Office plagiarism

[Black Sheep]

Arrgghhh!
The one developer at work has requested my source code again for one of my productivity apps I've written.
Now normally I'm not a mine-all-mine person, but guaranteed this guy will now create his own app from my code and slap on a nice GUI and everyone will down to his brilliance.
If I refuse, he will go complain and everybody will think I'm the @#$# who doesn't want to help out or do what's best for the business.
BUT
This is not the reality. I've gone through this before. I'm the one struggling through the new technologies and exploring the new areas and afterward he just comes along scoops up my code and as explained creates his own version in a short time span and nobody understand why it took me so much longer (management/sales/accounting/etc)

Sorry just needed to vent a bit.

 

[Necuno]

isn't it a waste of time and resources to re-invent the wheel each time when a related piece of code/software already exists ?

 

[guest2013-1]

Arrgghhh!
The one developer at work has requested my source code again for one of my productivity apps I've written.
Now normally I'm not a mine-all-mine person, but guaranteed this guy will now create his own app from my code and slap on a nice GUI and everyone will down to his brilliance.
If I refuse, he will go complain and everybody will think I'm the @#$# who doesn't want to help out or do what's best for the business.
BUT
This is not the reality. I've gone through this before. I'm the one struggling through the new technologies and exploring the new areas and afterward he just comes along scoops up my code and as explained creates his own version in a short time span and nobody understand why it took me so much longer (management/sales/accounting/etc)

Sorry just needed to vent a bit.

I feel your pain. I quit the last job I was at because of this. Just not worth the constant explanations to where I spend my time with... and then when I'm nice and help out over a weekend, on my scheduled PAID leave, I get a written warning because of my attitude when I missed a braai with friends on a Saturday afternoon because the 9am to "at the latest" 14:00 turned into 17:00.

Granted I pitched an hour late but I stayed longer and I missed my plans... on my holiday... on a weekend...

You know whats even funnier, the guy you have there doing that stuff, probably the same dude I worked with... because I have to hear how everything was his ideas...?? err.... excuse me..... I did all the ground work. **** I still have the first versions of all my work he claims he did... then when I tell him he's wrong and that I did it, he just laughs it off and says "yea right"

I'm glad I quit. I mean like "**** this is the best orgasm I ever had" glad.

You might want to follow same suit.

At least the guy who claims he did everything by himself @ my previous job knows WTF he's doing in the programming world... even though it takes him a while longer to do it than I would have

 

[guest2013-1]

isn't it a waste of time and resources to re-invent the wheel each time when a related piece of code/software already exists ?

Yes it is, but what we're referencing here is the fact that he takes credit for your work.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Slip in a nasty bug/backdoor as he claims the code is his - that bug/feature will also be his

I also have an issue with people taking all the credit for themselves when you did most of the work. Not fair.

 

[Black Sheep]

Yes it is, but what we're referencing here is the fact that he takes credit for your work.

Exactly.
He reaps financial benefits too because of this, ie being able to do so much at once...
I want to laugh/cry every time I see his(my) code, just a variable names changed here and there.
I've tried to explain this situation to other non-tech people at work,but they just stare at me and say yes they understand, but I know they don't really grasp it. I mean it's not really possible to copy and past a sale or audit now is it.

Glad to hear though that others have also experienced this

 

[Necuno]

Yes it is, but what we're referencing here is the fact that he takes credit for your work.

obviously that is outside of what i was trying to say, but i get the point. what we r&d gets archived in a Code Repository which is reused, but credit due stays with initial creator.

 

[Conradl]

but guaranteed this guy will now create his own app from my code and slap on a nice GUI and everyone will down to his brilliance.

Look on the bright side. In a few months/years time this guy will claim to be "tired of all this technical stuff",and show a desire to "move into a more strategic role".

He will then be promoted and become your boss. In his new role he will be able to nail you dry every day, while you slip deeper and deeper into despair, cursing every good idea of yours that he ever stole....

Actually there does not appear to be a bright side; www.pnet.co.za?

 

[davemc]

You need to clarify exactly what you are measured against. If these measuring points do not accurately depict your value, then propose a different method of determining your value and performance. Forget about Mr-steal-it and get to the source of your problem.

