Wisegeek - 100% Unique content

[CJWrite]

I just got an email from wG stating that one of my articles had "non-100% unique content", meaning that it wasn't exactly plagarized, but it had similar wording.

The email stated that if it happened again they couldn't work with me. I'm a little worried, as this is my main egg/basket right now. (I know, I know....I need more.)

Anybody else ever get one of these?

[badenglishmajor]

Not a WG writer, but I'm so sorry that happened to you How frustrating.

[Kiernansmom]

I've never gotten an email, but my editor has mentioned twice in over 2 years that one of my articles had a similar phrase or sentence to another article. Do you use copyscape before turning each one in? That's what I do since I know they check all the articles that way, so I'm assuming they would get the same results as me. If you already do, I'd say start finding a few more clients just in case since otherwise you will spend more time than you should trying to ensure everything is unique. I've found that sometimes even an article I wrote from scratch, without looking at other sources, had similar wording due to a popular phrase or a really long keyword.

[ErinHill226]

I was told that once about a year ago, but they didn't add on the "if it happens again, we can't work with you" part. I don't think it was a phrase, though. I think the structure of mine was similar to another, since it was a step by step process type of article. I was also told recently that one of my articles had just plain ole wrong information, and they were right about it. They just now caught it, and it was over a year ago that the article was submitted, so they didn't really do anything...they just said to use lots of sources, etc...

I never copied anyone either, but with so many articles out there, it's bound to happen from time to time by chance. I wouldn't freak out just yet, but be ultra careful and try the copyscape thing somebody just suggested.

[VeronicaM]

Wouldn't they be more understanding and realize that some articles are bound to have sentences that resemble those found on the Internet's billions of webpages?

[HighEnergyMom]

This has always been a fear of my own. There are so many other writers out there that one day it's going to be impossible to pass Copyscape.

Just do your best...and do get other clients so you don't have a problem. I've never bothered to run articles through any plagiarism detectors, but I suppose we all should do that to protect income.

[CJWrite]

I just started using CS, just on a small test batch - and THAT particular article was one of the ones I ran through it. Just bad luck, I guess.

Originally Posted by ErinHill226

I was also told recently that one of my articles had just plain ole wrong information, and they were right about it. They just now caught it, and it was over a year ago that the article was submitted, so they didn't really do anything...they just said to use lots of sources, etc... .

This happened to me also. I was comparing two things and mixed the two terms up in a couple sentences. I turned it in MONTHS ago, and they just caught it.

[Ccook]

I was using just paperrater.com and it has never been an issue. Recently an article I was writing about how to choose the best secretary job popped up with possible plagiarism in the paperrater checker to two sites. One an online store that sells running shoes. The other was a blog about shoes.

They haven't edited it yet and I can't find what triggered the thing to say it was possibly copied content. But I know I certainly didn't use shoe sites for a secretary article!

Because of things like that, I'm planning to invest in copyscape. I'm just wondering how fast the 200 credits goes down? Isn't that like just 10 articles? So $10 for 10 articles? Argh.

I worry sometimes with all the writers that things are going to start popping up on everyone as being too similar even though the writer was doing nothing wrong.

Good luck!

[siouxsie]

Yes, this happened to me too and I got the same email that stated that if it happens again, they won't be needing my services anymore. Since then, I used Copyscape, but I'm still paranoid that I sometimes run an article through it 3 to 5 times!

[CJWrite]

I think it's about 5 cents per paper/article check.