my supervisors many years ago.  Have I, on occasion, throughout my teaching experience, copied ideas from books?  Yes, AT RANDOM -- as all teachers do.  I also don't doubt that co-workers have handed me activities that they, like me, copied at random.  There's a big difference between randomly jotting down an activity from a resource book when you need (or like) one versus literally and purposely copying pages of activities from a book with the intent to re-print them as one's own.  When I collected these activities, did I ever expect to do a website or create booklets with them?  No.  The intent was to simply provide myself with a variety of activities for doing with children.  And like all teachers, the way I do many activities will often be different than how someone else does them, or I may use them with one theme while someone else uses them with another.  That doesn't mean I was the creator of the original activity.  I liken it to one meatloaf recipe having several variations.  Am I plagiarizing by sharing how or when I use an activity, adapting it accordingly?  My opinion is that I'm not -- that's my version of a recipe, and that's what I try to write about.  Nevertheless, that's exactly why I carry a statement on my website and in my booklets asking to be contacted if someone sees that I've used the exclusively copyrighted work of someone else, so that I can GLADLY make things right.  I could sit down at my PC and type activities from resource books till eternity, and be proclaimed master of preschool websites.  But as a "wanna-be writer" myself (who's had a couple humble new-writer pieces published), I try diligently to treat the written work of others as I'd want my own writings to be treated.  I actually READ the author's policy found in the first few pages of a book and follow it to the best of my ability.  And unless the author states that it's ok to re-print excerpts, my conscience tells me it's WRONG to do so without their permission, even if I give them credit.  When someone writes a book, gets it published, and sells it, how can it possibly be right for another person to give that information away for free?  I have countless activities that I haven't a clue as to their true origin, as do most teachers.  But it would also not be a stretch to say that those random ideas I've collected that are from books came from ones with copyrights now older than 15-20 years.  Again, it's a matter of conscience.    

While I'm at it, let me address my offender's accusation that I'm "selfish."  First of all, let me say that I find it incredible that my website is evidently good enough to copy, but once I protest, suddenly my site is "of little worth" and I myself am portrayed a villain--cold and uncaring.  So, just for the record, let me assure you that I am not selfish, and I think my website and all the work I put into it proves that.  My website has well over 500+ pages of FREE activities, ideas, and tips, and besides my own activities, throughout my website, I honor my peers by showcasing their fabulous ideas.  I take great pride in recognizing others in our field, mostly because our profession gets so little recognition.  And even though each page of my website costs out-of-pocket dollars to be hosted and placed on the internet, I consider it imperative to have a "Kindred Spirits" page and a "Website Credits" page because these pages give due credit to OTHERS -- NOT MYSELF!  These are the actions of a selfish person?  By the way, I'm also not vindictive, as evidenced by the very fact that I haven't exposed who my offenders are, allowing them to remain unscathed by it all as they continue their race to the top of the website heap. 

Only those who've had this happen to them can relate to how gut-wrenching it is to have someone claim something that you know -- that you know -- that you know -- YOU WROTE!  I'm always amazed at how some feel that it's ok to steal someone else's words because they are that -- "just words."  I guess if you've never spent hours grouping words together, you can't imagine it as any kind of actual work.  But when someone steals the intellectual or creative property of another, it's no different than someone breaking into your house and stealing items you've worked long and hard hours to get.  Those who blantantly "copy" are very much like thieves.  And even if they confess, or in the case of a website, even if they delete what they stole, the person who was wronged feels a need to protect their work to keep it from happening again--just as the person whose house was broken into gets better security.  So, just as some previously robbed home owners display signs out front warning potential criminals, robbed website owners display "Do Not Copy" statements on their websites.  Ironically, those statements are viewed by some as stingy arrogance on our part, while those who forced us to take such action are able to flaunt themselves as "being willing to share."  We, the ones who were wronged, receive the negative e-mail and accept all the flak for trying to protect our work, while our offenders bask in the light of deceit.  If the work I claim as mine wasn't mine, would I put myself through such humiliation?

Finally, in the great scheme of life, is having copied another person's website important?  For example, when compared to illness or family tragedy, does a website, any website, matter?  Not one wit!  I've been there--I know!  Is it still wrong?  Absolutely!  Unfortunately, those who blatantly plagiarize don't concern themselves with whether it's wrong or not.  They bank on not being found out.  They take credit for work they didn't do, feeling secure in their silence of secrecy.  But, as an old favorite song of mine once said, "Silence is golden" (for my offenders, but also for me), because through my WRITING, the very thing I'm trying to protect, I've told my story.  And like my website, this essay isn't perfect, but it's mine.  And, as with my website, I feel a sense of accomplishment from having "worked" at grouping words together to create something.  And as someone who loves writing, that's enough for me.  That's victory!  Those who understand this issue understand completely.  Those who don't understand probably never will.

Fortunately, through the help of people like the gal mentioned at the foot of this page, and others, I've learned that there are steps I can AND WILL take in the future against blatant plagiarism of my website.  I want to thank them for their assistance, support, and encouragement while writing this essay.
 

 
Read a similar experience with plagiarism:
*Glenda Moore, owner of the website "Cat Stuff," who created most of the cat graphics on my website
Her website address: http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/openltr.htm