Hey Pit! Thanks for asking the question, this is really helpful.
Let me start with defining the word insidious for non-English speakers: “Insidious: causing harm in a way that is gradual or not easily noticed; especially: having a gradual and cumulative negative effect.”
You’ve been member of that Discord and saw the episode back in February. The person literally ripped my copyrighted page and rubbed it in my face. I don’t think anyone can say that it wasn’t weird and that it didn’t happen. So, I was wronged, plagiarized in a worst possible way. That hurt. That’s real damage. Nobody of 400+ people said a word, no discussion about plagiarism. I was deprived of a community I enjoyed, days away from releasing code. I lost months before I could make things resistant to that kind of plagiarism.
But more insidious is the effect that happened and is still happening: this person decided to link himself to my work, plagiarize my ideas. I can’t speak in public without this suffocating annoying echo of the guy following and just plagiarizing those ideas. He could have plagiarized any roadmap, but it had to be mine. Because that is a strategy: keep associating to the other, visually, in words, in any way…, and whatever the other does you benefit.
People will equalize you forever. Look at the posts here: everyone is “there’s two, they are the same.” Louis Pilfold comes in, just craps out “they are both the same, shoddy.” You’d expect more from people like that. But the strategy is so strong, they all just fall for it. I am no longer publicly taken on merit of my own ideas, of my work, I have to suffer this crap forever from people without critical thinking ability or willingness to look what is going on. On top of it all, I fucking despise plagiarizers. It’s beyond annoying. It’s suffocating!
I can’t shake that—the guy is a corporate pro, just keeps going with these innocent little words. Think about it: says, “I don’t want to be associated with you!!” then opens another post and goes “ohh, second compiler.” Why would one do that? Because then you’ll spend time comparing, and if my product succeeds, the reputation simply flows. And conversely, I’m always dragged down to the worst of his. That will keep happening. It will never stop. There’ll be words to the tune of “let’s reconcile our differences, I won’t say it again,” and then just again, in a different way. Until it gets so tiring, you’re like, ughhhh… I’ll stop.
Do you see how that works? It’s plagiarism, but on a high level, of the whole thing, forever! I have to work and it just flows back to the parasite.
If you ever burned out in a corporate setting, or saw movies about that, you’ll recognize that: subtle play where one goes: oh your project is weird, I don’t think is doable. As you helpfully explain finer points, the guy turns around and presents as his. “Why are you so bitter, we’re just working on same things!” Never seen that? You’re lucky. I have, many times. Many a young man burned out.
Of course, when you say it like this, you sound like little whining loser. And that’s the point! You can’t object to it easily. As many will tell you.
If you try, you get deflections of all kinds. A typical corporate move would be “I hasten to add my private opinion, you don’t have to take it onto account, but maybe we need to ask ourselves about the security of this thing…” Total killer, you’ll never get your project approved. It’s that sneaky shit like that all the time.
Rupert got you, too: deflect to comparing some implementation details, what’s the fuss, right? Why am I attacking an innocent man? He only wanted to introduce another compiler in a different language. And plagiarized for four months, the part you didn’t see. And now everyone is “your compiler is almost the same but different from his.” It’s not a compiler! I’m making a fucking product! But nobody hears that.
And Rupert’s playing in reverse: “Oh, I’m a victim, look what I posted, you never responded.” Then hits you with outing some privileged information he was not supposed to say out loud. Then goes back to “Ohh, I’m a victim, I just want to collaborate.” But never in four months reached out via other community members. Never approached during the Camp. Only came to my session to pick up information and post it here. Insidious plagiarism. Describes it so well.
Sometimes you do a double take, “this can’t be true, the guy just posted total compromat of himself, I must be missing something.” But that is the point! You keep asking yourself, I must be missing something, this person seems honest. But note there’s no good faith at all. Shows the message but doesn’t show the plagiarized page. Keeps yapping “I didn’t want to post my thing but then you started working on yours…” (never saying out loud: so I decided to parasite on your effort to get traction). If you didn’t want to show your thing, why did you? (Now we’ll hear a litany of words that drown it, “my sidebar, well…”).
It’s all that surreal crap. It just keeps coming back to me. I don’t want it. I despise that. But I can’t get out.
The ONLY way out of that crap is to publicly out the person as a plagiarizer. In corporate setting it’s super hard, but doable. It’s also done publicly. With enough support, the management can’t cancel you to ignore the inconvenience. I’ve seen it done.
I have to do it in public, and have to focus on the material thing: the real plagiarism. If I can prove that really happened, then it will be easy for everyone to see through the lies. Luckily some people do see it. Sadly, others are heavily on my case to suppress any inconvenience, without taking anything on the merit.
So now you know why the roadmap: it’s just material enough proof. See the first post in this discussion: I am asking for the plagiarized page to be removed, but also pointing out the outright plagiarism still happening.
If there were enough brave people from that Discord back in February, they’d go: “yup, we saw it, Rupert ripped it.” But most just went, “We don’t like conflict, make the inconvenience go away.” Which is fine. Who wants to feel inconvenience these days?
As for the damage: I’ve been deprived of a community of people I wholeheartedly enjoyed. I am deprived of speaking in public and sharing things I’m truly excited about. Lest I face constant harassment and plagiarization. That’s suffocating and hard on psyche.
Honestly, it’s so suffocating, I’d rather fight with the whole world and take it to conclusion. Call out people like Louis that fly by and just irresponsibly dump random crap without taking things seriously. That one upset me, really.
But I don’t feel damage to my project and my work. My public statements are parasited, but the product is on a different level. Now I just want to dissociate myself.
You see how many people talk in back channels? It’s a hot topic. Everyone fears being a victim, and many fear stepping forward due to retribution from the no inconvenience brigade.
I believe many want the answers to the hard questions. I started this and don’t mind exposing myself and taking it on.
This can be done in a civilized way. But the only thing that cannot happen is “make up, go back to work, nothing to see.” Rupert plagiarized my copyrighted work, and we must reckon with this as a community. Plagiarism is a cardinal sin in our profession. We must not ignore it, however inconvenient it is that reckoning for some.
If you’re reading this, look up my compelling evidence above. If you agree with it, signal it somehow. Don’t be afraid of the no inconvenience brigade. They’ll come around once people get enough courage to discuss this on merit.
If you are correct in your description of events, I’d be with you, I’ve used code taken from another Elm package for Elm-Motion, and given it the respect it deserves (I hope) - however - if