Viewpoint What are people's thoughts of plot stealing? Has this happened to you?

[zippy]

Personally I don’t subscribe to the “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” saying and find the idea that “everything is technically plagiarized” to be quite overblown. If I found my work reused somewhere, or if it was obvious that someone was greatly inspired by an idea of mine I would be very peeved.

If you are purposely using any part of someone else’s work (even if it is just a general vibe) then it should be cited as such. And if your RP constitutes of a significant amount of another writers work, you should get explicit permission prior to using it. Honestly, I think the better idea would be to ask the other person if they plan on rebooting that idea, but to be more compromising I’d be ok with them getting permission.

 

[Franklin]

I think I might be getting a bit too much credit here honestly haha. My opinion was really just concerning my own very personal approach to the matter, one regarding just myself and my surroundings rather than a general principle.

To summarize what I said in my previous post, there are two reasons why I generally find myself happy (or at least not angry) rather than upset when/if I find others using my ideas and work:

A) I like that my ideas catch on and spread, as they say "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery", and I do quite deeply feel that. I do want to clarify that this is neither a clique thing nor a passive thing. The only reason why I don't actively encourage people to take inspiration from my ideas is because I worry that might come off as me saying my ideas are better than theirs, which is not an impression I want to give, but at the same time, if people just don't like my ideas sure it's a bit disappointing, but it's not the end of the world. I have hefty requirements and plots that are quite niche, and I use a lot of heavy BBCode, I think I can safely say I am not pandering to anyone but myself Still, sharing my creativity is a big part of why I started roleplaying in the first place, and it makes me proud to see people try to run with my ideas, and even more so to have them rely on me - regardless of whether or not there may be plagiarism involved.

B) It would be hypocritical of me to do so when I myself take often uncredited images for faceclaims from google, or when I use the core elements of a story I liked in, say, a new plot I come up with. I do think both of these fall on a very different degree than the original, on account of the practical difficulties and the fact that, even when I take the core aspects of something, I do still flesh out around that skeleton on my own (plus tend to highlight different aspects than the original), but I don't think such a difference is enough for me to take any kind of highground.


You'll see this if you read my posts in other discussion threads, but I do have this motto to "always make things in such a way that they have value on their own, regardless of whether they end up leading anywhere". I put a considerable amount of effort and investment into my plots, posts, characters and so on as well because of this principle.

So rather than what what I quoted seemed to be implying, that the difference between us is a matter of work put in, I would dare suggest that is more how we view the reuse of that work that distinguishes us - you view it as a theft, I view it as a form of admiration and growth (even if to a worse product). I do have my limits of course, but still.

- - - -

Now, for a more general principle, honestly I wouldn't be able to say. This is one of the those matters where I'm still very much on the edge. On one hand, I really do understand that having one's work taken by others without permission, especially when it is paraded as if it's theirs, is a horrible thing to happen to someone. On the other hand, the line between which instances of that would actually be morally reprehensible seems too blurry for me yet.

Now, as for a more general approach, I honestly

Okay, so to clarify, you enjoy people running with your idea's because, your idea's are too complicated and that means the coding too.

See, still, after this large explanation of your reasoning. I still see you painfully taken advantage of. Although that is just my opinion and its not always truth. If you really feel that passive about people taking your very specific idea's that are complex. That's completely your choice. =) . People have been mimicking people since the dawn of time.

However, I'm going to answer everyone with this:

This is an age difference thing and an upbringing thing. Not saying its a bad thing. However, tack on about twelve years to your age and you may feel different. I'm going to assume your born in the nineties or thousands? I've broached this conversation in many threads as well. I am an eighties baby and raised by an English Professor and a Neuroscience Scientist researcher. So, research papers, essays, poems, short stories. All those things were always laying around the house. A lot of the essays my mother would read would be written by like the students she was teaching. My father was a part time professor as well. Now, this isn't school, this isn't even people trying to get their work published so I mean there is your grey area.

