Different people have different motives. In middle school through
college, we teach that it is not plagiarism to take a passage from a
book and rewrite it (however slightly), to paraphrase the words of the
author. Of course, citation is still necessary. That part seems to
elude some students.

Last year, I had a senior seminar and one student attempted to turn in
a paper that they got off a major government website. "No matter
which phrase I google," the professor said, "I come back to this same
paper."

Within the social groups of Objectivism, the problem is known -- and
that is singularly odd, considering the fictional paradigms of that
philosophy.

Some people may want to contribute but have nothing to say -- they
lack knowledge or perhaps they lack confidence. So, they take
something else previously approved and float that as their own boat.

We are social creatures and acculturalization is socialization.
Repeating what you have heard is the way we learn communication.

But, beyond those facile descriptions, Robert, I am as puzzled as you
are.

(Also, I completely forgot about the Star Trek Collecitng thing. Nice
find. Thanks.)

Mike M.
Michael E. Marotta
"Collecting my own writing."