Of course, most of it doesn't appear to have been hers to begin with.

After War Doc brought it to my attention on Saturday, I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and give her a day or two to remove any and all content copied from other sources, since she had a story explaining it (genmessage.php?board=5&topic=26877669).

In the past, we have had several cases where a contributor has unknowingly accepted submissions from a third party for inclusion in their guide, so her story wasn't too unbelievable... but given that War Doc found over 40 guides that where simply copied word-for-word text from mid-90's strategy guides, and I personally spotted about 10 more, it just wasn't that simple.

Of course, I've also been doing some research, and found that her story doesn't really mesh. The fact that guides submitted from back on 4/2/04 to as recently as a couple of weeks ago contain content copied word-for-word from published strategy books seems to outweigh any argument that it was a simple mistake. This isn't just a case of plagiarism, but outright copyright violation, and the only reason it went on so long was the utter obscurity of the source material.

The good news is that we've got more than enough good, honest contributors here to make up for what's been lost (relatively few unique guides out of the 300+ submitted).

Finally, I'd personally like to apologize to all of our FAQ writers here for not catching it sooner. I actually have a couple of the books in question, but I never gave her contributions a second thought until War Doc was lucky enough to remember the wording sounded very familiar.

---
The great thing about schadenfreude is that it's something everyone can enjoy. Well... almost everyone.

Wow. That was unexpected, but on the same page, it sort of was...

---
Devin Morgan | CRP #3579
NES Completion Project: http://faqs.retronintendo.com

Wow, I leave for 2 hours and this happens.
---
Wake Forest 17-16 (3-13) Next game: 1st Round NIT Minnesota
Sign My Petition: Receive Notification if Contribution is Taken Down

Sounds good. Let this be a lesson to all.

---
Living by chance, loving by choice, killing by profession

I just checked, but none of the FAQ's are gone (to my knowledge). Are they just going to be removed on the next update?
---
Wake Forest 17-16 (3-13) Next game: 1st Round NIT Minnesota
Sign My Petition: Receive Notification if Contribution is Taken Down

Wow.
---
Borrow money from pessimists -- they don't expect it back.

It's unfortunate that this had to happen, but it is what had to happen.

---
585467 Centipede | Complete FAQS: 38
http://ccc.domaindlx.com/CoolZomb/ Zombies! (Warning: Blood, etc)

How can you be so dumb as to copy from several guides word for word? Did she never think she would be caught?
---
Mmm... Coaster...

Do people ever think they're gonna be caught?
---
Remember kids, pronunciation is like spelling: It might not be necessary to communicate, but it does keep you from sounding like an idiot when you do ~ Eclipse

Well, this is beyond unexpected. Good to see a wrong being righted I suppose...
---
http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/file/wwe_svr_2006_a.txt
My SD Vs. Raw 2006 FAQ.

Wow.

I would have hoped she would have been able to resolve it without being banned and wiped entirely, but it looks like that wish will never be granted.

Justice was served, although it was with an iron fist.
---
Q!

Good to see the matter handled quickly and justice done. Let this be a warning to future plagiarists... ah hell, they never listen anyways...
---
If your boss ever gets you down, just stare at him through the prongs of a fork and imagine him in jail.
o.O Push button to turn on. Play with button to drive wild...

I think the punishment fits the crime, because of the reasons people have mentioned in various threads. Posting guides other people wrote is plagiarism and a selfish insult to the people who worked so hard on them in the first place.

The fact that she did it all just to have a high KB count is downright sad. It's fun to say "Hey, I've contributed more than everyone else!" That's something to be proud of, if it was actually your work (though as my contributor page shows, I can't say that about FAQs with a satisfying degree of personal experience). But if she didn't write the stuff, that's like activating a cheat in a first-person shooter that fires through brick walls, then bragging about how you're the greatest gamer of all time.

CJayC's decision to remove her content was prudent (because GameFAQs doesn't need to be open to potential legal action) and it was the right thing to do, out of respect for the rest of us who work so hard to make FAQ writing the competitive and enjoyable passtime it is today and should be in the future. It might sound silly, but this incident just makes me all the more anxious for the day when I have time to finish my Wild Arms: Alter Code F FAQ.

FAQ writing, when done right, is immensely rewarding and very demanding. I hope these events remind people of that fact for months to come.

---
http://www.honestgamers.com/contests.php
Win a free game for contributing the month's best submission!

That's great. One more plagarizer out of the picture! ^_^
---
Xbox Live Gamertag: Rlwinst
MKDS Friend Code: 249170-860038

Even though plagiarizers get caught, they never learn.
---
The world before the fall... Delightful is the light of dawn... Noble is the heart of man...

I'm curious how people find out about the copying and plagiarism. Did people compare her faqs with all the other posted faqs and printed strategy guides? That would take forever, causing other plagiarized works to not be caught, which would be a problem.

