Serious Eats writer finds “inspiration” in user comments
It wouldn’t be the first time this sort of thing has happened. An overworked writer takes a bit of license and liberally adapts content gleaned from the internet. Only in this case the content comes from the user comments of the very web site the writer works for.
In small article about the Boqueria market in Barcelona, Serious Eats editor Erin Zimmer included a “Quick Jamón Shopping Primer” – A short no-nonsense breakdown of Iberian hams:
“If you want nothing but the best, look for Jamón Ibérico de Bellota. This means dry-cured ham coming from "Iberico" (Iberian) race pigs that have been raised in the wild in the traditional way (not in farms) in Spain's southwestern pasture lands (Extremadura, Huelva). They've been fed acorns ("bellotas") and grass during their finishing period.
From there it's time to choose which Ibérico de Bellota you want. The safest bet (to ensure a consistently high quality) is to go for a ham from a producer that is inscribed in a Denomination of Origin (DO). There are four Jamón Ibérico DOs in Spain:
• Dehesa de Extremadura (Extremadura region)
• Guijuelo (Salamanca region)
• Huelva (Huelva region)
• Los Pedroches (Córdoba region)
The first one, D.O. Dehesa de Extremadura, is known for enforcing the strictest quality controls.
Another option is to shop by brand. These producers aren't actually backed by any DO but are regarded as some of the best jamón brands in Spain: Maldonado, Joselito, or CInco Jotas.”
http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/08/market-scene-la-boqueria-in-barcelona-spain.html
The text bears a striking resemblance to a comment posted by Serious Eats user Jose a few years earlier:
“I live in Barcelona and actually run from there an internet-based shop of jamón ibérico de bellota. There are quite a few varieties of Spanish ham; I'll try to give you a liitle advice...
First, if you want nothing but the best, you must look for the term "jamón ibérico de bellota." This means dry-cured ham coming from "iberico" (iberian) race pigs that have been raised in the wild in the traditional way (not in farms) in Spain's southwestern pasture lands (Extremadura, Huelva), and that have been fed with acorns ("bellotas") and grass during their finishing period.
Second, you will have to choose which "ibérico de bellota" you want. The safest bet (to ensure a highly consistent quality) is to go for a ham from a producer that is inscribed in a Denomination of Origin (DO). There are 4 "jamón ibérico" DOs in Spain:
• Dehesa de Extremadura (Extremadura region
) • Guijuelo (Salamanca region)
• Huelva (Huelva region)
• Los Pedroches (Córdoba region)
The one that is regarded for enforcing the strictest quality controls is the D.O. Dehesa de Extremadura.
Another option is to get yourself ham from one of the most reputed producers. Among them there are brands such as Maldonado, Joselito, or CInco Jotas. These producers are not backed by any DO but are regarded as some of the best jamón brands in Spain.
But remember, always look for "jamón ibérico de bellota," and you will be good.”
http://www.seriouseats.com/2007/03/barcelona-the-ham-capital-of-t.html#14396
Strangely similar, right down to the capitalized i in “CInco”.
What’s even more interesting is that the same comment had been previously quoted by Serious Eats head honcho Ed Levine in a another Boqueria article. Although, that time, Levine cited his source and put the comment in quotes.
http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/an...
So is this a scandal? Is it par for the course? Should people commenting on blogs expect their words to be used this way? And who even owns those words?
If my comments were ever used this way, I know I would be pissed and I wouldn’t let it go.
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I don't know if they've updated the article since you read it, but the version I'm looking at (posted on August 8, 2011 at 9:00 AM) includes "Special thanks to SE'r Jose" and a plug for his internet ham shop. It still says "CInco Jotas", though.
I can't tell what SE's policy is about user-submitted content (the site is apparently under Creative Commons, which is all about sharing with attribution, but they don't explicitly say what they do with users' comments). Here on CH you continue to "own" your comments, but CBS Interactive gives itself the right to re-use them however it wants, for free, and it's totally up to them if your name gets mentioned or not. (As far as I have seen, they are pretty good about attribution.)
›1 Reply-
re: DeppityDawg
SnackHappy
Aug 8, 2011 08:27 PM
Oh crap. I should have taken a screen cap of the whole thing. What a dumdum I am. I guess they cleaned up their mess and I have no proof that the acknowledgement was added later.
I suppose they win at the internet.
So much for that.
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re: Papuli
Shrinkrap
Aug 8, 2011 06:29 PM
I know there are programs that colleges use to see if students are using stuff on the internet for their papers.
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