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There Be Pirates…

03.19.04   /   Comments.05   /   Filed Under: My Tinkering Problem

About a week ago, my brother pointed out Plosz.com, a site that “borrowed” heavily from my wife’s site. Plosz’s designer gave credit to my brother’s site as an inspiration. Now, everything I learned about Movable Type and CSS, I learned from my brother, so that’s appropriate… sort of. As of today, Plosz has at least credited Maria’s site as a source. At the time, I was both bit miffed and flattered. I immediately posted something to this blog about copying others’ designs. I let it sit for a day, thought better of it, realizing I may have been a bit harsh and pulled the post.

Then an entry surfaced on Todd Dominey’s blog, What Do I Know, about a site that pirated his design. Typically, Dominey’s blog will garner around 20 comments per post. This post on design piracy harvested 52 (at the time I posted this). It seemed to have struck a nerve for a lot of designers — or at least provided a good platform to flame up and/or sound clever.

“Borrowing” code and layouts is a common practice. Yes, I too have cut and pasted code and been inspired by others when I slap together a site. But I hope that my sources aren’t so blatant that it looks like a complete rip-off. Maria’s site has a similar color scheme to Tiny Pineapple, but that’s what she wanted, and I don’t think it’s over the top. At least there are enough other differences that it stands on its own.

Initially, the color schemes, font choice, basic layout, CSS tag names on Plosz.com were all stolen from Maria’s site. the only differences were minor. At least the first graphic wasn’t completely pirated. What really got me was an entry in the Plosz blog:

“Yes, I’ve redesigned the site once again. I think I have found a structure and layout I’m happy with, so it will likely stay this way for awhile. The color choices and graphics still need some work, so there will be some aesthetic changes over the next while.”

I think “found a structure and layout” is appropriate phrasing. He “found” it and used it intact with miniscule adjustments.

However, Plosz still hasn’t fallen too far from the tree. I glanced back to the site a few times over the last week. The color scheme changed, but then the logo began to look more and more familiar. It now looks like a sepia toned version of Maria’s with a posterized wedding photo in place of Maria’s feet. Tonight, the last straw was that the background pattern can now be selected to be the exact same one on Maria’s site. And he once again misplaces the credit. The background pattern is from the mecca of all background patterns — SquidFingers (via Maria’s site, of course) not http://www.hot.ee/stripped as Plosz has credited. The URL and thumbanail images of Britney Spears were enough to keep me from further investigation.

I’m not really ticked enough to email Plosz and call him on it. Why should I? It’s not like he’s making any money off of it. Besides, maybe he’s just getting the hang of it all and needs a little time to find some footing and an original voice. He could have just used one of the many free layouts provided by Movable Type, but…well, I can’t really come up with a reason to counter that one. But if his site continues to mimic Maria’s, I hope he at least has the decency to mail us five dollars or a Krispy Kreme gift certificate, or something… anything. We’re poor, the Ploszs have some cash — you should see their wedding.

Bibliography:
Screen shot of Plosz.
Pirated-Sites.com
SitePoint article by Cameron Moll (a fellow Orem-ite)
Andy Budd - Sub:Lime Discussion

Comments

Stephen Plosz
no. 1 / posted 03.20.04 / 2:17 AM

hi chris/maria…

I have to say I was rather surprised to see my little site created such a stir with you. Had I not been up late browsing around, I never would have noticed this post of yours.

Hopefully the following comments can clear up any hard feelings…

  • yes, i used maria’s html/css.

  • yes, the header graphic i created was done with hers in mind.

  • i found all of the patterns at www.k10k.net, and used the credits posted there. all of them listed “non-commercial” use as acceptable…

  • my site’s been through about 10 design changes in the last year… some of my own, some taken from other sites… and i’m sure there will be many more changes…

  • i’m far from being an artist or designer… i’m an applications programmer by trade, thus my design ideas often start with someone else’s. if you’ve been offended, please accept my apology…

As my site says, it’s just for fun and to share news/photos with some family and friends. It wasn’t intended to be a major act of piracy.

Stephen

PS: Our wedding was actually quite modest and inexpensive. We’re not exactly high-rollers ourselves.

chris
no. 2 / posted 03.20.04 / 10:32 AM

Perhaps I’m guilty of what annoys me most about some web pages, and that is excessive hyperbole. I’m not offended by Plosz’s resemblance to Maria’s site. If anything, that’s flattering. To a point.

I myself am not a programmer. I’m a gallery coordinator by trade (and a poorly paid one at that). I don’t sit around all day experimenting with layouts and generating excess templates (well, not technically, but Maria may tell you otherwise).

There are dozens of freeware/linkware blog layouts to choose from out there. Most of the time freeware, shareware, and linkware are produced not to showcase originality, but to disseminate similar material to the public. A custom design job is typically paid for (I’m still waiting for those Krispy Kreme certificates). Why lean on someone else’s work and time who has not produced the material as freeware or “listed [it as] ‘non-commercial’ use as acceptable” (the copyright is plainly visible in the lower left)? The reason Maria and I spent a lot of time designing her site is that we didn’t want it to look just like someone else’s. Now it does.

I hope this doesn’t come off as harsh or hateful. Honestly, I find it more humorous than anything. But I hope you see where I’m coming from. Just a few tweaks here and there and you’ve got your self a site that’s yours. This is where I sound like a Jewish mother. I don’t expect you to change your site design because I found out. You can do whatever you want. Don’t mind me.

Here is a list of some freeware/linkware template sources: Francey Blog Designs Brainsotrms & Raves BlogFrocks Book of Styles Eye For Beauty Eris Design Ms. Dicks Open Source Web Design

P.S. I count any couple whose combined income exceeds $25,000 (American)/year as rich.

P.P.S. This has Starsky & Hutch, Shanghai Noon, Rush Hour, Lethal Weapon potential where feathers are ruffled at first, but then we end up best buds. As long as I get to be Hutch. Ah, who am I kidding? I’m totally Starsky.

stephen
no. 3 / posted 03.20.04 / 11:19 AM

point taken.

As a last comment - i have not wanted my site to look like a direct ripoff of anyone else’s work, but at the present time i know that’s what i’ve done. all i really wanted was a starting point for a clean, 2 column site.

It’s always been my intention to make it more my own… It’s just a slow process as I don’t have as much tinkering time as I’d like either.

(I’m frankly a little surprised someone who didn’t know who I was found the site…)

As a Canadian, I could not in good conscience support Krispy Kreme… You may have to settle for Tim Horton’s… :>

over and out.

miss trudy
no. 4 / posted 03.22.04 / 2:08 PM

Wow, I totally missed this hot topic while I was in California!

emily
no. 5 / posted 03.22.04 / 4:34 PM

Oh, silly, Stephen…you must be forgetting the BLATANTLY OBVIOUS fact that Krispy Kreme is the ultimate, supreme, no-chance-of-possibly-being-topped-except-perhaps-in-California-where-I-tasted-a-heavenly-piece-of-chocolate-covered-custard-filled-calorically-expensive-goodness best.

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