This is the grey area of the internet.

However, if this was the real world. Let's say a classroom and my mother or father came across two stories or essay's even similar. A sentence or two that could give away plagiarism. Their essay would be questioned and that could be an expulsion.

My view points are just how I was raised as a person and how I was raised to view peoples literature. It's imprinted into me to be painfully original. Or as original as I can. I even have an app that flags when plagiarism is used.
Now, I think I'm just going to end this long winded conversation at least on my end with a . I'm going to still really disagree with you. However, I still really admire how passive you seem. Like I said before you must be a really nice person. =)

 

[Franklin]

Personally I don’t subscribe to the “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” saying and find the idea that “everything is technically plagiarized” to be quite overblown. If I found my work reused somewhere, or if it was obvious that someone was greatly inspired by an idea of mine I would be very peeved.

If you are purposely using any part of someone else’s work (even if it is just a general vibe) then it should be cited as such. And if your RP constitutes of a significant amount of another writers work, you should get explicit permission prior to using it. Honestly, I think the better idea would be to ask the other person if they plan on rebooting that idea, but to be more compromising I’d be ok with them getting permission.

Right I agree. Citation is always appreciated. I've seen this used actually and it shows you had permission from the other maker. I'm so relieved to see a post like this. It's literally one of my hugest peeves seeing people taken advantage of.

 

[Franklin]

I feel like I've made my opinion's pretty clear and I really hate re explaining myself. However if you want to put neutral feelings or explinations of what you feel about this issue. Feel free to post away. However, I will not be responding to any more quotes on the matter. =)

Thanks for the enlightening talk, everyone.

 

[Idea]

Okay, so to clarify, you enjoy people running with your idea's because, your idea's are too complicated and that means the coding too.

Not in the slightest? I'm not even sure how you got that out of what I was saying to be honest...

I would have a bit more to reply, but you decided to bow out of the conversation and I'd like to respect that, so I'll simply summarize by stating I think you're arguing with a phantom, arguing against many things which I neither said nor implied. Plus, while it is of course entirely valid to have a different stance on the subject, it doesn't really make sense to say you "disagree" with me, since I did mention what I was saying was a personal stance and not a general principle (so it'd be kind of like me saying I liked a movie and you saying that you disagree- you can't disagree that I liked that movie, that just doesn't follow. Likewise disagreeing that I personally enjoy other people immitating me also doesn't really make sense. I guess you could say you are disagreeing with my statement that it would be hypocritical of me to on one hand take artwork from google and on the other hand condemn people copying my work, but that didn't appear to be in the vein of what you were arguing).

Anyway, this post ended up bigger than I thought it would. I'll be taking my leave now as well. Hope you have a great day or night!

 

[Franklin]

Not in the slightest? I'm not even sure how you got that out of what I was saying to be honest...

I would have a bit more to reply, but you decided to bow out of the conversation and I'd like to respect that, so I'll simply summarize by stating I think you're arguing with a phantom, arguing against many things which I neither said nor implied. Plus, while it is of course entirely valid to have a different stance on the subject, it doesn't really make sense to say you "disagree" with me, since I did mention what I was saying was a personal stance and not a general principle (so it'd be kind of like me saying I liked a movie and you saying that you disagree- you can't disagree that I liked that movie, that just doesn't follow. Likewise disagreeing that I personally enjoy other people immitating me also doesn't really make sense. I guess you could say you are disagreeing with my statement that it would be hypocritical of me to on one hand take artwork from google and on the other hand condemn people copying my work, but that didn't appear to be in the vein of what you were arguing).

Anyway, this post ended up bigger than I thought it would. I'll be taking my leave now as well. Hope you have a great day or night!

