The Sincerest Form of Flattery?

[Codex Alpha]

1 hour ago, Cyanide Pixie said:

I was thinking about everything you posted and reflecting on why the neighbor replicating my entire house bothered me. Trying to find, at the core, the reason it felt as uncomfortable as it did. And as silly as it may sound, I realized the word "plagiarism" continued to pop into my head. A part of my reaction to the discovery is definitely that I felt like my hard work and creativity was blatantly ripped off in front of my face without any regard or acknowledgement. It felt violating. Not because they saw it, but because they felt it was okay to take it. You will probably find that laughable, but I'm being honest even at risk of ridicule here so please bear with me...

I'm curious, would your opinion about this situation be different if it was in regards to some other artform outside of design? What if we were talking about written works? Let's say someone writes a story... heck, scratch that... Let's say it's just a blog post. And someone else copies and pastes the blog post and reposts it to their own blog as their own words. Would that be reason to express discontent? Or even if we go back to a more visual form, what about tracing someone's art and passing it off as their own without credit? In both scenarios, let's say there is no monetary profit (or loss of the original's profit). But the work was still replicated without hesitation.

I suppose you could argue that writing or drawing is different than interior/exterior design. Maybe you feel that it takes more skill or more time (although the existence of entire schools dedicated to the study of design might indicate otherwise). But at what point does replicating someone's creation (regardless of medium) become something that can be frowned upon or dissuaded against? Where is the line? Legitimate question. I'm not claiming to be Picasso or Mozart here and have no such delusions. But it was something that I spent many hours creating and poured a lot of myself into, regardless of whether or not it was good. It felt very personal to me and was very rewarding in the end to see it come alive every step of the process. And I think (I might be wrong) that might be a piece of why some could feel the neighbor crossed a line.

It's obviously just a piece, of course. There is another layer to it I haven't quite been unable to unpeel in regards to the proximity of the recreation. No, it has nothing to do with camming. I want people to see and appreciate what I create in Second Life, from my houses to my avatar. But I'm certain I wouldn't feel the same if it was replicated somewhere else on the grid. Perhaps that's just simply because I wouldn't know? Or maybe because when done like this, others will see both our houses and know for a fact one is a copy but not know who created the original? I'm not sure., But having it right next door hits differently, regardless of the reason why.

Just bouncing around thoughts here, having my own internal debate because I find it interesting... Perhaps you're correct, and I am crazy and paranoid and creepy and should seek a therapist.

No,I just wish you took the incident as defined in my original post. Take it as a compliment, as you have no personal connection with this person, and they're not doing it to mock you. It's just a person who liked what you did and imitated it. You and I don't know anything about the person's state of mind or intention and we have to leave it at that. If you felt that you had to move away because of it, it would be understandable - I doubt it would ever happen again, and this is probably just a unique experience that won't repeat itself

[Sparkle Bunny]

56 minutes ago, Cyanide Pixie said:

Thank you. I don't understand why a few people in the thread think camming around and viewing interior/exterior design choices (or even buying pieces you like and using them as well) is the issue. That's not what this post is about. The post is about replicating an entire neighbor's house down to the smallest decor details.

As I think has already been mentioned, your original post was perfectly clear, though that doesn't of course mean that everyone responding to it bothered to read it or was capable of understanding it. It's obvious to most people that if you put any kind of effort into your decor you want people to see it and admire it, otherwise you'd just rez a skybox and live there.

I think the majority of posters on this thread, and indeed the majority of SL residents, figured out sometime in primary school that imitating every detail of what another person did or wore or said was a bit odd at best, a violation at worst, and in any case not socially acceptable. The minority who failed to learn this doubtless have valid cultural, medical, or psychological reasons for their ignorance of social norms; and, whatever those reasons might be, they're unlikely to be fixed by any number of thoughtful, eloquent explanations of what is actually happening. Some people are just irretrievably strange and you can't hope to understand them, any more than they will ever understand you.

 

[Blush Bravin]

When I responded I took the viewpoint that we can do little, if anything at all, to affect the actions of another. We only have power over our own actions, motivations, and feelings. It seems as though you've come here to have your feelings about your neighbor's actions legitimized. I'm not going to legitimize the behavior of you or your neighbor. It's not my place.

So I spoke of how I would respond to such copying. Believe me I've been copied, numerous times, but as I said I welcome it. I don't care if it's next door or a continent away. It's the same thing. No one has taken anything from me by copying my design choices. If my neighbor copies my design, in part or the whole, again they've taken nothing from me. I honestly don't care if someone walking down the street sees my house and my neighbors and wonders who came up with the idea first. I know what I did. I am enjoying my creation. 

