Jon Dorbolo of Oregon State University began studying philosophy at age 13 when he got ahold of Plato. He has not stopped since, and this week, he will visit Ohio University as a visiting lecturer.
With a doctorate in ethics, Dorbolo started one of the first online college courses, directs a computing and philosophy conference at Oregon State and also practices deception regularly as a magician. He will give three talks about plagiarism and technology's influence on cheating.
The most basic theme is honesty and integrity
he said. Plagiarism is not an issue that belongs to students alone Dorbolo continued, saying that governments, professors and sciences all have seen their fair share of plagiarism.
One of the cases Dorbolo will cite in his seminars involves the British Prime Minister's role in the war in Iraq. He will tell the story of the recent report the Prime Minister's office released about the alleged weapons of mass destruction in Iraqi possession.
What people figured out pretty quick were parts of this large dossier were the same as several sources on the Internet Dorbolo said. They weren't working from intelligence reports; they were cutting and pasting. They acted the same way as a freaked-out student the night before a paper is due.
Focusing on the degrees of people's everyday deceptions, Dorbolo said, It's a scary thought when you start thinking of total honesty every day in every way. He said he himself struggles with complete honesty and added, I'm not there as a moral authority. I just want to share this as a possible way of living.
He was here in 2002 and did a series of ethics lectures
said Kathleen Evans-Romaine, administrative assistant for the Institute of Applied and Professional Ethics at OU. We were very happy with his performance
she added.
According to Evans-Romaine, the first of Dorbolo's seminars will focus on how plagiarism is executed while Thursday's lecture will be less of the technical side
more of the ethical.
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Katie Brandt
