Stealing Content

Description
Users stealing other users content or other content on the Internet or real life, claiming it to be their own. It can usually be seen on social medias where content is king, rather than interaction with other users.

Examples
One example is users stealing pictures to upload them as their own on a picture-sharing site, in order to get recognition and/or attention. Another example is of users pretending to be other people who they are not, in order to get lots of followers/friends/subscribers in order to benefit from commercial money.

Pros and Cons
The pattern is widely considered as unwanted, because of its questionable legality and moral complications. Thus there are few, if any, pros to this pattern. One could be that the site in question gets more popular and professional, albeit illegal, content. The site could also potentially lure new users to the site, who are impressed by the quality of the content, but does not know that it is stolen.

Relations
The pattern stems from pattern such as Attention Seeking, Fear Of Failing, Posting As Time Killing, Reward Hunting and even Information Hunting (luring other users into believe the user is a person which she isn't, and thus exposing information).

There are no patterns preventing such a behavior, although medias which are not centered around content, are less prone to be affected by this pattern, as they nullify the entire purpose of the pattern.

Contributors
Created by Christian Broniewicz. Edited by Magnus Spånggård den förste.