Yeah I hope you have a great night too. Thank you for the clarification. You present all of your arguments as if you are really okay with people taking your idea's. Of course I can say I disagree with you. The bantering is all part of the point of view prefix. Because you keep putting counter arguments to my original point. I still do not waver in my opinion that I think you are way too easy to give in. That you are taken advantage of and that you have a really wrong outlook on what plagiarism is. I think that if you seriously wanted to take your writing to another level you'd understand. It's okay. You will evolve one day. Give it some time and you'll understand where I'm coming from. I'm not saying this to tout you, even though it comes off this way. You'll probably get the same outlook from people in their mid thirties. It's not just merely a differing opinion. However, this is a grey area of the internet I've sort of gathered to myself. No one really follows the same ethics because its easy to get away with stealing other peoples work. So, because of players like you who are comfortable with sharing their work has made it easier for others to rest their concionce. I think when others take people's idea's it's low, unoriginal and just unethical and I will always feel this way. If you don't feel passionate about your work and just go "meh". I feel like that person has no passion. However this is a differing opinion and I'm going to leave this as my closing statement on this. *shrugs* Since you don't want to banter this any more. You seem good people. I just always like making my point clear. It was just seeming that you were not getting where I was coming from.

I STILL think you don't get where I am coming from. I'm going to leave this as, we come from two very different worlds and I'm going to continue to not agree with what your saying so I suppose we can just leave it as that then. *nods*

But hope you have a great night people can have different opinions on the internet. It's a thing.

 

[Franklin]

Also, to clarify too, I'm not bowing out of any conversation. I just find if tiresome to repeat my point of view and would much rather people put their views without quoting me. Which is bringing me into a debate which is the whole point of a point of view prefix. When a debate something I have no emotion behind it. My feathers are not ruffled by a conversation. So, if you are getting ruffled by a conversation its time to remove yourself from the thread. Unless you want me to argue a point don't quote me.

 

[Emotional Enigma]

I put a lot of time into making my plots since I don't really RP "pairings". I take inspiration from a lot of places but I add a lot into the plots to make them my own. After hours of making these plots, I have to admit I would feel pretty upset if someone took them and passed them off as their own.

 

[Franklin]

I put a lot of time into making my plots since I don't really RP "pairings". I take inspiration from a lot of places but I add a lot into the plots to make them my own. After hours of making these plots, I have to admit I would feel pretty upset if someone took them and passed them off as their own.

Right? Like, I mean, that's all I'm getting at as well. I just don't get when people are passive and are like "meh yeaaaa that's fine I have no problem people taking my idea's" It's a bizzar concept to me. Inspiration is a totally other story. I get my inspiration from so many places and try to credit it as much as possible. But I'd never carbon copy and idea or would enjoy seeing my idea used by another person. It would really make me cringe.

 

[Gowi]

Someone just lifted a synopsis from one of my dead roleplays and my reaction was "good luck have fun". I don't really care in that case.

 

[Franklin]

What a mixed bag of opinions. I think this topic has taught me that I probably wont be bringing any more role play idea's to rp nation. Or at the very least I wont be hosting role plays on here. I'd likely join or recruit people that I feel would be interesting to role play with but to be honest anyone who just flounders and flip flops in opinion and think it's okay to take someone's idea's. I just don't feel comfortable sharing my creative outlets to a non secure location. I'd likely go back to docs, gaia or boards. Thank you guys for the well rounded and mixed bag view on what plagiarism is.
It really enlightened me and opened my eyes. Most sites are much stricter on this. If an idea was taken, a person would easily be flagged and banned.It's surprising such a successful form with almost four hundred members would have such a lax hold on its members. You don't even have the option to block someone here. That's a blaring red flag to me. *cringe face*

People here are nice enough tho. =)

 

[Gowi]

