Technology Use Scenario

Scenario 12: Matt enjoys taking picture with his digital camera. His pictures are quite unusual and can be easily identified as his work. He wants to let other people see his pictures so he posts them on his website. A couple of months later he is surfing the Internet and sees some of his pictures on someone else’s website. At first he is flattered that someone enjoyed his pictures, but on closer inspection he sees that he is not credited anywhere on the site as the person who took the photos. The way the images are posted make it seem as if the site owner had taken the pictures.

From the scenario described above, it is clear that this unknown individual is using technology inappropriately. We’ve talked about digital rights and responsibilities quite a bit through this course; a major part of being a responsible digital citizen is crediting other people’s work. When we make use of or mention other people work in our own posts or papers it is crucial that we give credit to the person who created it. It seems as though Matt takes great pride in his work, and for him or any individual to not get credit for their work can be devastating. This is such a huge problem when so much information is readily available to the public. People often forget to give credit when it’s due. The consequences of plagiarism can be severe; it can result in failing grades, course dismissal, and financial loss among others (Emma, 2014). The individual using Matt’s work should have properly cited the image, so viewers could be linked back to his page. This issue needs to be taken seriously and people should be educated on this topic early on to avoid plagiarism.

References:
Emma, L. (2014). Consequences of Plagiarism and Cheating. Available at
http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/consequences-plagiarism-cheating-6118.html

Ribble, M. (2011). Digital citizenship in schools. (2nd ed.). International Society for Technology in Education