In the thread “Turnout Control” I went off half-cocked (heck, maybe even quarter-cocked) and said that copying a design was basically stealing. I was basing my comment on my lines of work - computer system design and fiction writing (not together). If I design a system for a company and they pay me $10,000, then a similar company down the road copies that system, in a way I’m out another $10,000 because they don’t need me. The same if someone copies my writing and sells it as their own. No one wants to publish a novel that has already been published.
Then I thought about it and decided I was partly wrong and completely rude. The poster wasn’t copying the technology to sell, as in my writing example, and though the loss of profit to the designer/builder does mirror my software example, it’s miniscule and I had no excuse for being rude. Saving money and building complex things by hand is part of his/her hobby. i went back today to apologize and the thread was locked, thus this thread.
I also want to apologize to the entire forum, because the attitude I displayed is one that doesn’t belong here.
Speaking only for myself and not having followed the original thread, I can say anyone with the cajones to cop to their own error or rudeness deserves an “attaboy”. It takes maturity to admit ones mistakes.
Agreed. As a software developer, I can completely relate. Excellent job on owning up to a mistake. Now, to figure out how to get that to rub off on more people…
I happen to agree with the thought that copying someone else’s work is stealing. In my mind it is an intellectual property issue. That applies to software, books, music, designs, plans etc. The exceptions to this would be items in the public domain. If an item is not protected by a patent or copyright there is no solid legal protection, but to me it is still taking the work of someone else and using it yourself.
There are people that do things like this all the time, by making copies of other peoples items, for example using their items as masters and casting duplicates.
I will never use the property of another with out being given permission or being sure that such item is in the public domain or intended as a gratis item for everyone’s use.
I do not remember reading anything I thought offensive on the board and I am not trying to diminish your apology.