 

[RSkeens]

Exactly.
He reaps financial benefits too because of this, ie being able to do so much at once...
I want to laugh/cry every time I see his(my) code, just a variable names changed here and there.

I would quit if I were you. It's not worth it and it would eat away at you should he be promoted in the possible near future.

The only other way would be to use actual statistics based output from a plagiarism / relevancy checker. Show these statistics to your executive not to your co - workers.

 

[Black Sheep]

I hear you guys. I'm going to have to give this some serious thought, because as most of you have rightly mentioned, this is going to end badly some way or other on the current course.

 

[Conradl]

I hear you guys. I'm going to have to give this some serious thought, because as most of you have rightly mentioned, this is going to end badly some way or other on the current course.

On a more serious note consider this: This guy steal YOUR code and reaps benefits that you do not. Perhaps you should consider this as an opportunity to determine what you are doing wrong, and what he is doing right; from a non-technical/coding point of view?

Fact is that you should always be one step ahead of him; not behind him. Are you by any chance on of those guys who believes that his work will speak for itself, and that its not necessary to promote ones self?

 

[Black Sheep]

On a more serious note consider this: This guy steal YOUR code and reaps benefits that you do not. Perhaps you should consider this as an opportunity to determine what you are doing wrong, and what he is doing right; from a non-technical/coding point of view?

Fact is that you should always be one step ahead of him; not behind him. Are you by any chance on of those guys who believes that his work will speak for itself, and that its not necessary to promote ones self?

Unfortunately yes. I believe (incorrectly) that skill/value/reward is measured by cognitive and technical ability. In reality thought it is exactly as you say, its about being one step ahead in various aspects, including office social and political aspects. Funny thing is this person has become increasingly buddy-buddy with management. I'll have to start addressing my lack in this areas of my personal and career life as I am very an introverted person.

 

[AWD]

hey why not create a *bug* in it that will need to be fixed by you who is the expert

 

[SlinkyMike]

Slip in a nasty bug/backdoor as he claims the code is his - that bug/feature will also be his

Day-yum! That's sneaky! But this dude is being fairly sneaky too...

If the devs in your company don't use one already I'd recommend you pro-actively initiate a document management system, there are several OSS options that you could select from.

Use this to document the code you write and always include a comment in the flower box clearly stating who wrote the code, the date and time and its purpose. Get everyone onto using it and checking bits and pieces in and out.

Once you have this level of transparency it is 100% fair and obvious that everyone who contributes to a specific product/project should be credited.

You now have grounds for complaint should the issue manifest again.

What I am trying to say (maybe not so well) is that this problem is as much to blame on the organisation as it is on the dude who uses your code without crediting you and even you for not doing anything about it.

This is your chance to claim some limelight - be the guy who fixed it instead of another one who just complains. Document management is a fairly hot topic at the moment so play the game, do the research and get something up and going... release it to your 'beta testers' and get them to sell it on to a wider audience.

BTW: You are totally justified in being ticked off at this treatment, your story reminded me of a guy I used to work with - he did thee same thing you mention to everyone.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Slip in a nasty bug/backdoor as he claims the code is his - that bug/feature will also be his

Day-yum! That's sneaky! But this dude is being fairly sneaky too...

That'll teach him a lesson not to use code from other people and claim the credit...

 

[SlinkyMike]

That'll teach him a lesson not to use code from other people and claim the credit...

Yup - that it will!

How about a MASSIVE error message reading: "This code was stolen by xxx from xxx - no credit was given. Stop being a dick to remove this message.

 

[Black Sheep]

Yup - that it will!

How about a MASSIVE error message reading: "This code was stolen by xxx from xxx - no credit was given. Stop being a dick to remove this message.

perfect

 

[Necuno]

but it only shows the error after certain date, that way it would get compiled and deployed.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

but it only shows the error after certain date, that way it would get compiled and deployed.

Great minds...

what I was just thinking as well... simply make it pop up after a certain date, then make sure you are on leave during that period

I bet he won't be checking the code out thoroughly, simply change a few variables here and there...

oooh, evil!

Imagine the message popping up at a client...

Best to keep any names out though...

...even better, instead of saying that it has been stolen, simply have the message saying that the application/module has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down now THAT will keep Mr Plagiarism up for a long while