fear of having work/ideas stolen or claimed

[|ndußtrial]

how would you generally deal with this? i have a few (thousand) ideas on how to go forward with a number of projects. i'm afraid of them being claimed, but i also have some mechanics i've planned that i've yet to see somewhere else. how could i go about trying to alleviate this worry, and maybe preventing such thefts?

[leileilol]

Don't worry about it. Not every hobbyist delivers, and two-bit companies usually chase after mobile commercial trends, like flappy tower defense z card like dark souls games

I've encountered accusations of idea stealing when OA was being done in an anime style (as an april fools joke at the time- 2007). Some guy from some vapormod with more effort put into wallpaper downloads than actual mod... went on the offensive on me like its his work all along claiming I ripped from his Q3 mod. Not naming names, but as of 2016 his mod still isn't released.

Though as for MY ideas? I'd be flattered if someone actually goes forward and successfully makes Free data projects for everything that doesn't appear obviously derivative. Sometimes I feel like i'm the only person in the world doing this.

[wildweasel]

I actually wouldn't mind my ideas being taken. Really, it'd probably be the one time anybody's ever paid attention to my ideas. =P

As for my work, well, considering how much of my work uses others' work as a base, I suppose I don't really have a reason to be afraid - after all, in that case, I'd be my own worst enemy.

[Blox]

It is literally there for the taking, in the off chance that some of them might survive once I inevitably kick the bucket.

But I mean sure, do keep all your Dank Meme Secrets to yourself so that nobody may benefit from them in the off chance someone decides to be an asshole.


Worth noting is that the more you hesitate to do something due to reasons like this, the higher the chances of your Dank Meme Secrets being reinvented by someone like me who goes ahead and spills them out.
And then you're just shit outta luck.

[Jaxxoon R]

If someone can execute my stupid ideas better than I can, they can have them.

Ideas are worthlesssss.

[BFG]

if it's Doom wad, only make screenshot and videos to give a taste test of it, never give out any BETAs to the public. Have a group of trusted testers who are aloud to play andl give you feedback.

[Jaxxoon R]

A beta would be the kind of thing you would release to the public, since it's when everything is implemented beginning to end and just needs further bugfixing/tweaking.

[Nash]

The more you try to "hide" it (even if it's just screenshots) the more people will try to recreate it... see: volemtric lightning

[Kinsie]

how would you generally deal with this? i have a few (thousand) ideas on how to go forward with a number of projects. i'm afraid of them being claimed, but i also have some mechanics i've planned that i've yet to see somewhere else. how could i go about trying to alleviate this worry, and maybe preventing such thefts?

Sit petrified in fear in a dark corner, never discussing, doing or releasing anything out of fear someone else will do something vaguely similar. Just incubate your ideas forever in an environment where they can never come to life, like the Loon that tried to hatch rocks.