What a mixed bag of opinions. I think this topic has taught me that I probably wont be bringing any more role play idea's to rp nation. Or at the very least I wont be hosting role plays on here. I'd likely join or recruit people that I feel would be interesting to role play with but to be honest anyone who just flounders and flip flops in opinion and think it's okay to take someone's idea's. I just don't feel comfortable sharing my creative outlets to a non secure location. I'd likely go back to docs, gaia or boards. Thank you guys for the well rounded and mixed bag view on what plagiarism is.
It really enlightened me and opened my eyes. Most sites are much stricter on this. If an idea was taken, a person would easily be flagged and banned.It's surprising such a successful form with almost four hundred members would have such a lax hold on its members. You don't even have the option to block someone here. That's a blaring red flag to me. *cringe face*

People here are nice enough tho. =)

I would probably care more if it was an original idea of mine that I put a lot more time and effort into, myself. But in the above case it was a fandom RP (of which I have no interest RPing in ever again), so it was kind of whatever. I can understand being concerned about creative theft, especially if your idea is a rough version of a novel or short story you're testing out. But if you have no intention to publish, why would you potentially care? Not everyone is a would-be author, mind you.

 

[Franklin]

I would probably care more if it was an original idea of mine that I put a lot more time and effort into, myself. But in the above case it was a fandom RP (of which I have no interest RPing in ever again), so it was kind of whatever. I can understand being concerned about creative theft, especially if your idea is a rough version of a novel or short story you're testing out. But if you have no intention to publish, why would you potentially care? Not everyone is a would-be author, mind you.

This I think is what separates me from the crowd. I'm a novella writer. I base my role plays on a novella structure. I do spend hours plotting and if anyone knows me I invest like sleepless nights. For example, now granted I'm in the middle of moving, however,I have been up the past three nights off and on making plot connections between characters. I have a note book with written plot points and idea's for characters and other people's characters. I have a three hundred page diary half full of just how to plot a role play or novel. I've perfected a system. So, I'm very protective of it. I also have aspirations of one day being a published writer.

So I think you hit the nail on the head.The people that don't care have a different outlook on their creativity because I mean it's not their passion. Writing is my passion. I'm naturally protective of it. So, I just got to protect that but I can be open to accepting everyone has different opinions. My view point is pretty black and white. I can admit.

You were the first person to actually pose an interesting question that answered and resolved something lol Thank you *claps happily* and I don't mean that sarcastically. I don't even know how to be sarcastic. Anyway, yeah, I think that's exactly where I'm coming from.

 

[Gowi]

Writing is my aspiration, hobby, and outlet.

Not all of my RPs will become novels or scripts. I think if I did a RP in my original universe of which my main novel pitch is based in, and someone stole it I would demand the blood of their entire family, lol.

 

[Tove]

My ideas, characters, and worlds I create are mine alone just as anyone else who creates something. I haven't had my ideas stolen that I know of but if I did and found out, I would be pissed.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Also I know you said you didn’t want to be tagged so hopefully you read this.

I think your taking the wrong message from this thread. You are assuming that people saying they’re okay with people taking THEIR ideas means their okay with people taking YOUR ideas.

That’s not at all the case. I tell people they can take my ideas so obviously I’m not gonna be mad if they take me up on that.

But that doesn’t mean I’m okay with people taking your ideas if you ask them not to. That’s absolutely not okay and I would highly encourage you to contact the staff in that event.

For that matter it doesn’t mean I go around taking other people ideas and passing them off as my own. Unless I am taking literally the bare bones (I.e. oh hey Princess x Dragon does sound fun let me make my own plot for it). I’m hardly going to message someone over that cuz it’s barely an idea.

But in the past I have seen group ideas that I liked and messaged the GM directly about making 1x1 offshoots of the idea. Most of the time they were like “Sure just link back to the group and say I made the idea”

And in the 1x1 (and interest check) that’s exactly what I did : Idea by username (link to thread)

But I have never just taken someone else’s idea and passed it off as my own. Nor would do I think that’s an okay thing to do in general.

Sure you can do it with my ideas cuz if you did ask I would tell you to knock yourself out. So the fact that you didn’t ask isn’t a huge deal to me. I’m gonna say yes anyway.

Edited.