Wiston Papers

Is it curating or is it stealing?

“You sure look busy today,” waitress Beverly noted as she poured coffee and watched John type away on his smartphone.

“Yeah, I’ve got a lot of work today...whew,” John wiped his brow, quickly sipped and returned to typing.

“What do you mean working?” I asked.

“I’m writing my blog,”  typing continues.

“You have a blog?  What’s it about?”  I wondered.

“Oh, I don’t know yet.  Haven’t decided.  But when I’m done I’ve got to tell everyone about it on Twitter,”  small beads of sweat beginn to form on John’s brow as he gulps more coffee.

“Wait a minute.  You’re telling me you have a blog, but you don’t have anything to write about?

“No,” John corrected. “I’m not telling you that.  You’ll have to wait and read it on Facebook.”

“So you’re friending me about something you’re writing but you haven’t decided what it’s about.” I feel a migraine coming on.

“You’re right.  I need a topic,” John looks up as if seeking divine inspiration. “I got it.  I’ll just post somebody’s else’s stuff.  That’s the ticket.  I’ll just curate for my blog.”

“Curate?  Isn’t just a fancy word for plagiarism?” I argued.

“Oh, heavens!”  John looked with a painful expression.  “I would never steal anything.  I’m just...uh...collecting and sharing.”

But, John, that’s wrong.  You can’t just...”

“After I curate my blog I should paste a picture of my topic to Instagram for everyone to see,”  John wiped his forehead with a napkin.

“A picture?”  I tried to intervene.  “How do you think that you can take a picture of someone else’s creation...”

“That’s true,” John began to come to senses I hoped. “I’ll also need to video it and upload it to YouTube, Vimeo, and maybe even CNN iReport.”  

“YouTube and CNN...?”

“Good point,”  John acknowledged, “I wonder if FOX News has a site for video, too?”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this,”  as I leaned back to control myself and spilled coffee on my shirt.

“Great idea, thanks.  Listening...yes...I can get inspiration and content from Last FM.”

“Stop it, John!” I slammed my cup on the table spewing more coffee on my already soaked shirt.  “You have to post you’re own creations. Not other people’s ideas.  You’ve got lots of...uh...ideas. What about your Gay Marriage Counseling business...or...or...your campaign for Congress...and...and..you and your former lady friend were into nutritional food and healthy living, right?”

“Of course, LinkedIn, would be perfect for that,”  John is sweating profusely with droplets falling into his coffee.

“At last you’ve seen the light,”  I tried to relax.

“And I’ll use Foursquare to let all my followers and friends know that I’m here and you’re helping me.

“What!  Wait a minute...” I protested.

“I don’t know about Foursquare, boys,” Beverly dropped off the bill.  “But Two Squares here seems about right.”

Steve Coon

September 15, 2012