If you’re a lawyer who is pulling $350 an hour as an expert witness, here’s some advice on plagiarizing Wikipedia when you’re feeling too lazy to write about a topic: Don’t do it. It’s crazy unprofessional, and even if you don’t get penalized for it, that just looks bad. This is Wikipedia we are talking about; any yahoo can sign in and tell you that Washington really had wooden teeth.

Nevertheless, professor James Feinerman now has egg on his face for using Wikipedia, and not only for that, but for plagiarizing it on 13 pages of his 19-page report on Chinese government.

“Feinerman’s pervasive plagiarism from this unreliable and error-prone source, which has been rejected by federal courts all over the country, casts serious doubt on the reliability of his entire testimony,” pointed out Stuart Gassner, lawyer for a California businessman named Walter Liew, indicted last year in a trade secrets case, as reported by Above the Law.

Above the Law also juxtaposed some of the plagiaristic adaptations going on in this paper. Consider these two paragraphs, the first written by Feinerman:

[The Organization Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee] is a secretive and highly trusted agency, and it is at the heart of China’s Leninist party system. It controls the more than 70 million party personnel assignments throughout the national system, and compiles detailed and confidential reports on future potential leaders of the Party.

Wikipedia reads this way:

The Organization Department is one of the most important organs of the CPC. It is a secretive and highly trusted agency, and forms the institutional heart of the Leninist party system. It controls the more than 70 million party personnel assignments throughout the national system, and compiles detailed and confidential reports on future potential leaders of the Party.

Clearly some noncreative use of a sketchy source of information went into play here, and even if Feinerman escapes charges of plagiarism, it’s a black eye on his professionalism, let there be no doubt.

The post Law Prof Plagiarizes Wikipedia in Expert Witness Report first appeared on JDJournal Blog.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!

(source)

So, normally I am not so much a fan of Valentine’s day. But this year, I addressed the issue in my February goals and I decided that rather spending my energy being hateful, I would embrace the holiday! I’m normally a big fan of themed things, so really, I should love this holiday!

(source)

I decided to first do a little background research on Valentine’s Day itself. Everyone calls it a “Hallmark” holiday, meaning that it was invented by card companies to make more money. I decided to learn where the holiday really came from in the first place. And where’s the best place to start? Wikipedia.

It was first established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD, and was later deleted from the General Roman Calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI.

The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). (source)

Saint Valentine

What I found most interesting about this article is that they sent greeting cards in the 15th century! How random is that? I thought it was a more recent thing, especially since there wasn’t really a postal service before, just a man on a horse! So, of course, I looked up greeting cards on Wikipedia and found that greeting cards began in China to celebrate the new years and that handmade paper greeting cards began to be exchanged in Europe by the early 15th Century.

Also, I was browsing the Runners World and came across a Valentine’s Day related article called Chocolate: Now Good for Endurance by Amby Burfoot. Obviously, it grabbed my interest. Because it’s not like I’m obsessed with chocolate or something…

The article first discussed how low-fat chocolate milk is a great option to refuel after a workout, due to it having fluids, carbs and protein. However, the article went on to say that dark chocolate, especially the variety that comes closest to the natural cacao bean, is said to improve endothelial function. This means that you have flexible arteries, which is helpful in resisting cholesterol deposits.

Now, I know most of you reading this blog aren’t currently worried about cholesterol deposits in your arteries,  however, we always say start healthy habits now!

The article also says that, among mice (ha), that the active ingredient in chocolate results in a “greater endurance capacity.” This information came from an article in the Journal of Physiology, published in July of 2011. I skimmed the study and it looked pretty interesting. If you’re a science nerd like me, you can find it here.

So if anyone gave you chocolate for Valentine’s Day (especially dark chocolate…) then go crazy! Haha, it’s good for you!

Oh and remember how I baked those cookies for an Environmental Law Society bake sale on Monday, and said I had to sit at the table for an hour and sell things? Well, it actually made my Monday WAY better!

Although I couldn’t eat any of the goodies, it really made the time pass to be sitting at the table and it was great to chat with the people who came by! I’m glad I signed up, my long Monday didn’t feel quite as long!

And if you start to have any negative feelings today (whether you’re single, or attached but disappointed in your V-day with your man), then remember this:

(Also from Anette’s pinterest page)

Have a great Valentine’s Day everyone!

And if you need a Valentine, there is plenty of me to go around, because I love all of you for reading! THANK YOU!

What are your opinions on Valentine’s Day?

Any fun plans for the day? Wearing any red or pink?

The post You Knew This Was Coming… first appeared on JDJournal Blog.

In order to express its opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act, Wikipedia plans to go offline tomorrow. The bill, SOPA, gives the United States government power to stop citizens from accessing foreign websites accused by rights holders of piracy.

Wikipedia’s choice to shutdown the website will enlighten internet users across the planet on the prominent influence of this user-generated, free online encyclopedia. For user that cannot go a day without this convenience, there are alternative ways to access the online encyclopedia during its blackout.

Download Wikipedia Content

You can download original Wiki content today in order to have access to the information during the blackout tomorrow. There are ways to download the entire archive to your personal computer. However, this will take quite a bit of time and take up a significant amount of space on your hard drive. Instead of taking that route, you can consider downloading only the information that you may need tomorrow.

If you know that you will have something to research that Wikipedia will help you with, consider visiting those pages today. Take a few moments to copy and past the information that you need into a document. Then save it for use tomorrow and you won’t be hindered by the blackout.

Use A Mirror Website

The encyclopedia offered by Free Dictionary provides users with Wikipedia content through its site. It will allow you to access original Wikipedia content in the midst of this blackout period. Once you arrive on this mirror site, select the “Wikipedia encyclopedia” tap to access the Wikipedia content. You can then search whatever you need to find on Wikipedia and it will take you to that information.

Choose An Alternative to Wikipedia

There are several alternatives available to Wikipedia. These sites also produce free, user-generated content. Before posting, authors must verify alleged credentials. It will help you to access some information whether you are writing a blog post, article or paper. While its not the Wikipedia we all know and love, it may help you make it through the long day without it.

Create Your Own Blackout

While your own boycott of the Internet may not have the same effect of Wikipedia’s blackout, it is still a viable option for this day. By abstaining from using the Internet for a day, you will not have the need for Wikipedia, and may finally get to read that dusty book on your shelf.

Wikipedia has scheduled the blackout to begin at Midnight EST and will continue for a span of 24 hours.

The post Surviving the Wikipedia Blackout of 2012 first appeared on JDJournal Blog.