Your Product =/is My Product

     I blogged earlier in the year about the German teenager who "wrote" a bestselling novel, only to be uncovered as a "copier"...a girl who lifted portions of the novel from the work of others...and felt no need to apologize.
   Now the Times has a story about how prevalent that thinking is among young people.
   Do the rules no longer apply? A professor quoted in the story:

“If you are not so worried about presenting yourself as absolutely unique, then it’s O.K. if you say other people’s words, it’s O.K. if you say things you don’t believe, it’s O.K. if you write papers you couldn’t care less about because they accomplish the task, which is turning something in and getting a grade,” Ms. Blum said, voicing student attitudes. “And it’s O.K. if you put words out there without getting any credit.”

     Wow.
     Helps explain the conversations I've had about "sampling" in music. Why do young people think it is OK to use other people's work without credit.