Contemptible hacks scorn bloggers, but it doesn’t stop them “borrowing” our work.

Yesterday, I received a number of emails about an article that appeared in a national newspaper, which bore a striking resemblance to something I had written.

In this business, there are certain words you don’t use lightly, even if you’re quite sure they apply to a given situation. I’m not going to use any of those words – or one word in particular – which used to be a career ender in journalism, except at those handful of publications that lack professional standards or simply don’t care about them.

Most people who know what I’m talking about will be aware that I don’t regard the individual in question as having standards in the first place, so nothing about this episode has surprised me in the least. Someone who has never had an original thought in his life blatantly appropriating someone else’s original work and passing it off as his own is hardly new among the lazy incompetents who make up the Scottish sporting press.

I’m not the only blogger this has happened to, and it will almost certainly happen again.

But for a so-called industry professional to do this so blatantly should embarrass that person – and ought to embarrass the people at the title where he works. I’m certain more than one person there reads the content on this site, so they must have recognised what he did here, just as quickly as all the people who emailed me about it.

Since he liked the last piece so much, here’s another for him: The 12 Stages of Copying Someone Else’s Work.

1. Admit it’s tempting: Realise that copying is easier than creating something from scratch.

Try not to think that getting caught will make you look like a halfwit.

2. Minimise the guilt: Tell yourself it’s just a small shortcut and nobody will notice.

Then cross your fingers and hope they don’t. Too late.

3. Blame the system: Convince yourself that everyone does it and it’s just part of the game.

Except not everyone does. Some of us work hard.

4. Rationalise your actions: Think of excuses like “It’s just for reference” or “It’s not like anyone will know.”

Except everyone does – I’ve had two dozen emails about it since yesterday.

5. Dodge accountability: Avoid acknowledging that using someone else’s work without credit is wrong.

Not that this ever bothered the hacks who have done it to me or other bloggers in the past.

6. Diversify your excuses: Come up with creative justifications for why it’s okay to borrow without asking.

Tell yourself that obscure inspiration often strikes more than one person at a time, that perhaps inspiration is like an airborne virus. Whatever helps you sleep at night.

7. Shift the focus: Point fingers at others or blame the high-pressure environment for your lapse in ethics.

Except when you only have one article to write a week, that comes across as lame and pathetic. If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.

8. Deflect criticism: If someone calls you out, argue that they’re overreacting or being too harsh.

Or better yet, ignore them. Which is what you’ll do, because you’re primarily a coward.

9. Play the victim: Claim that you’re being unfairly targeted or misunderstood.

Or that I imagined it. Maybe I did. But if I did, then all the people who emailed me about it imagined it too.

10. Repeat the behaviour: Continue repurposing other people’s work, believing you’ll get away with it or that the consequences aren’t severe.

In short, why break the habit of a lifetime?

11. Avoid learning: Ignore the feedback or repercussions, and don’t take steps to change your ways.

It’s too late for that anyway. Behavioural change doesn’t come at your age.

12. Repeat the cycle: Move on to the next piece of work, and keep the cycle going.

After all, this wasn’t the first time, so there’s no reason to expect it’ll be the last.