Content, Rip offs and originality.

Is SL lacking originality? How limited are we on new ideas that are possible.

A few times in the last 6 months or so, another content creator and myself made similar stuff. At times they thought I copied them, at times I thought they copied me. Eventualy we talked about it and came to the conclusion that it's just something that will happen in SL.

Why though?

How can someone else and myself be thinking about the same stuff so often? Is it because the technology only allows so much to be possible?

Also, I am looking through some of the new products and popular items on the web sites today, how many people are going to make security orbs? Is the market really that big?

I have been in a creative rut this week, thinking to myself, how far can my imagination take me in SL? Is it really possible to come up with that brand new, original idea that people MUST have anymore?

Its getting harder every day to make something unique in world. Just about every idea i've had so far turns out to exsist already. From what I can gather so far the best option is to see whats out there, and make a better version of it.

yup I totally know how you feel, when MSo and I made the piggy back I was so excited about it, a few months down the road, another was released, same concept, horrible animation, and a bad script job... you get the picture... anywho.. I have lost hope and gave up on doing something "original".

LOL I know how that feels to have someone do that to you... it dont feel too good, and well... end of that story as I'd like to put it behind me...

Sensual, here is a funny thought for you though. I also was working on a piggyback. It was one of those ideas I IMed one of my scripters about and we discussed it.

Next thing I know there was 2 released before I finished.

I know I didnt know the others were in developement. It really does just happen.

I never did put it up for sale and release mine. I do have it sitting in my inventory somewhere though.

LOL yeah I know sometimes it does just happen, in fact it has happen to MSo and I alot, right before we are done with the finishing touches, bam, someone else releases it... but when someone comes out with it months later, thats not coincidence thats trying to take someone else's business... I am not upset about it, as I said the quality of this replica, is not worth what they charge... There isnt much we can do about this kind of stuff =/

I really think thats the reason, Beau. We are limited by the tools and materials we work with. It's been a very long time since we have been provided with a new primitive shape and the options for what we can do with the prims are limited too. When you get a couple of imaginative creative people who spend time thinking about what toys or items can be made with the tools and materials available, the choices are limited, and we will see the same ideas popping up independently.

Think about when you visit a toy store in real life. You pretty much see the same toys from store to store and SL is even more restricted than that.

The more time I have spent considering this question in recent months, the more I realize this is a problem that has touched many SL members. Consider the skin texture controversy. Many use the same reference photos that are all over the net and the skins that end up in SL can look familiar even though both are original creations. I know of two well known skin creators who ended up by coincidence using the same nude photo reference pictures when making their skins and neither had copied the other!

Same with textures. There are many sites online with free textures and you often see the same textures popping up for sale in SL and no copying of one another was involved.

With all the actual copying and accusations in SL being raised over the past few months we have become a paranoid and hostile community and no one is exempt from falling victim to these very human feelings.

There is a saying that goes "there is nothing new under the sun," and I think we need to remember that in SL and try to regain the feelings of community and perspective that we once shared. I know I am working on that!

Not everything is about design, much of ideas are about marketing too.

Xplorer

I think it happens a lot, its a big world. I'm sitting here checking out someone's new creation in the works and I know someone else making the same thing. Only a little different. I'm not going to say a word to either person though. They will both be successful.

You're only as good as those you compete against, if you're always competing against nobody, you're a nobody. If nobody ever copies you, your product is worthless.

If someone copies my products, all I have the right to say is, "Good work! Now, can you make one even better? Because I will."

Personally, I love competition, I thrive on competition..... competition makes me better at what I do because the only people I can judge my work against are the people who make the same type or line of products I do, and the better the competition gets the better I get. How could I be mad at someone for helping improving my products?