🐈
» Forums » Clients » Plagiarism: a problem that's getting worse on...
Page options
coqui_contntmktg
Community Member

Plagiarism: a problem that's getting worse on here

I've been hiring on Upwork for years. Plagiarism has always been an issue, but one I've rarely delt with on the platform. However, in the last five months, I've hired five freelancers who turned in work that popped a lot on copyscape. When I've brought it to their attention, they kind of shrug their shoulders, like it's not a big deal. One freelancer told me he uses AI to write and he can't be responsible for what the AI brings up. Seriously? That's an acceptable response? And are writers now using AI to write their articles? Another freelancer told me it was " the prerequisites and all that I got from the websites." What does that even mean?

 

Is it me or is this an increasing issue?

 

ETA: I should have specified what I'm hiring people to write. It's content for a variety of sites. Most of the time they get bylines, sometimes they don't. For those of you who raised the issue of payment, it's not about that. I am not in the first world paying someone in third world countries peanuts. In fact, it's the opposite. I live in a third world country and all the writers I hire are from first world countries. Some have been with me for over 10 years and they name their price, and I then work it out with the site we're writing for, so clearly it's not an issue of payment or how they're treated.

 

ETA: I have already raised this issue with CS. I'm just curious what others' experiences are.

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
yitwail
Community Member

Sarah, I'm not a writer so I don't have much standing to comment on your post, but do you specify prior to hiring that work they submit must pass copyscape, however you define a passing score? If they then submit work that copyscape rejects, you could refuse to approve the milestone until they revise it so it doesn't trigger copyscape, assuming you're posting fixed price jobs. 

__________________________________________________
"No good deed goes unpunished." -- Clare Boothe Luce

View solution in original post

18 REPLIES 18
bobafett999
Community Member

It may be the problem at some price point.  I don't know how much you are paying, but you get what you pay for.

re: "When I've brought it to their attention, they kind of shrug their shoulders, like it's not a big deal."

 

You are correct.

 

This truly is "no big deal" for these freelancers.

 

They probably don't even understand your perspective.

And I am not sure you will ever fully understand their perspective.

 

I am not saying that "this is okay."

 

But it is something any client hiring writers should understand.

prestonhunter
Community Member

This is not an Upwork Customer Support issue.

 

There are different types of writing practiced by freelancers on Upwork. There are many legitimate Upwork freelancers who would never even think about resorting to plagiarism. And there are many Upwork freelancers for whom plagiarism or spinning are the only way they know how to write.

 

You can not change a freelancer from one type to another.

You can not expect Upwork to police this effectively or "get rid of" plagiarism-based writers. It is not possible given the constraints of Upwork's business model and protocols.

 

So, as a client, your responsibility is to hire the type of freelancers you need, and fire freelancers if you find that somebody on your team is of the wrong type.

Still, I think that if a client can prove that the freelencer plagerized something, that freelancer should be banned forever, if not also flogged, metaphorically speaking, of course. And it's WAY harder for a scamming freelancer to just open up another account than it is a scamming client.

I agree with this. I think freelancers should take pride in their work.

I hate seeing this... I've worked as a long time as both a writer and a copy editor, and when I was editing for a team of writers, some of them truly didn't think that plagiarizing content was a big deal.... until I informed them that their plagiarism could open the door to lawsuits. This was in the financial field, and these writers were certified in their financial field.

This doesn't even address the issue of being dishonest, immoral, unprofessional, and ineffective, as Google's algorithms punish duplicative content. Regardless of some of the writers' apparent indifference to it, it's a big deal. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this.

I agree with you, Peter. As a writer (one who does not use AI), I think "plagiarism" should not be taken lightly. These types of writers sadly bring down the whole profession. It is a scam and they should not be allowed on the platform as writers once a client reports them. 

bobafett999
Community Member

I don't know what kind of writing was involved here and no offense to OP.  In my opinion those who hire writers for their blog posts or reviews and claim them as their own are also plagiarizing.  I know people will jump on me for that, but hey let's call cat a cat.

Prashant: I don't think that anyone should pounce on you for expressing your opinion on this topic.

 

Your post actually serves to illustrate one of my points:

Different people have different perspectives on the topic of plagiarism.

 

Prashant, who is an established and respected contributor of the Community Forum, has a belief that I disagree with. But that is fine. My own position on this topic is that ghostwriting does not constitute plagiarism.

 

It would be an impossible and ultimately fruitless endeavor on Upwork's part to try to police this and enforce a single belief on every user, and enforce a single type of writing.