For both faqs I submitted, I was so afraid of them looking plagiarized (even unintentionally). After writing them (and before submitting), I would double-check with others' faqs, not just to make sure I got the information correct, but to also make sure my words and styles weren't identical to them.
---
I don't do favorites on people and characters.

A Hypro topic would be good right about now to lighten the mood a bit.
---
RO Server I play on: www.deliverance-online.com
Forum name: Skylight

fishy071: Since I'm the one that opened this can of worms, I'll tell you what happened.

I was looking for some reference info for Shining Force when I looked at her FAQ. The wording looked very familiar so I pulled out my "Awesome Sega Genesis Secrets 4" book and started a comparison. Her guide was word-for-word from the book.

I then went through 30 more of her Genesis FAQ's and compared them to my "Awesome Sega Genesis Secrets <insert #>" books and I found all of her FAQ's were word-for-word for the ones I found.

I also went through all her Jaguar FAQ's and they were word-for-word from the "Atari Gamers Official Gamer's Guide".

That's how it was done. I spent about an hour and a half Saturday citing these references. Keep in mind that these books came out between 1990 and 1995 so most people wouldn't even think of them.

There are those of us who have been gaming before most people on this board were born;)

Remember, when you do this kind of copying, there is always someone around who knows where the info came from.

---
Living by chance, loving by choice, killing by profession

I always feel saddened at the loss of a contributor.

Once they start down the dark path, forever does it dominate their destiny.
---
The killer, karmic©, charismatic, cryptastic©, clever Kirby!
FAQs: 24 (2003KB) | CRP: 43180 | Images: 6

I've been gaming whenever I could find a spare second since 1988. That's a lot of gaming. I only just recently realized that this means today's 16-year-olds weren't even born when I started. It's a sobering thought.

I wonder how many obscure magazine FAQs that I read when I was younger have found their way to GameFAQs as "original FAQs" by various contributors. Do you think anything Jeff Rovin wrote might be circulating?

---
http://www.honestgamers.com/contests.php
Win a free game for contributing the month's best submission!

From: honestgamer | Posted: 3/14/2006 1:54:48 AM | Message Detail
I've been gaming whenever I could find a spare second since 1988. That's a lot of gaming. I only just recently realized that this means today's 16-year-olds weren't even born when I started. It's a sobering thought.

Ditto. But at the same time, it makes me feel all old.
---
RO Server I play on: www.deliverance-online.com
Forum name: Skylight

Once they start down the dark path, forever does it dominate their destiny.


Star Wars FTW.
---
Xbox Live Gamertag: Rlwinst
MKDS Friend Code: 249170-860038

Let me make you all feel old. I've been gaming since 1974. The first reference I remember to games was a magazine article which showed one how to use the non-shooting cheat on Galaga.

---
Living by chance, loving by choice, killing by profession

Great, does this mean I just became Yoda who is on the path of light?

---
Living by chance, loving by choice, killing by profession

From: War Doc | Posted: 3/14/2006 2:04:43 AM | Message Detail
Great, does this mean I just became Yoda who is on the path of light?

Yes. Thanks for the reassurance, too. =)
---
RO Server I play on: www.deliverance-online.com
Forum name: Skylight

*snickers* You know, this is one of my biggest pet peeves. People who lie or cheat to get ahead instead of doing it the legitimate way.

---
Living by chance, loving by choice, killing by profession

Yes, War Doc. And I am Obi-Wan Kenobi.
---
Xbox Live Gamertag: Rlwinst
MKDS Friend Code: 249170-860038

I call Luke Skywalker. I may get zapped and "dis-armed" (lol pun) but I still live on!
---
The killer, karmic©, charismatic, cryptastic©, clever Kirby!
FAQs: 24 (2003KB) | CRP: 43180 | Images: 6

Thanks War Doc! I guess the suspicion was also raised by the talk of her 10 MB submission. I don't know why people would be comfortable with cheating.

There are those of us who have been gaming before most people on this board were born;)
That is true. You have been gaming for a long time.

---
I don't do favorites on people and characters.

I call Luke Skywalker. I may get zapped and "dis-armed" (lol pun) but I still live on!


I may have lost an Apprentice, but I trained you!
---
Xbox Live Gamertag: Rlwinst
MKDS Friend Code: 249170-860038

From: Super Slash | Posted: 3/14/2006 2:23:11 AM | Message Detail
I call Luke Skywalker. I may get zapped and "dis-armed" (lol pun) but I still live on!


I may have lost an Apprentice, but I trained you!

And look what happened.
---
RO Server I play on: www.deliverance-online.com
Forum name: Skylight

Nothing bad, unless I'm misunderstanding something. >_>
---
Xbox Live Gamertag: Rlwinst
MKDS Friend Code: 249170-860038

From: kirbyroks | Posted: 3/14/2006 1:54:37 AM | Message Detail | #019
I always feel saddened at the loss of a contributor.

Once they start down the dark path, forever does it dominate their destiny.

My sentiments exactly. That said...

