What is it with the cut and paste routine? Do you approve or disapprove?

Question

Quite a few participants on this web site chronically cut and paste in "answering" the questions, rather than exercising original thought. Is this good or bad? Is it part of the dumbing of America? Is it part of the slothfulness of the lazy?

Answer 1

Disapprove. Yes, it's part of the lazy ways of our society!

Answer 2

Well personally, I don't think that "the cut and paste routine" necessarily has to do with it (directly). I imagine some of them maybe trying to get quick and easy points so they can make more questions being this the new philosophy for this new age: "The Quick and The Easy". This I understand WILL eventually become a problem, I agree, if we don't start waking up people we'll loose what's left of our "human trait": INTELLIGENCE! I mean hey, I love technology, but I won't let it make me dumber come on!

Anyways I do approve but just because I understand that we have the option to pick "a best answer". And that gives me the ability to not qualify an answer that it's so obvious it was copied (if that's my choice). On the other hand, it also depends on the urgency for an answer since sometimes a person would appreciate even a 'cut and paste' before an incomplete answer. You would have to analyze ALL the angles to this before determining if it's bad or good because it all depends on the point of view ;-)

Cheers!

Answer 3

I think it depends on the question. Quite often in the politics section you'll have people ask questions that require a significant amount of background and explanation for the answer to make sense. In such a situation the "heavy lifting" has already been done by someone else, and it's been done by someone with time and motivation to make a good point. Hence it leads to a more concise answer with better logic. Simply cutting and pasting something in its entirety is lazy, but if it's used in conjunction with your own analysis then I think it allows for a more complete assesment of an issue. I often copy, paste, and then edit to provide the meat of an answer while writing the introduction and conclusion myself. I don't think that's lazy, I think it's efficient. So long as you cite your source it's acceptable. Remember, if you copy from one person it's plagarism. If you copy from five it's research.

Answer 4

I don't mind it up to a point. This is especially true when the point is being made based on a study or expert statement. Otherwise, others will just say, what's your source? So you might as well just add it to begin with.

But when an answerer pastes in entire articles or web pages and doesn't even bother to cut out unnecessary paragraphs and extraneous marks, like "back to the top," that's just laziness.

Answer 5

On the other side of the coin, I don't copy and paste answers, but how many freaking times can you explain to someone that an idea is bad, or wrong, or not true only to have others come on and parrot the same talking points against what you know to be true. It's not worth the stress of my fingers to repeatedly type the same logical explanation, only to have it once again ignored 70% of the time. I still do it anyway.

Answer 6

I actually like it and appreciate it much more than I do a simple link by itself. I rarely go to them so they are no good to me.

I use cut and pastes to make the statements that I want to make, if I have one available, because so many libs come behind me asking for proof otherwise and I can tell they are immediately discounting my posts. I get tired of being called out on the truth, so I cut and paste and they, then, can call the Washington Post stupid if they choose.

Answer 7

It really depends if your pursuing a point or not. I've done so in quoting the bible. I also took info on presidential clemency and pardons. I'm not writing a book or a blog I'm answering questions. Or in some cases refuting rants. A lot of folks just want there position put forth.

Answer 8

It's never really original thought though is it? To repeat what is said by a talk show host, although not quite cut and paste doesn't qualify as original thought either.

Yes, people do need to cite sources, but when someone else can say it better than I can I like to use a source (which I will site) rather than say it ourselves. However, there are very few people on here that are presenting real, original thought in the academic sense of the term, thus citing someone else's work is appropriate.

Answer 9

I disapprove for the most part, occasionally an answer will require a quote of some sort, so some of the answer may be cut and pasted, but as a whole answer I find it terribly boring and of no use to me.

Answer 10

Hi John,
I would much rather see some original thought. I 've never cut and pasted, however I will cite my sources for certain questions. People should give their gut opinions, and if a question or a scenerio is provoking enough, let's see it typed out. I am not picky about spelling either. I think most of us appreciate and honest well thought out answer, even with errors in typing.

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