Re: Plagiary problem

[Nick Wedd <Nick@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Danny Swarzman <dannys@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes

>I would assume from Dr. Chen's postings that he has compared large segments
>of his object code to the object code of Hamlet and Family Igo and found
>they are identical byte-for-byte.

The issue is more complicated than you assume.  Please examine the
evidence which has been presented by Professor Chen.  It is at
    http://www.wulu.com/ev-hamlt.htm
and at
    http://www.wulu.com/ev-silvr.htm

>Comparing source code brings problems of its own. If we're looking for the
>type of plagiarism that Dr. Chen alleges,  we don't need to do that.
>Comparing object code would suffice.
>
>But what would 'looking at the source code' really mean? What would the
>looker do? Do we expect each programmer to submit a Zip disk for a
>programmer hired by the organizers to examine? Maybe some would have qualms
>about submitting their code. What are we looking for? Source files that are
>identical to someone else's? Isn't that really easy to defeat.

No, we would be looking for convincing evidence of the derivative nature
of the code which Chen alleges has been derived from Handtalk.  It is
possible to plagiarise someone else's code without making a direct copy.
This is what Chen alleges has happened.

The source files would definitely be different, as Handtalk was written
in assembler, and the programs against which he has made allegations
were written in C.

There is another problem which you do not mention.  If someone has
1.  the knowledge of machine code and compilers to qualify them to make 
    a judgement
2.  a reputation such that their judgement will be respected
then their time is going to be expensive.

Fortunately, I have the cooperation of such a person.  Also, a generous
donor has agreed to pay for his time, in the case of one of the
allegations.  It remains to obtain a copy of the program against which
the allegation was made.

Nick
-- 
Nick Wedd    nick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx