http://www.braingle.com/mind/index.php?id=348;r=0702

" Since some people believe that all new ideas are simply elaboration on existing ideas,
borrowing or stealing is unavoidable!"

""Picasso once said that "good designers borrow, great designers steal." Similarly,

Einstein said that "the secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."

There are many great ideas out there that are just waiting to be applied in new and exciting ways. Figuring out a novel way to use an idea is just as important as coming up with the idea in the first place. You should always keep a lookout for interesting ideas that you might be able to modify and apply to a new problem. Put these ideas into your notebook.""

I stole all of this from the web site BRAINGLE.COM

I do love the justification process. Next we follow up with "everyone does it". Then we end with a rousing course of "tell me you never did it".

I just summorised about 10 pages of thread.

Picasso was one of the great plagarists of our time.

Interesting chat yesterday with a TOP PRO MAGICIAN... he said, "It doesn't really matter that much to me if amateures take my material... they don't work where I do so why should I worry about it."

Pete, now that is an interesting and sensible approach. Very true statement.

So it's okay for others to use your credit card number at places you don't shop?

The statement misses the point.

Technically a burgler does NOT steal from me, or does he?

It DOES hurt when that same thief shows up and charges 1/4 of what the top pro does.

The article on the website was talking about Creativity and not so much of borrowing and stealing wholesale. You can't copy an invention and lay your claims to it. I believe the article encourages one to innovate upon existing ideas to create new materials.

If one were to apply what the article says to magic, it's effectively telling one that it is alright to borrow and innovate upon existing effects of other people. It doesn't say it's okay to borrow and steal another person's effect.

Let's all just give credit to Prof. Hoffmann and call it a day

Yup... huge exposer of magic to the public. His legacy (behavior) may be our craft's greatest obstacle to becoming a legitimate art.

Pete biro---



however, it did not affect his legendary status.