Avoiding Looking Like Others (for forum designers)
- Thread starter Jason76
- Start date
There are no copyright issues with merely having a forum that looks a bit like another one. After all, the general setup of a forum is gonna be the same in many cases, and in most niches, the topics lend themselves to a certain look and feel.
Outright stealing code or copying the design down the letter is a bit different though.
Outright stealing code or copying the design down the letter is a bit different though.
Yes it is hard not to have yours looking somewhat like another out there. General forums are generally nearly always like each other both a few different variations, but not a lot. There are no real rules to it with copywrite, it is more an unwritten rule in some cases with copycat boards
People make similar designs because they know it sells well.
People make unique designs to see if it will sell even better.
Both are fine design practises, but copy/pasting design and making 1 background colour change is bad.
People make unique designs to see if it will sell even better.
Both are fine design practises, but copy/pasting design and making 1 background colour change is bad.
I understand, but I mean copy theme and sell it as yours, not copy theme and use it for your own site.
there are copyright laws to obey
Whether or not it's for profit, copyright is still the law.
Guess I got misunderstood again. ヽ(｀･ω･´)ﾉ ｲｪｲ!!
By "copy and use for your own site" I meant download a theme (or buy if paid), and use it.
free/paid can be used on a site, once you pay for it you own that copy! like getting an key and you own that key for an copy of an game
I know, and it's exactly what I meant.
It really depends on the software itself, really. Some software have a lot more tells than others, XenForo is particularly distinct when compared to something like MyBB, and Discourse practically looks the same everywhere.
Part of it would probably be to avoid software like Discourse or NodeBB where so many sites either look similar, on in the case of Discourse, utterly botched when they do try to look unique.
As for XenForo, it's a very powerful software, and the benefits can outweigh the cons, especially since it's not *as* similar across sites.
Part of it would probably be to avoid software like Discourse or NodeBB where so many sites either look similar, on in the case of Discourse, utterly botched when they do try to look unique.
As for XenForo, it's a very powerful software, and the benefits can outweigh the cons, especially since it's not *as* similar across sites.
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