I'm sorry you have such negative feelings about your neighbor's actions. Living with those feelings can't be easy. I hope you can find it within yourself to let those feelings go along with any judgement you hold against your neighbor for your own sake.

[Love Zhaoying]

I wonder, if there is/was a way to block/derender the offending neighbor's place and stuff, so you never see it and never know?  (I never tried block/derender with Linden homes.)

[Blush Bravin]

1 minute ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I wonder, if there is/was a way to block/derender the offending neighbor's place and stuff, so you never see it and never know?  (I never tried block/derender with Linden homes.)

You absolutely can! I derender stuff of my neighbors' all the time. I especially derender objects with lots of high rez textures, anything other than lights that have glow effects/full bright, and objects that have very poor LODs that poof for no good reason. I've never derendered the actual Linden home but I don't see why that would be a problem either, unless the resident is constantly rerezzing a home, but even then it wouldn't be a problem to derender that house multiple times.

[Trinity Blakewell]

On 5/27/2022 at 12:45 PM, Marianne Little said:

But sure, lots of us buy the same anyway. With all the weekend sales, it is even more things to buy.

I thought about the events and weekend sales as well. I think there was one point with the Newbrookes soon after they were released, and you may have been the other person, Marianne...I had purchased a nice new bathroom set from Chez Moi (I think) at an event, and was working on placing it in my Newbrooke, and before I posted it, someone else had posted the view in their house of the same set (can't remember but it may have been the same house model/same room). Bathroom sets are definitely a situation where people may use the entire set and not mix in other items, and some Linden Homes have a room that is obviously a good choice for a bathroom...so it's entirely possible that many people will have a recently released bathroom set in the same room of the same model house, arranged in a similar fashion since window placements will likely restrict the placement of showers, vanity sinks with mirrors, etc..

 

That's not to defend an entire copycat of a home's decor, but to just illustrate an example of how decor could end up being similar among a number of people.

Edited May 31, 2022 by Trinity1776

[Bela Tolsen]

On 5/30/2022 at 10:10 AM, Codex Alpha said:

Well of course emulating someone vs stalking them are two different things. If it is truly the same person and not just because you are so obviously super amazing that people want to copy you , then yes it may be a cause for concern.

Well well well willl try to be brief here. Didnt think I had to get much details cause it is long and boring and happening since ma first vic back in xmas 2019 and I just decided to share it as a support only. What I wrote should be pretty clear about the difference between getting inspired and copy every detail from other person. And recurrence.

If I didnt make it clear, yes it is the same person. I did talk to her and she did claim to be a decorator (as she states on her profile) and have no necessity to copy anyone. But I caught her a number of times in front of ma house when login and she used to poof on ma "Hi". Also was a friend at that time that saw her house and thought was me moving.

By copycat I already made it clear im not saying having same furniture and decor or same disposition but Im saying about combinations of different creator, old and new items with some modifications on the items. If you copy one clever combination someone did, well...ok. If you copy all combinations someone did and placement, its not ok. If you keep rinse and repeat each time tha person gets a different theme house and ofc make new proper combinations for there, thats super not ok. Unfortunately nothing we can do about it. At least I can complain with ma friends and gladly after all this time could share it here as I see I am not alone as well.

I always count with my friends vision to check and see if I am getting nuts or what that person did is indeed a copy of ma stuff. Gladly I made enough friends that know what and how I do, some I actually help with their decor and know ma process is "I have no clue what will do here" and takes me days trying and trying till I get there.

Im not saying about the 1 time copier. A guy once was flying on top of ma HQ where we were like 8 ppl sitting there, to inspect the prims of the deck pool I built and fly back to his yard to build exactly the same, with same couch, pool and the rest. It was an one time thing as many others. *shrugs

I am also pretty sure many of the ppl that wrote on this topic already saw at least one of ma houses. I know theirs for sure.  Was neighbor of most of them along the time, saw them working at their houses as they prob saw me too, we all using mostly same landscaping/furniture/decor items and yet, we all with different results meaning each one of us have our own characteristics. I can fly over a region and can spot who got which house by their garden. I bet ma pixels most here can do it too.

So Im not sure if I am a super amazing or I just have the ability to combine and modify personalizing items that person has not. The fact is she did, does and prob will keep doing it. Theres really nothing I can do other than when see someone else with same issue say a #metoo to her.

