4 ms·

Was google a clone of altavista? Was facebook a clone of friendster? Was the ipod a clone of all other mp3 players? Is Mockingbird a clone of Balsamiq? Just co

Was google a clone of altavista? Was facebook a clone of friendster? Was the ipod a clone of all other mp3 players? Is Mockingbird a clone of Balsamiq? Just copying an idea is fine. And if you do any kind of market research, your essentially figuring out which idea is the most profitable to copy. Its finally all about execution.

nanairo 16y ago
Yeah, I agree. I don't think copying an idea is a problem. It's copying the execution of the idea that is a bit meh. Google was a lot different than altavista despite aiming at the same market. That's why I wouldn't use the word clone. There are a lot of people who made war games a la Risk, but that doesn't mean they use the same rules. If they do that's a clone and it's not a great way to start imho. But if you think you can improve it somehow, or make it different enough that you haven't just slapped a bit of paint on it, then I think those are good and should be encouraged (more competition ^_^).
Timothee 16y ago
You're right, it's all in the way you execute. But starting off with the word "clone" doesn't sound good. I'd say Google was "a take" on search engines like Altavista, Facebook "a take" on social networks like Friendster. They didn't start as "clones". Maybe it's just a matter of phrasing but I was surprised by the number of replies like "go ahead, clone it!". Being inspired by, revisiting... are words that sound better to me. Between his decision on cloning and the outsourcing, it doesn't bode well.
- dkarl 16y ago
  "Clone" doesn't sound bad to me coming from a programmer. Any programmer who is good enough to create an exact clone will find it psychologically impossible to do so. There's no way a programmer could complete a clone without thinking, "I can do better... they should have done it this way... it will be much better and more successful if I change this part." Maybe I'm wrong, though, and I'm probably naive. Are there any software clones that aren't just inferior knock-offs, implemented by cheap labor hired by someone who never intended to match the quality of the original? I wouldn't count any product that beats the original in any meaningful way, such as better support for a certain language.

nanairo 16y ago

Yeah, I agree. I don't think copying an idea is a problem. It's copying the execution of the idea that is a bit meh. Google was a lot different than altavista despite aiming at the same market. That's why I wouldn't use the word clone. There are a lot of people who made war games a la Risk, but that doesn't mean they use the same rules. If they do that's a clone and it's not a great way to start imho. But if you think you can improve it somehow, or make it different enough that you haven't just slapped a bit of paint on it, then I think those are good and should be encouraged (more competition ^_^).

Timothee 16y ago

You're right, it's all in the way you execute. But starting off with the word "clone" doesn't sound good. I'd say Google was "a take" on search engines like Altavista, Facebook "a take" on social networks like Friendster. They didn't start as "clones". Maybe it's just a matter of phrasing but I was surprised by the number of replies like "go ahead, clone it!". Being inspired by, revisiting... are words that sound better to me. Between his decision on cloning and the outsourcing, it doesn't bode well.

dkarl 16y ago
"Clone" doesn't sound bad to me coming from a programmer. Any programmer who is good enough to create an exact clone will find it psychologically impossible to do so. There's no way a programmer could complete a clone without thinking, "I can do better... they should have done it this way... it will be much better and more successful if I change this part." Maybe I'm wrong, though, and I'm probably naive. Are there any software clones that aren't just inferior knock-offs, implemented by cheap labor hired by someone who never intended to match the quality of the original? I wouldn't count any product that beats the original in any meaningful way, such as better support for a certain language.