Art is either plagiarism or revolution. Paul Gauguin
everyone’s got an ugly secret. It’s said Gauguin was a ” bully and an abusive husband.” My secret’s that I read [tag]Panama Guide[/tag]. I tell myself it’s OK. That I’m not some sort of foul beast. That I will feel cleansed by this public admission. Or somehow be redeemed by writing this article. I don’t feel either. So I throw myself on your mercy. Please don’t judge me too harshly. Though I may read Panama Guide, I promise I never link to them, nor click on any of their advertisers.
Why the shame about reading Panama Guide? It’s simple, there are no real writers there. The “[tag]thousands of articles in English[/tag]” were written by someone else for someone else. Virtually the entire site is the [tag]intellectual property[/tag] of others. Read more about this “Pirate Website” here.
In truth, there are no revolutions at Panama Guide. Spend some time online and you will see they have embraced a familiar formula. Take ready made content from other sources. Post it on your blog. Rinse and repeat. It’s an attractive business model. A simple formula that works.
On the other hand there’s a grave problem at [tag]Panama After Hours[/tag]. It takes me a week or more to cobble together a story. Search engines and surfers don’t like it when I take so long to post. “Why don’t you post more often?” visitors say.
Panama Guide updates effortlessly. Sometimes several times a day. Blogs that update daily rise to the top of [tag]search engine results[/tag], snare valuable [tag]bookmarks[/tag], and loyal followers. Advertisers who wouldn’t be caught dead on Panama After Hours seemingly run to Panama Guide. Jealous? I admit, I’m in awe of the sociopathic hubris behind the Panama Guide.
I don’t have any intention of emulating this formula. But if you want to make money online. I suggest you do. In fact, I encourage you to steal their content. Create a [tag]mirror site[/tag]. Call it Son of Panama Guide. Duplicate everything they have. They can’t stop you from doing so. It’s not their content. It belongs to [tag]La Prensa[/tag], El Siglo, [tag]La Critica[/tag], [tag]Usa Today[/tag] et al.
Stealing’s as old as [tag]prostitution[/tag]. I love whores. I love [tag]pirates[/tag]. And I love Panama Guide. It’s handy, like a roll of toilet paper when you’re hiking in the jungle. My [tag]Spanish[/tag] is improving. Every day I speak in longer and more complete sentences. Still, reading La Prensa is a chore. Stories plucked from the daily paper and translated into English serves a need. My need for a crutch
“They credit the authors.” you say.
*I can buy a dvd copy of any newly released Hollywood movie in Panama for $3. All I need to do is roll down my window at a red light.
Yes they do. Hats off. It’s not plagiarism if you credit the author. Take what you want as long as you tell people where you got the goods. It’s almost poetic. Denizens of the third word steal content* from the north. Why shouldn’t a gringo steal content from them? I try and imagine how I’d feel if one of my articles ended up reprinted on another site; making money for them, while I went hungry. Would credit make me happy? Would credit feed me, pay my rent, or bar tab? How far do you think Panama Guide’s credit will take me at a [tag]strip club[/tag]?
“Just smart [tag]capitalism[/tag].” you say.
Indeed. I’m with you brother. I want money as much as the next man. It’s just that there are some roads I’m not willing to go down to get it. That doesn’t put me on high ground. If you read Panama After Hours, you know I’m on a bullet train to hell.
For those of you writing original stuff there’s a handy free tool called Copyscape. It searches the internet for stories you’ve written. If you have a blog or Zine you can quickly find out if you been ripped off.
I understand the writer’s need to steal. I’m not so different. I [tag]Google[/tag]d Panama Guide and the title for this article was the top result. To be a writer is to be a thief. A friend says something clever over drinks, its in my journal the following day. Bits and pieces of the world around me end up in all my tales. But an entire guide of stolen articles? A man would have to be shameless to do something like that.
Post Script (dec. 18, 2006): in light of his ongoing criminal behavior, manipulative and vile commentary in forums devoted to panama, i have decided to neither read his site, nor do business with any of his advertisers. i suggest you give the panama guide a wide berth. if you see its owner in the street - cross to the other side.