 

 

[Sparkle Bunny]

On 5/31/2022 at 2:09 PM, Blush Bravin said:

 Believe me I've been copied, numerous times, but as I said I welcome it.

A store owner being grateful for the free advertising isn't quite the same thing as the other cases being described here, though. They get to feel how they want about it, just as you do.

[Blush Bravin]

2 hours ago, Sparkle Bunny said:

A store owner being grateful for the free advertising isn't quite the same thing as the other cases being described here, though. They get to feel how they want about it, just as you do.

You misspeak. I've had many homes that do not contain any of my products. In fact, I've had few releases in the past two and a half years and yet I have shared my homes not for advertising purposes but for the shear enjoyment of sharing. Advertising hasn't ever been my motivation. I love decorating. I love gardening. I love the creative process so I fully share what and how I do things. Perhaps being a teacher in RL for many years makes my viewpoint different than yours or the OP. 

Edited June 1, 2022 by Blush Bravin
spelling

[Sparkle Bunny]

3 hours ago, Blush Bravin said:

You misspeak. I've had many homes that do not contain any of my products.

Sorry for assuming! I am a terrible builder but it's quite rare for me to occupy a house for any length of time without adding something I made, even if it's only a wall.

 

3 hours ago, Blush Bravin said:

Perhaps being a teacher in RL for many years makes my viewpoint different than yours or the OP. 

Perhaps, though I'd expect most educators to be a little harder on plagiarism. Copying a Picasso to learn how it's done? Great! Ripping off your classmate's entire project and claiming it as all your own work? Maybe not so much, though I totally get that some people don't see an issue with that either.

[Blush Bravin]

1 hour ago, Sparkle Bunny said:

Perhaps, though I'd expect most educators to be a little harder on plagiarism. Copying a Picasso to learn how it's done? Great! Ripping off your classmate's entire project and claiming it as all your own work? Maybe not so much, though I totally get that some people don't see an issue with that either.

 

On 5/26/2022 at 5:41 AM, Blush Bravin said:

As an art student, and later as an art teacher, one method I experienced in class was reproducing the art work of masters. It's a very good way to learn the basic concepts of art as long as one is very aware that such practices are only for educational purposes and should never be represented as one's own original artwork. 

Apparently, you missed this in my original post.

This is really becoming off topic so I will stop here and not reply to anymore of your jabs.

[Prokofy Neva]

On 5/26/2022 at 5:42 AM, Cyanide Pixie said:

This is admittedly a weird post to make, but I'm not a particularly social person (I'm the solitary decorating/dress up/photos kind of SL weirdo) and I need to get this out of my brain in a space where others might relate.

Whooo boy., here goes...

Has anyone ever encountered a Bellisserian neighbor who copies your decorating? I'm not talking about slightly, I mean placing the exact same items you're using in the exact same places to a point that it is immediately obvious. And in the situations where different furniture pieces are used, they are clearly inspired by the original (in style and placement) and mixed in with those aforementioned identical pieces. I ask because that's what I've got going on in the house behind me and I'm conflicted about it. On one hand, I'm flattered they liked what I did on my property. But on the other hand, it honestly makes me feel a little... uncomfy, I guess you could say? Does that makes any sense? I don't know quite how to put it. 

Any feelings other than flattery are probably completely illogical. I am not an artist having my work stolen and sold. I don't have copyright on a design layout. I am not being harmed or harassed. But making my home feel like my home was something I put a lot of hours and love into, and it felt like a piece of me. It was something I was proud of and it felt very personal. So it's weird to see my neighbor recreate it. Perhaps if they weren't directly behind me it would feel different.

My apologies, I realize I sound like a crazy person. I just needed to type this out and get this off my chest because there is nothing else I can really do about it other than have it silently bother me.

I copy decor selections and ideas all the time, but it's usually like one fireplace and flower, not the entire house which would be boring, when I find decorating among the most fun things to do in SL.

If I were you and had that discomfort level, I would move, you can do that easily in Bellisseria and might get a better lot.

Recently I saw a guy who copied my style of layout in the adult continent and put Post shackes in a row with a commons. I noticed that his prices were higher so I didn't care. Even if they were the same as my prices (not covering tier in that particular area) I wouldn't care as mine are usually fairly full or with only one or two vacancies.  He did manage to rent out most of them which is why I should raise my prices. Then his shacks didn't rent, so then he copied directly the idea of Post's motel court cabins which I have, which are very popular. I had to laugh but it also makes the place start to feel like Bellisseria. It's rare that I put all one kind of house in a row but I did there.