After being immersed in this digital world for many years I’ve determined that plagiarism is a legitimate career path. Even some of the top “gurus” have built their brands by stealing crap. Nobody seems to notice or care. Enough evidence has accumulated to declare that this a viable way to succeed. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to know this world is real and how little ethics or critical thinking matter any more.
Here is my theory. Years ago people who were not very capable could still thrive in business through connections and politics. On the web, none of that works. So to survive, they have to steal the content and ideas of others to appear authoritative and smart. The Internet is so vast and the churn is so great that being a fake can work for a long time, even if some people figure it out. This is the new business model.
It is what it is. Carry on.
(Stolen from Isaac Pigott, all-around smart guy who blogs at www.occamsrazr.com.)