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Today I Found Out has an episode on it too [1]. [1] https://youtu.be/CPERnfB-q3o https://youtu.be/CPERnfB-q3o

DamnInteresting 5y ago
Author of the original Damn Interesting article here. This Today I Found Out (TIFO) video is problematic, because the host of TIFO (Simon Whistler) used to be part of Damn Interesting, he was the narrator for our audiobook and some of our early podcast episodes. Our Lake Peigneur article, the one this HN thread is based upon, was one that he recorded for us. Simon joined TIFO without informing us, while still working as our narrator. And TIFO had long been poaching our articles, lazily rewriting our work and calling it their own. So you can imagine my dismay when I found out that our paid narrator was also being paid by a competing website to read our slightly reworked content. This Lake Peigneur video is a particularly egregious example. Their script is extremely similar to our original article in structure and phrasing. That alone would be bad enough, but for the video's host to be a former member of Damn Interesting makes it feel really awful. This isn't the first of our articles they have reworked into a video without our permission, and I doubt it will be the last. I'm not claiming they are breaking any laws, but what they are doing is gross and parasitic.
- suethemthen 5y ago
  If you have a real, actionable, complaint against these people you should take action through the legal system. Complaining in a random comment on Hacker News where the accused isn't present to defend themselves comes off as incredibly petty, and hearsay at that, because there's no way to verify your complaints. Why do companies, like you, think HN is an appropriate venue for airing these kinds of grievances? If you think he stole your IP, sue him. If you don't, but you still feel wronged, you need to write better licensing and employment contracts. You know what whining on HN does? It makes potential readers like me remember that you run a petty organization that seeks extralegal justice when it fails to protect its IP. You're equally pathetic. That's all I'm going to remember when I see your brand from now on. Great comment.

Author of the original Damn Interesting article here. This Today I Found Out (TIFO) video is problematic, because the host of TIFO (Simon Whistler) used to be part of Damn Interesting, he was the narrator for our audiobook and some of our early podcast episodes. Our Lake Peigneur article, the one this HN thread is based upon, was one that he recorded for us. Simon joined TIFO without informing us, while still working as our narrator. And TIFO had long been poaching our articles, lazily rewriting our work and calling it their own. So you can imagine my dismay when I found out that our paid narrator was also being paid by a competing website to read our slightly reworked content. This Lake Peigneur video is a particularly egregious example. Their script is extremely similar to our original article in structure and phrasing. That alone would be bad enough, but for the video's host to be a former member of Damn Interesting makes it feel really awful. This isn't the first of our articles they have reworked into a video without our permission, and I doubt it will be the last. I'm not claiming they are breaking any laws, but what they are doing is gross and parasitic.

suethemthen 5y ago
If you have a real, actionable, complaint against these people you should take action through the legal system. Complaining in a random comment on Hacker News where the accused isn't present to defend themselves comes off as incredibly petty, and hearsay at that, because there's no way to verify your complaints. Why do companies, like you, think HN is an appropriate venue for airing these kinds of grievances? If you think he stole your IP, sue him. If you don't, but you still feel wronged, you need to write better licensing and employment contracts. You know what whining on HN does? It makes potential readers like me remember that you run a petty organization that seeks extralegal justice when it fails to protect its IP. You're equally pathetic. That's all I'm going to remember when I see your brand from now on. Great comment.