Do You "Borrow" Ideas?

Before making a forum, I often check other forums in the same niche and check what kind of sections they have and what they talk about. I use these to help me plan the forums I'll make. I don't do this for every section, and I try to make it original as possible, but I do have the occasional brain fart.

So, do you "borrow" ideas/sections from other forums in the same niche? Has it helped you?

 

I swear this was being discussed in another thread somewhere in the forums, if it's found we can merge it if necessary.

Either way, Yes I've lurked and borrowed ideas before, but I've always tried my best to give them a personal touch so it's not an exact copy because I'm terrible with ideas

 

Yes, I do. It really depends on how unique your choice of forum is! If you choose a sports forum for instance would be easy to create category's and forums, but if you were to choose something like a hangout to talk that would be another story.

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I don't borrow ideas, I take them. If there is a good idea and it will work well for my forum then I will use something similiar but try to adapt the idea to make it my own.

 

Yea, if you are directly copying something then there is a problem. But everyone takes ideas, but they have to add their own touches to it and make it stand out.

 

I do the same thing, but I also put uniqueness inside of my threads, and also, ask more questions. I don't use their forum category ideas though, as I have a better one that's set up and such.

 

Same as everyone above stated, I look to other websites for tips and ideas but never do I just take the content and publish it as my own. Some of the worlds greatest people got famous off of other people by taking their idea and making it better. So don't feel bad about "borrowing"

 

It was quite funny when one of my competitors stated I was copying their threads - when I had more content in those threads, and replies. I politely told them to stop hating and don't worry about what I'm doing.

 

That is the idea, if you like a thread and want to duplicate it on your own forum and you completely rewrite it in your own words and your own meaning, to me that is not even close to copying...

Besides, if we didn't borrow ideas, whooodoggy, forums would sure be empty

 

Most definitely. I don't think there's any reason you can't emulate, in some small aspects, a successful forum. Straight direct copying would probably not be a good idea but I don't think there's anything wrong with admitting other people have good ideas and that, within certain limits, you can "borrow" little parts.

 

THere is not much originality nowadays to me.

But to be honest, I borrow ideas all the time from other forums...Because i know more than likely they borrowed it from someone else.

But i had a bit of "Micah" to it so it is more unique to me and my site

 

I wouldn't say i borrow ideas but I do take a lot of inspiration from other peoples ideas. If I did use someone elses idea I would always try to add something of my own to it

 

I think that can be said for a lot of forum owners - being inspired by others to create their own community. It's so nice that a ton of forum owners have so many ideas to create their own forums, but not too many last, but its always a learning experience so you really can't go wrong.

 

Everyone does this, lol. I check other forum's posts for posting ideas on my forum (as well as features) but its not wrong because I put it all in my own words and I add something to it that isn't on the other forum's post. People do that all the time otherwise you wouldn't see that many active forums on the internet

 

I look at other forums for new ideas and boards, and If like what they've done then I'll add something similar to my forum.

I'm guiltly at looking at @cpvr forum when I brought my forum back because I liked the way he has it organized, but I also used forum ideas from a few other forums as well.

 

I don't usually do it for setting up a forum, no.

I don't mind borrowing ideas for things like topics at times, though. Or even seeing a widget on one site and wanting to get something similar on my own.

 

I do. I hate copying someone else's idea though, so I call it getting inspired by an idea rather than borrowing it. It does make a difference because that way you can't get involved in any copyright issues.

 

"Good artists copy, great artists steal." - Picasso.

 

To get inspiration i look into others work not good to rip someones work.

 

"Get the Hint" kind of borrowing is what happens with me too. I even look at many related sites when I get an offer to design a website and then use my ideas and mix all the best of what I have seen around. That helps many a times when you are not a good designer but need to do a design just because you are asked to do. Sometimes I get lucky though and have my designed approved.