I wouldn't. The discussion goes on fine without it. Also try and realize that no one is faulting you for this. It is difficult to make a poll unbiased. People go to school to learn the proper way to conduct polls.
Mostly so they can make improper polls that are biased for their opinion. Which is why what Mr Wayne said was funny.
And my opinion on the subject: People play video games to escape from the real world. We should not try to bring drama-ridden aspects of the real world into the game (such as Copyright/Trademark/Patent). Were all here to play a game and build epic creations. If a player sees an idea they like, and wants to use it in their place, so what if they copy you? It's a game. They want to make nice things, you want to make nice things, leave it at that. Now when it comes to services, what right does anyone have to say "you shouldn't learn how to make the same things I make" If another player learns how to make something, and they want to offer it at lower prices than you, then you just have to deal with it. If that player values their time less than yours, then thats their choice. In most cases, it would honestly be at their own loss if they are intentionally doing services at lower prices than they are worth, as you can simply go do other things that make more money instead (such as mining). Noone owns the idea of creating an exp grinder, or cobblegen, or obsidian gen. Sure you may have some epic design, but this is a game. Your game life is not over if someone uses your design. Just shrug it off, work on improving the design and focus on YOUR experience of the game. Rule #10 on the commandments: Have fun! If your design is so simple that anyone can just look at it and copy its functionality exactly, its likely not unique and not worth making a big deal over at all.... If your design is complicated, no-one should be able to just look at it and copy it exactly. Cover it up if your that worried about it so people cant see the insides. You don't own the "idea", so if someone is able to devise an implementation that does the same thing, then its not stealing. If someone tries to copy your implementation, as said above if they are able to do it exactly, its not unique, and if it is a complex design, they will fail to copy it exactly and it won't function the same. Then you can simply advertise "Buy it from the original designer so its done correctly".
People who copies doesn't have creativity... I don't like them. Sorry for saying that 2 persons wouldn't have the same idea if I was wrong.
And if economics is your goal, you should understand that competition is something you have to deal with. we are NOT going to impact the MAIN gameplay element of the game (building epic creations) just to please the few who like to focus on economics. This is not a capitalist focused server. this is a fun server. the economy is there to assist people in playing the game and building stuff, the economy is not THE game. And I say this as a person who usually is big on economics and making money in games. Part of the economy game is figuring out how to beat your competitors. Even in the real world companies copy ideas. It's part of the game (in real life).
I never said EVERYONE has to want to make money, but the people that do generally have decent creations also. I agree, the economy is not the game, but it would sure be quite boring without it. This is drifting off topic again. *EDIT* And I never said I couldn't deal with competition - I never said I couldn't deal with copying ideas, even if it may seem that way. I like competition. e.g. All the great stores on SMP2 - my competition and we get along great.
Rule #10: Have fun. This game is filled with children. Children who may not be developed enough to attain the level needed to be super creative on the levels people are talking about here. Is it really such a big deal that a child may of copied your design so that they could enjoy the game more for themselves? Is it really a big deal someone else had fun, and used something you created to improve their gameplay? You should be proud of that. Want to know how all programmers learn to code? By looking at someone elses code. and "It's just impossible that 2 persons have exactly the same idea." I hope you don't really believe that... No, this isn't off topic. This is on topic on why copying ideas is ok.
I still disagree that it is ok. It's actually quite hard to "have fun" when someone is stealing every idea you come up with. I have had a few things used that I did, but that is small things, and I don't really mind if the people using them are guys I know and like. The grinder thing really blew me off course though, and I'm not saying I don't like -anon-, it just upset me to see something I started (Yes Silly, I started.) be used with such the same style so quickly and with such massive price ranges. And the name of it didn't help - it being basically mine. Before you tell me to compete with the prices, I have already explained that I can't.
Going to make this in a sep post since this topic is active and may be quoted already, but I want to iterate more here: Copying someone elses stuff is how you learn. you then understand why the design works, and look for ways to improve it. If we disallowed copying of ideas, only a select few would be the suppliers of services, have super high prices, and run a monopoly, turning the server into a capitalist economy with monopolies, bringing real world problems into the game. Also, theres 2 distinct things here: Ideas vs Implementation. "A machine that generates cobblestone for you in one place so you can mine it safely in town" is an idea "The process of water meeting lava, forming into cobblestone, then a piston pushes it up allowing another to form, and another piston pushes it out, powered by a redstone clock" is an implementation. Noone owns the idea, and noone should own the implementation either. as I said before, if the imp is so simple people can copy it exactly, then you did not do anything special to really be complaining about. People running around copying peoples designs exactly for complex machines, then offering to sell the design at a cheaper price is not a "rampant problem". This whole thread really spawns around "I want to be one of the only few who can offer this service so I can make more money off it", ignoring the fun others gain out of seeing others creations and improving upon them.
Well, I think banning people for using an idea is a bit harsh. But being able to pay for copyrights and patents is a nice idea, I personally believe.
Sorry, I just wanted to say that is better to create your own designs than copying them from another person.
Interestingly, during the development of science, there are numerous recorded and well documented reports of the discovery of various types of drugs, technologies, so on and so forth, at more or less the exact same time in totally different parts of the world. It is more than possible that two people have the same idea at the same time. If you like, I'll go and pull out the examples listed in the study book I have somewhere in my attic, but it has happened, lots of times.
In-game? That'd last all of five seconds. Never mind that the majority of EMC don't go near the Forums, I'm sure if you approached a player and said: "Your Grinder that you built for Player Y infringes these patents." he'd tell you to ram it. I know I would. If not for the simple fact you've said to a player: "Welcome to EMC, you can build whatever you want as long as I let you."
Sure it is thrilling to create your own unique design, but that should be your personal goal. The point im trying to make is that you should not let something bother you like this. If another player copies your idea and/or implementation, then move on and think nothing of it. They are trying to have fun too, and if they decided copying someone elses idea/implementation was what they wanted to do to have fun, then thats their choice, and not yours or anyone elses place to dispute that.
