gen*skills 
One of the last skills learned, that might serve one better to have learned first, is to reference all the many kinds of sources.

Genealogy research skills are a little different from skills sets necessary with other research pursuits, because the references are so varied, and so informal, in kind.

Yes, website developers could make this a little easier and an example of an easy method (also a reminder) is at the bottom of these pages.  Yet, ease of referencing original (and secondary) work should neither increase nor decrease the quality of citing other’s work within your own.  The more you do it, the easier it gets, and a more consistent integrity will emerge as your outcome.  I am of the opinion that how the reference looks and the order in which the elements of the reference appear are far less important than just plain having the reference.  It is also worth noting that living people may not want to be referenced, just the source of your use of their information.  As an example, instead of citing "B.GaiL," I would rather you stated this website as your resource.  It is best to check with a person before putting his/her name up on the web.

For my own work (hard, long, and expensive), my descendants know to what great distances I have traveled to provide us with our genealogy.  Their question, "Where do I come from?" "is" what matters to me.

For ‘you’ though: If you copy the information from any of my webpages, and change even one spelling of a name, 
then please do not, 
and I repeat, please do not, reference my work as the "source" of yours, but rather include the webpage address as a resource for alternate information.

As an example: 
RES: http://grammygail.com/

If you directly copy or quote: 
REF: http://grammygail.com/gg/92-referencing-resources.html, 
to view original, as of 2008 Jan. 
(replacing the above REF with your notation, the actual page, and when you copied it.)

Penalties for altering genealogical records? 
None that I can find. 
If you know of laws that pertain to this,  
I sure am interested, because I’m sure I found some altered records.

Plagiarism seems to be an acceptable practice among amateur genealogists and family researchers.  It is unacceptable to me.  Why is it acceptable to some people and organizations run by those people (you may ask)?...

Because who can remember all their great sources, when in the throes of finding?  And for some people, who cares about where they got the information, when the motivation is to make money?

gen*gulping 
is allowed, enjoyable and satisfying (unlike ‘gulping’ food). 
Is what you put back out there a good gen*resource for others?