I've been plagiarized.
"GotalSaiyajin" on TV.com has been stealing my reviews of numerous shows: Lost, Alias, Buffy, Angel, Battlestar Galactica, Dexter, Highlander. Since he's put up a couple of hundred reviews, I haven't even had time to document all of the word thievery. But after some analysis, I can report that he also steals consistently from a reviewer named Samuel Walters at DauntlessMedia. (Why were Sam and I so lucky? Maybe we should be flattered.)
Here is the plagiarist. His profile, which he took down after I started complaining about him a few days ago, said that he's a dental student from Romania. (As I said in my most recent Lost review after that filling killed poor Alvarez, I knew dentistry was evil.) (Okay, dentistry isn't evil. Sorry about that.) The plagiarist's latest blog entry says he was upset because he wanted to copy someone's test paper and that person wouldn't let him and wasn't she mean? Clearly, he sees nothing wrong in stealing someone else's work.
http://www.tv.com/users/GotalSaiyajin/profile.php
Because I've been asked to supply details, here's the nitty gritty. And this was only a few selected pages. There are two hundred reviews in there, and obviously, nearly every review was stolen; I could have spent all day documenting this crap. A few of the earliest reviews, poorly written and full of grammatical errors, might be his own work.
If you'd like to keep up with this situation, I plan to post updates at the bottom -- so feel free to skip the nitty and go down to the end.
I'd also like to thank MovieMark for bringing the whole situation to my attention. I never would have known if it weren't for him.
http://www.tv.com/users/GotalSaiyajin/history.php?pg_user_reviews=0
Alias "The Nemesis"
His review:
Lauren is now free to focus on the Lazarey murder, but she can't tell Vaughn she's doing it. Vaughn knows who killed Lazarey, but he's forced to protect Sydney and lie to Lauren. It's having an effect on their marriage already. And Vaughn gave Sydney a lingering look while he was fastening the X-cam necklace. A romantic implosion must be approaching. We can only hope. Allison is alive, and miraculously healed after six months in a Covenant hospital in Marseilles. Is it me, or does she have too much of an attitude now that she's not pretending to be Francie any more? Too bad Sydney didn't kill her.
Two paragraphs from my review, which is much longer:
http://www.billiedoux.com/alias3x6.html
Lauren is now free to focus on the Lazarey murder, but she can't tell Vaughn she's doing it. Vaughn knows who killed Lazarey, but he's forced to protect Sydney and lie to Lauren. It's having an effect on their marriage already. And Vaughn gave Sydney a lingering look while he was fastening the X-cam necklace. A romantic implosion must be approaching. We can only hope.
Allison is alive, and miraculously healed after six months in a Covenant hospital in Marseilles. Is it me, or does she have too much of an attitude now that she's not pretending to be Francie any more? Too bad Sydney didn't kill her.
-------------------------------
http://www.tv.com/users/GotalSaiyajin/history.php?pg_user_reviews=5
Alias "Cypher"
His review:
Irina continued to manipulate away, and I think she's making progress with Sydney. But she certainly isn't getting anywhere with Jack, at least not yet; whatever Irina was trying to sell Jack with that speech about their marriage, he wasn't buying. I was sorta hoping for more fireworks. Ah, well; the season is young. Vaughn and Will finally met, and Will almost instantly picked up on Vaughn's feelings for Sydney. Will seems to be handling the complete obliteration of his former life with humor and aplomb. He's also bunking with Sydney and Francie; that's a situation fraught with possible peril.
Two paragraphs from my review:
http://www.billiedoux.com/alias2x3.html
Irina continued to manipulate away, and I think she's making progress with Sydney. But she certainly isn't getting anywhere with Jack, at least not yet; whatever Irina was trying to sell Jack with that speech about their marriage, he wasn't buying. I was sorta hoping for more fireworks. Ah, well; the season is young.
Vaughn and Will finally met, and Will almost instantly picked up on Vaughn's feelings for Sydney. Will seems to be handling the complete obliteration of his former life with humor and aplomb. He's also bunking with Sydney and Francie; that's a situation fraught with possible peril.
-------------------------------
http://www.tv.com/users/GotalSaiyajin/history.php?pg_user_reviews=10
Now, this page is a multi-show extravaganza of rip-off.
Angel "City of"
His review:
One of the advantages of a spin-off series is that the actors and writers are already comfortable with their characters. Boreanaz really knows his character by now, and it shows. I couldn't help but notice that Angel seemed a lot more comfortable as a dark hero in L.A. than he did as a teenager's love interest in the sticks. He was definitely able to carry the lead role, and I think they're going to let him stay in touch with his inner monster. I've always rather liked Cordelia, too, and I think her shallow materialism and uninhibited narcissism complements Angel's angst and depression very well. Poor Cordy isn't used to failure, and that was rather endearing. I really enjoyed the scene where she figured out in fairly short order that Russell was a vamp. She didn't grow up in Sunnydale for nothing.
Two paragraphs from my review:
http://www.billiedoux.com/angel1x1.html
One of the advantages of a spin-off series is that the actors and writers are already comfortable with their characters. Boreanaz really knows his character by now, and it shows. I couldn't help but notice that Angel seemed a lot more comfortable as a dark hero in L.A. than he did as a teenager's love interest in the sticks. He was definitely able to carry the lead role, and I think they're going to let him stay in touch with his inner monster.
I've always rather liked Cordelia, too, and I think her shallow materialism and uninhibited narcissism complements Angel's angst and depression very well. Poor Cordy isn't used to failure, and that was rather endearing. I really enjoyed the scene where she figured out in fairly short order that Russell was a vamp. She didn't grow up in Sunnydale for nothing.
Battlestar Galactica "Daybreak part 2"
His review:
I completely understand why the Colonials and Cylons chose to do what they did, to break the cycle once and for all. But the more I thought about it, the more it disturbed me. By destroying all of their ships and scattering into small groups around the globe, they chose to completely obliterate their culture. It was like they never existed; only some of their genes remained. Kara Thrace really did lead them to their end. And the ambiguous coda in Times Square suggested that the cycle may very well assert itself here on Earth, today. Roslin saying goodbye to Cottle. Adama giving his stars to Hoshi. Starbuck kissing Anders goodbye, and him guiding the fleet into the Sun. Adama in a viper, leaving Galactica for the last time. Adama and Lee saying goodbye forever. Roslin dying during that lovely Out of Africa moment, and Adama putting his ring on her dead finger. At least she made it to the end of the journey. Adama built that cabin for her, after all.
Two paragraphs from my review:
http://www.billiedoux.com/bsg4x20.html
[bottom]
I completely understand why the Colonials and Cylons chose to do what they did, to break the cycle once and for all. But the more I thought about it, the more it disturbed me. By destroying all of their ships and scattering into small groups around the globe, they chose to completely obliterate their culture. It was like they never existed; only some of their genes remained. Kara Thrace really did lead them to their end. And the ambiguous coda in Times Square suggested that the cycle may very well assert itself here on Earth, today.
[middle]
If you've read any of my reviews, you know I'm a wuss. I got choked up over and over again. Roslin saying goodbye to Cottle. Adama giving his stars to Hoshi. Starbuck kissing Anders goodbye, and him guiding the fleet into the Sun. Adama in a viper, leaving Galactica for the last time. Adama and Lee saying goodbye forever. Roslin dying during that lovely Out of Africa moment, and Adama putting his ring on her dead finger. At least she made it to the end of the journey. Adama built that cabin for her, after all.
The Knight Rider review at the bottom is stolen from Samuel Walters, Dauntlessmedia.net:
http://dauntlessmedia.net/knight-rider/102-journey-to-the-end-of-knight-review.html
-------------------------------
http://www.tv.com/users/GotalSaiyajin/history.php?pg_user_reviews=15
This page has reviews stolen from Samuel Walters, DauntlessMedia. Here are two.
X-Files:
http://dauntlessmedia.net/x-files/season1/179-pilot.html
Lost:
http://dauntlessmedia.net/lost/413-theres-no-place-like-home-parts-2-3.html
-------------------------------
http://www.tv.com/users/GotalSaiyajin/history.php?pg_user_reviews=35
Here, he returns to plagiarizing me -- Lost reviews "Orientation", "Adrift", "Man of Science, Man of Faith." I don't really need to quote paragraphs at this point, do I?
http://www.billiedoux.com/lost2x1.html
http://www.billiedoux.com/lost2x2.html
http://www.billiedoux.com/lost2x3.html
-------------------------------
http://www.tv.com/users/GotalSaiyajin/history.php?pg_user_reviews=45
The first Dexter review is apparently stolen from MovieTome, although I can't access it because I'm not a member. Search a quoted line on Google and see for yourself.
The second Dexter review of "Seeing Red" is two paragraphs of my review.
http://www.billiedoux.com/dexter1x10.html
Personally, I want this Gotal character gone. And I would like to assure him that from here on out, I'll be searching random selections of my reviews online every few weeks to make certain it doesn't happen again.
UPDATES:
So far: A TV.com moderator has assured me that they'll be looking into this situation on Monday.
UPDATE SUNDAY NIGHT: Mr. Serial Plagiarist is obviously reading my blog because he started deleting the reviews I specifically mentioned. And to think he told me that he *couldn't* delete them because his roommate put them up! What a load of hooey. Guess he can tell what's coming. Maybe he doesn't know that even if he deletes them, TV.com still has access to them.
UPDATE MID-DAY MONDAY: I've been checking off and on and I just noticed that *all* of Mr. Serial Plagiarist's reviews are now gone! Yay!
UPDATE MONDAY NIGHT: A TV.com rep has told me that Mr. Serial Plagiarist has gotten a five day suspension. That's it. Five days, and he gets to come back and do it all again. They have rules about progressive moderation, and apparently, stealing 200 reviews isn't enough to get booted. What do you have to do to get booted from TV.com? Stalk someone? Shoot puppies? I personally feel that such excessive plagiarism is more than enough. I also feel that I spent a lot of time on this problem, and as a member of TV.com, I have not been fairly treated.
I was one of the original featured reviewers on TV Tome before it was bought out by TV.com. I've posted reviews here and there since the buy-out just to keep my hand in, and I do get referral hits from TV.com now and then. But I'm very tempted at this point to just close up my tent, remove my reviews, and delete my account.
FINAL UPDATE, TUESDAY NIGHT: I have been told by a TV.com rep that Mr. Serial Plagiarist has been banned from TV.com, after all. I'm pleased that TV.com came through and took this action, and not just because of me. Thinking he can get away with stealing other people's work would not do him any favors in life. Plagiarism could lose the guy his career. I wish him... I was about to say I wish him well. I don't. But I hope he learns something from this experience.
YET ANOTHER UPDATE, THURSDAY NIGHT: Just when I thought it was over, I got an email last night from another alert reader (thank you so much, Shabeeh) who found another person on TV.com who was also plagiarizing my reviews. I reported it last night. I was told tonight that the reviews are now gone and the person has been disciplined or moderated or something. I was encouraged to use the "report abuse" button if this happens again.
I'm starting to think the format of TV.com has something to do with this. If you can't write and you want points -- and you have no conscience -- what do you do? I can't be the only writer that has been plagiarized like this on TV.com. I was just lucky enough to find out about it.