96 ms·

I completely agree to this method. Break their site with your js.

_dark_matter_ 14y ago
Assuming that the people who are copying this code are able to code themselves, wouldn't it be easy to find the problem and fix it? Unless there was some incredible code obfuscation.
- DanBC 14y ago
  Subtle shenanigans could go for some time without being noticed. And wouldn't people who can code themselves host their own javascript, rather than hotlinking someone else's?
  - ChuckMcM 14y ago
    This is what I was thinking, going all stuxnet on them and just subtly moving the advantage your way. The outlier is the propeller guys, they look like a site that hired a 3rd party team to build them a website, and that team ripped of this one and made it theirs. Screwing with it isn't going to send the right signal.
- illuminate 14y ago
  "Assuming that the people who are copying this code are able to code themselves" Probably a generous assumption.
- laumars 14y ago
  If you broke it in such a way that it made their site massively unprofessional or completely unusable, then they'd be forced to either redesign their site or take it offline. Either of which results in those sites no longer feeding off copied code.
readme 14y ago
Hey, if we have execute of JS on all those clients, why not REDIRECT them to your site? Free traffic. All relevant.
- mtrimpe 14y ago
  I'm generally against all forms of intentional defamation, but I must admit that this option is very tempting... Are there any lawyers here that could weigh in on the legality of this?
  - honzzz 14y ago
    And I would be especially interested in this site: http://www.creativegerms.com/about http://www.creativegerms.com/about I don't see any similarity at all (except for maybe some basic stuff that can be found on many websites) and including them into that "ripping off" article could be perceived as defamation. Did they just quickly switched to different design?
    - samuellevy 14y ago
      That one was a bit odd in my mind, too. Maybe it re-uses some code or something? I can't find a cached version of it anywhere that shows what it looked like an hour or so ago
- fnordfnordfnord 14y ago
  Wait, they've not merely copied his js, they're having him host it too? Oh exploitable. Figure out to make it benefit you. I'd have a hard time resisting the urge to play some mischief though.
  - sp332 14y ago
    No, at least the one I looked at didn't. But if they're just copy-pasting, he could add a domain check (or IP address check) and make it behave differently. Edit: apparently some of them are! https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5165238 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5165238
- im3w1l 14y ago
  When people press store / buy, have a 25% probability of redirecting to your store. In all other cases, do nothing. This could stay hidden a lot longer.
shoxty 14y ago
Adding this to your JS could be fun... if(document.location.hostname !== 'ideaware.co') {alert('Do not trust these thieves. They stole this design from ideaware.co');}
- fnordfnordfnord 14y ago
  Or a little more subtle. A watermark: "Proof Copy - Design By ideaware.co Contact us to design your next website."
- tehwebguy 14y ago
  Better yet: 1. Phone home to a server they won't easily cmd+f find, with several backups 2. Allow the script to execute arbitrary javascript from said server 3. Store a list of requests and referrers 4. Alert, shame and redirect at your leisure Obviously this will only work for future copiers that copy from your site.

Assuming that the people who are copying this code are able to code themselves, wouldn't it be easy to find the problem and fix it? Unless there was some incredible code obfuscation.

DanBC 14y ago
Subtle shenanigans could go for some time without being noticed. And wouldn't people who can code themselves host their own javascript, rather than hotlinking someone else's?
- ChuckMcM 14y ago
  This is what I was thinking, going all stuxnet on them and just subtly moving the advantage your way. The outlier is the propeller guys, they look like a site that hired a 3rd party team to build them a website, and that team ripped of this one and made it theirs. Screwing with it isn't going to send the right signal.
illuminate 14y ago
"Assuming that the people who are copying this code are able to code themselves" Probably a generous assumption.
laumars 14y ago
If you broke it in such a way that it made their site massively unprofessional or completely unusable, then they'd be forced to either redesign their site or take it offline. Either of which results in those sites no longer feeding off copied code.

readme 14y ago

Hey, if we have execute of JS on all those clients, why not REDIRECT them to your site? Free traffic. All relevant.

mtrimpe 14y ago
I'm generally against all forms of intentional defamation, but I must admit that this option is very tempting... Are there any lawyers here that could weigh in on the legality of this?
- honzzz 14y ago
  And I would be especially interested in this site: http://www.creativegerms.com/about http://www.creativegerms.com/about I don't see any similarity at all (except for maybe some basic stuff that can be found on many websites) and including them into that "ripping off" article could be perceived as defamation. Did they just quickly switched to different design?
  - samuellevy 14y ago
    That one was a bit odd in my mind, too. Maybe it re-uses some code or something? I can't find a cached version of it anywhere that shows what it looked like an hour or so ago
fnordfnordfnord 14y ago
Wait, they've not merely copied his js, they're having him host it too? Oh exploitable. Figure out to make it benefit you. I'd have a hard time resisting the urge to play some mischief though.
- sp332 14y ago
  No, at least the one I looked at didn't. But if they're just copy-pasting, he could add a domain check (or IP address check) and make it behave differently. Edit: apparently some of them are! https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5165238 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5165238
im3w1l 14y ago
When people press store / buy, have a 25% probability of redirecting to your store. In all other cases, do nothing. This could stay hidden a lot longer.

shoxty 14y ago

Adding this to your JS could be fun... if(document.location.hostname !== 'ideaware.co') {alert('Do not trust these thieves. They stole this design from ideaware.co');}

fnordfnordfnord 14y ago
Or a little more subtle. A watermark: "Proof Copy - Design By ideaware.co Contact us to design your next website."
tehwebguy 14y ago
Better yet: 1. Phone home to a server they won't easily cmd+f find, with several backups 2. Allow the script to execute arbitrary javascript from said server 3. Store a list of requests and referrers 4. Alert, shame and redirect at your leisure Obviously this will only work for future copiers that copy from your site.