IT’S 3:30 A.M.. LET US SAY ONE IS ‘COPYING FROM A BOOK’

Fri. May 7, 2004
Categories: Abstract Dynamics

Speaking of Ccru….
Undercurrent brings news of a stupefying example of ‘plagiarism’. It actually goes far beyond plagiarism, since the culprit’s typical MO involves reproducing the original texts with the odd word replaced, sometimes with comic effect. e.g. ‘Coarse materialism’ becomes ‘course materialism.’
I don’t think I’ve ever encountered quite so sustained an example of textual theft. What I love is that he has the gall to put ‘copyright Adrian Gargett’ on some of these witless collages.
Quite what the motive is for Gargett replacing words in the original texts is especially mysterious; it’s not as if this will disguise the text to the reader who’s familiar with it; but it effectively robs him of any argument that he is merely propagating the texts (in a way that bears out their machinic impersonality).
Some argue that Gargett is engaging in a Sokalesque spoof on the academy in which he exposes for ridicule the ludicrous laxness of peer review. Perhaps….
The whole thing is both utterly hilarious and terribly sad…

8 Responses to “IT’S 3:30 A.M.. LET US SAY ONE IS ‘COPYING FROM A BOOK’”

  1. Dave S Says:

    That is just astounding – followed all the links thru. it beggars belief! well uncovered, all concerned

  2. sphaleotas Says:

    I’ll cover the other five we’ve come across in a follow-up article.

  3. sherlock Says:

    At least Gargett doesn’t go so far as to echo Land’s naive support for notorious neoconservative bigot Daniel Pipes (here)

  4. sphaleotas Says:

    “According to the Sikh religion humans are the masks of angels and demons, and my own infernal lineaments bear little ambiguity (everywhere I go, the shadows thicken)…”

  5. johneffay Says:

    So where’s he ripping off his film reviews from, and who remembers him at Warwick (or anywhere else for that matter)?

  6. sphaleotas Says:

    Make that six…

  7. sphaleotas Says:

    Make that seven…

  8. sphaleotas Says:

    Make that nine…