Check That Writing

Over the years I've written about a lot of free apps. I'm going to take some time in the next few days to organize all those posts under the label Free App. Those posts will also still be labeled Technology for those accustomed to finding them there.

Today's Free App

Today's free app is one that will help you identify if a work has been copied. In other words, it's about plagiarism, a subject of great interest to authors everywhere. One of the problems in today's world is that too many people think it's okay to copy something off the Internet and pass it off as their own work. This is wrong. The general public seems not to realize that.

Scan My Essay

This website offers a plagiarism checker. They say that they have scanned over 10 billion resources. They offer an easy interface, and it's free. Unfortunately, it's also for Windows only.

Students

The website is aimed at students who may be confused about whether or not they can include something in a paper. I can see that this app would also be beneficial for a lot of bloggers who are unclear about the legalities of posting something they find.

Teachers

I imagine quite a few teachers use this to check their students' work in order to make sure it's original, but this could also be a great opportunity to educate the student about the importance and process of referencing sources and giving proper attribution.

Writers

Even seasoned writers can use this because sometimes a writer who has written millions of words (like me) finds a phrase or sentence leaping to the forefront of consciousness, and one wonders if it's original or something read along the way.

Takeaway Truth

Don't you love to start Monday with something free? If you're a writer, this app is a good tool to add to your repertoire.