All i keep hearing in here is all the crazy crap about content thiefs, and so I don't get black labled I needed to ask this question and verify that I am okay.


My question is I have a hosting company that I built and designed myself, I did not steal content, But I would view other peoples content and get my ideas on what kind of information that I should include and how I set it up. For my information such as faqs and how to set up their account I included information from nocsoft such as the manual and then combined it with my own experiance. My question by looking at other sites does this mean I stole information.

If you're talking about general catagories (TOS, privacy, tips, FAQs, etc) then IMO that's not content theft.

Originally posted by jeremiah23
My question by looking at other sites does this mean I stole information. From the way you describe it, I'd say no -- at least not necessarily. It depends on whether or how much you just copied content. If you look through what other sites have to make sure that you make all the important points and aren't missing any relevant questions there's nothing wrong with that. Then write those points in your own words, and you won't step on anyone's toes.

I just sat down and looked at the keypoints and made sure I covered what people would need to know, but yea i didn't copy content I seen what most kinds of information sites carry and then I did research with tutorial references and came up with what I wanted to portray

Jeremiah,

I would say as long as you do not copy the exact layout of a site you are pretty much fine. Everyone goes to other sites to get ideas and to build on it. It's the same process someone goes through to write an article in a journal about something. You collect a whole bunch of ideas and process them and there is your finished product ....

How can you NOT steal ideas? It's not so much stealing as a given way of doing things, it's just common sense to put your TOS and AUP on your main page, and if you're making a menu you're gonna try and organize things to give preference to things you care about (the signup button, the plan information button). How can you "steal" common sense? Most layouts fall under this category, your "Banner" at the top menu along the banner horizontally or down the left side vertically, there's only so many ways to lay out the "average" site.

Now if you steal someone's relatively unique layout, then maybe you'd better be careful. At least make it so you're not blatantly copying (this is a fine line and I'm sure an argument could rage on what does and doesn't cross the line for weeks).

I'll never borrow a graphic, and I sure won't steal the "skeleton" of a design. But I'm the first to borrow on a good idea. It's really a hard matter to have a concrete line on.

If you "steal" something that is nearly present on every site of that type you come across then it's hardly stealing, if you steal something relatively unique, then you're stealing. At one time nearly everything was stolen, signs on the side of your car for example, somewhere, there was someone who did it first, and someone saw it and said "whoa good idea". Now you'd hardly worry about being branded a thief for putting a magnetic sign on your car.

Web sites are very artistic, and if you see another artist's work you're gonna draw from it. As a (crappy) guitar player if I hear something I like, I will invariably copy a few bits of what I hear, not "on purpose" but just because I liked it and without even realizing it, I'll draw on it next time I'm abusing my guitar.

Dixiesys, so what's your point? are you are saying that what jeremiah did with his site was wrong?

Doesn't sound like it. From what he said it sounds like he looked around at how other hosting sites are laid out, what sort of information is typically given, and then made his own version of a good hosting web site. I reckon unless he yanked someone else's graphics or actually used someone else's table or frame layout verbatim or someone else's "description" of their company then nah, he did what any of us do when creating a web site, drew on his influences and what he felt made a "good" site and made it.

... if you think you must copy another ones website, then go ahead and do it. Me personally would take it (somehow) as a compliment actually :cartman:

BUT you must be aware that such thing is EXTREMELY LAME and people WILL notice and always look on you as a "copy". Not to mention there is no such thing and feeling then watching your OWN creation go up into the web, knowing that it is unique cause YOU created it ;)

huh

Aloha
well stealing and taking the idea are two dif things to me
I am glad people take ideas and run with them making them better look at cars you can tell some people take cars and try to copy other car manufactures if nobody did we would still be driving model A's
if soembody sees a menu sytem or design they like and creates it from scratch there should be slight dif in it as it is built and will become unique. same as graphics etc...
now where one steals a site ?? copies the graphics tries to change just the wordig etc... that is wrong very wrong.
one other thought is when people steal a site the soemtimes do not understadn why the site was done the way it was and can not replicate the flow of the site or the performance etc...

I would not call it copying.
You have to learn from the industry.
However, remember not to steal ideas.
Also if you have actually copied anything, take the permission and give the credit for it...

Have a great day :)

regards
amar