Dear Copy Cat...

Dear Copy Cat,
While I understand that the add ons and mods are out there for all to use, it frustrates me that everytime I add something to my forum, the very next day you have it on your forum. Why is it that you feel the need to copy all my ideas, and pass them off as your own? Why cant you get your own ideas, and use them?
I put a lot of hard work into my forum; I spend a lot of time thinking of ideas, talking to my members asking them if there is anything they would like, and researching through endless amounts of information and advice, only for you to go copy them, get some one else to add it to your forum, and pass it off as your own genius idea.
I am flattered that you think what I do for my forum is great enough to copy, but I would personally like to keep something of mine individual to my forums. Im nice enough to do so for you.
Thank you,
Meg

 

You=pwn your competitor=uncreative.

You=win your competitor=just a wannabe. :|

 

Meg, that is definitely something frustrating. But, it's bound to happen.

The best thing about the copycats is that they aren't sure how to go about doing things and it'll all come crashing down at some point. Someone like that won't be able to sustain their community with only copying other sites.

For me, I like to check out other forums (especially those outside of my niche) for ideas on what I can do on my site. Not copying, but improving upon or adopting a certain something based on that idea.

It's tough to protect everything, but hopefully you'll be able to outlast the copycat by persevering and standing the test of time! As Walt Disney used to say "Quality will out".

 

Thanks ArnyVee, its true, its bound to happen, but its like within a day or two at most and its up and running on their site, and Ive just had enough.
While the stats between my forum and hers is HUGE, I have 6x her active users.

That sums it up beautifully!

 

There are alot out there, competers, and try to look good, but yours will always be
the best, other than the same looking ones. Copy Cat = Epic FAIL/

 

I am sorry No it can get frustrating especially when you go to all of the hard work of finding out what your members want and then find it install it and get it working perfectly.

 

Thanks every one it felt good to get it out. I just wish she left me something for me i dont copy her, not that i would pay for the blog feature coz i know it wouldn't get used, or have the arcade because i think it would distract my members from posting, but if i did want it, i would at last have the decency to ask 'hey i like what you installed and im considering using it too, would that be ok? ' especially coz we are meant to be 'friends'. Haha.

 

And this is why I develop custom plugins/products/hacks for my sites, I currently have a custom ad system on one site I built myself, and I'm in the process of building a new affiliation engine, where people can submit links, I won't see these on others sites, as I encrypt my code, and they are custom.

 

Care to offer your services mikey? Lol just joking, i wish i could do that for myself, but unfortunately i have a toddler to look after and i dont know much about all that stuff too.

 

As a matter of fact, I'm considering releasing the affiliates one when it's completed (encrypted code of course), so you may get ahold of some of my work yet

 

As this thread is directed at myself & my wife I must comment.

1 - There are only a limited number of active & open source Mods out there and it is likely that we will find the same ones to be useful ?

2 - If you wish to install arcade etc then go right ahead, no skin of my nose.

3 - And you might want to consider - who's site was there first ?? Not yours !

4 - Yes, you were using VB first, I had been using phpBB on multiple sites for years (5 years in one case) and we only made the move to VB when we had problems with phpBB. As such once the move was made we then began to mod the site accordingly (see point 1)

5 - if you want unique mods etc then do as suggested above, commission your own to be written.

6 - Re the stats, I would rather have quality over qty any day, anyone can write tens of thousands of posts of no value or interest.

Have a great day.

PS. Having just installed the Facebook mod you might want to get someone to look at yours as it does not work .......

 

Oldlock like i said originally, yes its out there for all to use, but its strange that the very next day i install it, it pops up on yours. Frustrating!
And yep, you've been around longer, but so what?
Quality over quantity? Ok sure, but what information can i get from you on parenting, as a guest or registered member?
Honestly i have nothing against you two, id just like some sort of consideration for what i do on my forum, because i know i would do the same for you two.

 

Uh oh......

 

Lol ak worm your so funny

 

I can be at times But uh, i just thought i'd say uh oh, because you
people are competing.

 

Well apparently we're not competing, but the copying antics says otherwise huh?

I know its really a case of build a bridge and get over it, and I can assure you, that is what Im doing, but its just upsetting the everything I have done for my forum the past 2 weeks is copied, exactly, and taken all the credit, its a bit of a kick in the face really, as much as it is flattery.

 

/facepalm
*Ouch
Copying is a must for forum content to attract members and such.
But i dont like it at most times, we all do it though. (not actually all)

 

Yeah the sad thing about it is you get them either in a public place, or all across your forum then come and try to discredit you... it's funny to see.

The thing is mods from vBulletin.org are free for everyone to use so there is nothing you can really do about it, however it shows that they have no original thinking themselves if they have to sit there with two windows open - 1 with their site and 1 with yours and as soon as something appears on your site they need to run off and install it.

You would think competitiors/ rivals/ other admins who were watching your site to try and make theirs better would at least look in your suggestion/ideas/feedback thread and see some ideas from forum members as to what they want on a community and try to install it on their website before you so it made you look like you were copying.

Oh well just be flattered that for ideas to improve their website/forums they need to rely on your hard work - which in a way is cheating but everyone does it.

 

I have no intention of getting into any kind of discussion here but would make one further point, the only thing that you would have a legitimate complaint about is the direct copying of content from your site.

Which has not occurred (This is not the same as the same person posting the same information on both sites, as I am sure you are aware the membership does overlap)

Any perception you may have of the ' copying ' of layout, features & mods etc is just that, your perception / paranoia. As has been pointed out the site we have been working on is a recent convert to VB and development and modification of the site has been an evolving process which I have been doing along with other sites I also have running on VB, there is nothing personal about any of it - so get over it.

 

Oh no. :wiggle::headbang:
Its all good man. No need to get mad. Just content copying is a must for all.
Where we get all our resources and stuff. Everyone does it? Right? Its all good in this hood.
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