Copying Discussion Ideas to boost your earnings

Mistakes do happen, and like you said I can understand when the post is mos ago. But my thoughts are if the topic was days or hours ago, the copy poster should contact mylot and ask for it to be removed. I understand the search button doesnt work well and I also understand mylot has the discretion of removing the copied post or not, but I think it's good for the copy poster to at least point out their mistake.

Duplicate content sometimes happen when a person can't find anything to say and decides to copy someone else's content to boost their earnings. I have noticed it on several occasions and when I know the discussion was copied I will not answer it. Sometimes, I'll answer it and then notice the duplication. Many times we come up with the same ideas as other people and duplication happens.

It is one of the frustrations I also deal with, as well as the reason that I have not started many discussions. A lot of the discussions I thought would have been good has already been started by someone else, & so I go to their discussion & reply instead. However, I did find out the hard way that a search does not always produce accurate results. One of the discussions I started after not finding anything from a search had a maybe two similar topics. Ironically, that seemed to be my most popular topic.

I know it happens intentionally and unintentionally, but i am hoping mylot notices the differences. I have done it at least once unintentionally, but i immediatally noticed and gave credit and an apoligy to the member. If similar discussions pop up i tend to think it is the time span to blame. I've been here 7 months and i couldn't tell if some discussions are new or not. There have been so many i haven't read or responded to. In the begginning i would use the search so as not to repeat someone's discussion, but i let it slip mostly because i am looking after my own discussions and i find it tedious searching through the many related discussions. For me the money means little, but the people and friends mean so much more! Also with new members daily, it would be a huge task to monitor what is new and unique and what is duplicated in a very short time span. I hope i can be more helpful in this area! Take care Swtrose.

I guess with the number of people now on this site, mistakes are bound to happen now and again and certainly these things do happen from time to time. In most cases, I don't feel there is any malicious intent or deliberate copying going on, like you say many people with their own point on a common subject.

I find that copying things doesn't get you very far here on mylot, you are really pleagerizing most of the time with the copy and past method. I find that responding to other's discussions yeilds the most earnings here on mylot, it also gives you the greatest experience here. I think that in repsonding to topics you learn new things and you make new friends, its good for you to commerce with others.

I see what you are saying, but it might be hard. Just because someone writes something about, lets say a "school shooting" and then someone else does the same thing. It doesn't mean they were copying the other person. They just so happened wanted to write about that "school shooting". I think it's fair that as long as you don't copy the other persons words, that it is okay to also write a story about whatever the other person wrote about. Everyone has different views and everyone words their words different. And that person might have not know the other person has wrote the same story. Technically, they are not the same story. I mean, we can all tell if someone stole someone elses work, because it be word for word. You can tell. So I think it's fine, because everyone has a different story on different things. Kind of confusing, I know. It's hard to explain. I hope you understand what I mean.

sometimes, i make discussions that somehow are similar to some of the discussions here..but i think it's not a problem because your only having the same idea or thought not copying their whole discussions to paste it into your discussion lists..i was so annoyed yesterday because one of my friends here really copied and pasted my whole discussions..and i was so shocked, maybe i will confront her about this..

I understand what you're saying. It's like as soon as American Idol goes off you see twenty discussions started about Melinda being booted off instead of everyone just chipping in on the first one started. At that point, I don't know which one to respond to. If I respond to them all, then I'm going to end up making the same response or a similar one on twenty different threads. I understand too that some probably don't think a thing about it and it's completely unintentional. There is a very diverse population here on Mylot and as I saw someone say earlier regarding language barriers and comprehension, someone may not see a similarity based on their own comprehension of what's going on. Then too, there seems to be an issue with the search function that I have used as well and not gotten any results, but maybe later found a similar discussion started at an earlier time. Never back to back though. But yeah, as I stated in the first paragraph, I know what you're saying. Just like when Heroes goes off here in about a half hour, there's going to be several discussions started. Now, I can understand if each discussion has something about the show, but is about a certain aspect of the show rather than the whole thing in general. Whew, I'm the long-winded one today. LOL

I understand what you are saying, Swtrose....it is annoying when the same topics are started within a few minutes or hours from each other...the copying; I absolutely do not agree with!!! I do also think that in a community this size...with differing levels of comprehension of the site...and language barriers...it can happen...plus we are all humans going through different situations in our lifes...I see many very personal discussios that have similar basic story lines but are individualized by the people experiencing them... There are always going to be some people who will knowing profit from another's labors...it happens every day in other aspects of life...so of course in a forum of this size....it is also going to happen...some are very brazen about it; while others try to be sneaky about it...just like in real life....that is why we develop a friend's list...in my opinion....

I must admit i don't always search before I post a topic, but then I don't start many topics and when I do they're usually not like other topics and I was the first Melinda post! I have noticed the very similar discussions though and have reported some that looked intentional.

U raise a good point, Swtrose. I've seen ALOT of this myself! But, the thing is, u never know WHAT every person's MOTIVATION was when they decided 2 post! I've seen this same thing happen in the music industry. 2 artists may come out with songs that sound strikingly SIMILAR, and 1 will accuse the other of "stealing" their melody, or idea. But, u have 2 remember that sometimes, 2, or MORE, people, just happen 2 come up with the SAME idea, WITHOUT having prior knowledge that someone else ALSO had this idea! After all, there are only SO many topics 2 discuss, so we're BOUND 2 REPEAT each other, just as there are only SO many musical NOTES u can play, so there are BOUND 2 be ALOT of SIMILAR sounding songs out there! Here on mylot, someone might NOT browse thru the discussions 1st. They may just think of something off the top of their head, and post it. Now, if 1, or MORE, people respond, and tell this person that THEY have ALREADY posted a SIMILAR discussion, I don't think u're obligated 2 apologize, because u were UNAWARE! Besides, U could say that U originated the idea! It gets really "sticky", because sometimes, someone HAS come up with something 1st, yet someone ELSE has "beaten them 2 the punch", and posted 1st! Or, in my example of the music industry, I've heard of SEVERAL lawsuits, from songwriters who sue a KNOWN artist, claiming copyright infringement. 2 the WORLD, WE think the ARTIST originated the idea. But, the UNKNOWN songwriter could be telling the TRUTH! So, I think it all depends. Sometimes, u are CORRECT, in that people KNOWINGLY PLAGIARIZE! But, OTHER times, they may just be UNAWARE, not MALICIOUS! And everyone doesn't necessarily WANT 2 use the search b-4 they decide 2 post a discussion. I don't think it's "wrong" 2 NOT search 1st. Everyone has their OWN way of "navigating" this site, and everyone has the RIGHT 2 go about it as they please! I DO understand your point, though! I just think that it's NOT always so "black & white". There are always OTHER possibilities 2 consider!

i do understand, and agree, but i am sorry to say i kinna accidentally did this. I had a thought in my head... Do you see the glass half full or half empty? so i posted it because i didnt see this disscusion anywhere, unfortunatly there ended up being 2 other the same one 8 months ago and the other 6 months ago. I never seen them because i only ever look at the discussions started the same day or the day before or friends disscussions. I apologise to you and every other mylotter.