Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Twain on Creativity

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

Mark Twain was someone who saw through the more persistent myths of his time - and ours. "It takes a thousand men to invent a telegraph, or a steam engine, or a phonograph, or a photograph, or a telephone or any other important thing--and the last man gets the credit and we forget the others. He added his little mite--that is all he did. These object lessons should teach us that ninety-nine parts of all things that proceed from the intellect are plagiarisms, pure and simple; and the lesson ought to make us modest. But nothing can do that." I have seen this phenomenon time and time again, and have discussed it here. Copyfight, meanwhile, is grappling with the issue as it relates to movies based on comic book heroes.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
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Last Updated: Dec 15, 2024 6:33 p.m.

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