 

A hypothetical client who wants to hire writers to write blog posts that will appear under the byline would themselves be responsible for finding freelancers who meet their criteria:

- Is the freelancer willing to write original content and allow the client to claim it as her own?

- Is the freelancer's writing technique plagiarism-based or based on providing original content?

Not me, I totally agree with you.

Yes, you're right. You don't know what was involved. 🙂 I do not hire people to ghostwrite or write reviews. It's straight up content writing for various sites. I think you're assuming a lot about me without asking. 🙂


Sarah R wrote:

 I think you're assuming a lot about me without asking. 🙂


That's a strange assumption to make based on an opening line that says "I don't know what kind of was involved here and no offense to OP."

bobafett999
Community Member

Preston: I agree that people have different opinions on what a plagirism is, and upwork can't police them.  Also, I believe it is also a function of what you pay - What you put in the Upwork vending machine.  If you put a dollar you get canned sugared water.  If you put in $10 you could get freshly squeezed orange juice.  

 

I come from a third world country and I have observed that many clients from rich countries multiply the exchange rate and believe," Gosh I am paying ₹ 700 for a 200 word article which should not take more than an hour.  700 should be lots of money to an Indian, and in that hour she can think 'originally'  and give me freshly squeezed juice.

 

But they forget that that poor slob might have invested few bucks on connects to win that ₹ 700.  Has to pay commision to upwork, exchange conversion fees, her internet and computer expenses and at that price point be concerned about buyers not paying. 

 

 

I too live in a third world country and trust me when I say, what I pay isn't the issue. Most of the writers I hire are from first world countries. I don't pay rates according to where people live but according to their writing ability. And I've had people stay with me for over a decade. I don't think people do that when they're unhappy with pay or how they're treated.

yitwail
Community Member

Sarah, I'm not a writer so I don't have much standing to comment on your post, but do you specify prior to hiring that work they submit must pass copyscape, however you define a passing score? If they then submit work that copyscape rejects, you could refuse to approve the milestone until they revise it so it doesn't trigger copyscape, assuming you're posting fixed price jobs. 

__________________________________________________
"No good deed goes unpunished." -- Clare Boothe Luce

It's in my job descriptions and the contract and NDA that I ask everyone to sign. It's clearly spelled out that I have zero tolerance for plagiarism. As I say, I've raised it with customer service and I've also disputed milestones.

365ed930
Community Member

In my opinion Sarah, don't pay for work that is plagiarised. If you asked for original content and you are willing to pay for quality then that is what you should get. That is the end product.

the-right-writer
Community Member

World events, COVID, and the ensuing financial chaos lead to a deluge of new freelancers seeking ways to make money, presenting an excellent opportunity for thieves. Fake freelancers (and clients) have devised all sorts of devious ways to present as legitimate. When freelancers or clients engage a stranger, it's no different than being in a chat room. It could be Jack the ripper or Mother Theresa. Both parties have to protect themselves.

I could write for days on the subject of plagiarism, better known as theft. I finally put in my profile that I do not spin, AI, Grammarly, etc., because so many jobs were people who didn't give a shot about their document or content or the fact 99 % of the work is stolen. I also put in my proposals that I guarantee 100% original content. Clients contact me to "fix" the wretched writing from an alleged writer. All I have seen is so awful that the entire content has to be rewritten. Most clients don't want to pay for that, so they hire someone to run it through a spell-check program. Many really don't care about the quality. Plagiarism is like any other crime. Nothing will change as long as the criminal and buyer are happily making transactions.

I don't consider AI and spinning writing in any way, just as translator programs have nothing to do with being a translator. The samples I have seen from AI might be a step above someone who can't use the language, but it is detectable and not at a human level. There is currently nothing that can replace a live writer, editor, or likely any other job on the platform.

The best protection you have is in your job description and milestones or the tracker. You have the right only to accept work done to your specifications. If you state that you will not accept the work if it mentions Jack the ripper, and the freelancer does it anyway, don't accept the work, and the freelancer has no standing. Write the description clearly stating if there is X percentage of plagiarism, intentional or otherwise; the work will not be accepted. Build-in your safeguards. Put the requirement in the first line of the post if you wish. I'm not offended when I see ads for "no plagiarism."  I'm sad and angry that it is even necessary. When the work is submitted if the job contains plagiarism, don't accept it.

 

I tell my clients they should ask lots of questions about the freelancer such as their history, location, items on their profile, and the time. Trust your feelings. If you are feeling like something isn't right - it probably isn't.

Latest Articles
Learning Paths