From: War Doc | Posted: 3/14/2006 2:06:37 AM | Message Detail | #026
You know, this is one of my biggest pet peeves. People who lie or cheat to get ahead instead of doing it the legitimate way.

I could not agree with this post more. I abhor people who use dishonest methods to get ahead, and from a GameFAQs perspective I consider plagiarism to be the single biggest crime one can commit against the site. Crap gets done on the boards and people get banned for it all the time, but nothing is worse than what DJ did, regardless of how much we may have liked her before this was discovered.

People like this put a strain on honest people, as they get screwed over so often in life that they begin viewing honesty and goodness as disabilities; I'm one of these people, sadly.







This reminds me of an old issue that Devin brought up once. Is it wrong to use official guides to fill in missing spots on your guides? I did this once, but with DoubleJump's advance permission.

~*ST*~
---
Winner of the Spring 2004 "Best. Game. Ever." Contest
Currently Playing: Deus Ex, FFTA, MMX5, C&C, FF4A

Whoa, one of the biggest contributors and the most diverse author was plagiarising... glad she got caught though. I'll remove her profile from my site on the next update too.
---
32/48 Full Circle | Y.T.W.S.R. |
The FAQer Profiles and History - http://homepages.tesco.net/vicky.reynolds1

^ DO IT! - Palpatine
---
The world before the fall... Delightful is the light of dawn... Noble is the heart of man...

Awesome.
---
I'm not a cynic. I'm just a realist.
http://70.86.201.113/imageserv2/temporary/PBF011ADHammerScrewed.html

Good to hear, as theft is theft, whether inadvertant or not. The love and support she is getting here still baffles me though...
---
66 FAQs for games never covered at www.GameFAQs.com.
Now with a NES FAQ for each letter of the alphabet!

[This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

Repost that with an offensive warning, Brian...

---
Devin Morgan | CRP #3579
NES Completion Project: http://faqs.retronintendo.com

Wow, the delusions continue!

WARNING: POSSIBLY OFFENSIVE

http://reraleonheart1.livejournal.com/32767.html
---
66 FAQs for games never covered at www.GameFAQs.com.
Now with a NES FAQ for each letter of the alphabet!

Count me out as one of the 300 unique contributors.
---
http://www.antseezee.com/ - Writer of 57 FAQs
[.-.] RIP Kao Megura ["-"]

From: brian sulpher | Posted: 3/14/2006 7:26:49 AM | Message Detail
Wow, the delusions continue!

DJ Tigressa is a special person, to say the very, very least.
---
http://www.google.com - Use it, don't ask for things that are common knowledge on the internet. ^*!KotR!*^

Also, War Doc. May I ask how you found my wiki for HigherVoltage? I appreciate the information and all, but as you can see, she is a VERY SPECIAL PERSON.
---
http://www.google.com - Use it, don't ask for things that are common knowledge on the internet. ^*!KotR!*^

I have to admit it was through me he found that Wiki. Someone linked me in a thread about an attack upon my LJ when someone posted *** porn through out it. I had to say I suspected someone else more than DJ, but it appears the anonymously posted wiki turns out be a far better suspect.
---
66 FAQs for games never covered at www.GameFAQs.com.
Now with a NES FAQ for each letter of the alphabet!

Oh man, she did that too? I mean, it's not uncommon, but I wish she used one of her trademark aliases like JAGO M. STEEL.

Mind linking me to said entries? We're trying to do a special indepth study on this particular specimen.
---
http://www.google.com - Use it, don't ask for things that are common knowledge on the internet. ^*!KotR!*^

o.O wtf!?
---
If your boss ever gets you down, just stare at him through the prongs of a fork and imagine him in jail.
o.O Push button to turn on. Play with button to drive wild...

Tigresa and his/her supposed sister Pantera have a history of making up pretty much everything they say. Here's a sample from one of their livejournals.

"Ahh! Tokyo Game Show 2004 was a blast. Me and Tigresa got to attend all three shows thanks to Gamespy. We even took pictures for them too. A lot of people recognized us over in Japan from our many FAQs written and some even asked for our autographs which we did. We also did an interview with a roup called TGS press 2004 and look for their interview site to be up sometime in the future. It reveal a little more about us and hush all that garbage about a certain incident."

The compy did something funny and ate my post. Dammit.

Anyway, the punchline for me was that for anyone who needs to copy stuff word-for-word, there is no appeal for this kind of hobby. The reason I do this is because writing is my favorite hobby of all. I enjoy the very act of writing, sitting and writing about a game.

If one does not, I can only imagine that this hobby would be filled with drudgery and frustration. The best thing for them to do is to pursue something else, something not as glamorous, like movie star or Vice President.

---
No matter what they say, or what threats they make, or wars they start, always, always, always, MAKE 7UP YOURS!!

Well, now she is acted like a child.

:ROFL at the concept of someone going to all this effort to impress a bunch of FAQers:
---
www.papagamer.com
Own the game