Debate about free idea sites...
Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 8:47 pm
Well, I'm not trying to start a flame war... but just a discussion on what this topic is, and the directions many people have taken it. Feedback and discussion is highly encouraged.
First I'll start off with our home: The Creativity Pool ... a penny jar of ideas that operates off of a "rewards program" from its users using a firm set of rules. (I am sure Steve can explain it a heck of a lot better than I can) But from a new users perspective, this is what it seems to be. And I'll leave the rest of this open for him to talk about.
But this is just one way of going about the "idea" of having "free idea's" and its many uses...
For example: Idea-a-Day takes users submissions (sorts out the bad ones) and then posts an idea a day on its page... but unlike Steve, the creator David Owen turned his page into a book... but I guess that is also a great way to get the ideas that were put up on the web, out to more people, and maybe... just maybe... created and used to some extent.
Then there is the less commercial... the 'true at heart'... the intellectuals that are "do gooders" ... hence: ThinkCycle.org... Which is a great page that tackles "designs that matter" and ways to help everyone around the world... simply stunning and beautiful, yet very difficult to motivate those of us who are greedy.
Another site that operates around these same lines is Global Idea's Bank.org. And they only accept "social innovations" so scratch off gizmos and widgets and things you'll only use once a year.
Halfbakery.com takes and interesting approach to "free innovation"... "The Halfbakery is a communal database of original, fictitious inventions, edited by its users. It was created by people who like to speculate, both as a form of satire and as a form of creative expression". It also contains some very humorous posts!
Then there is me... Freeidea.org followes the same concepts as those above... but with a small difference... Instead of rewards, worthy goals, or plain curiosity, Freeidea.org was founded with a public license... very similar to that of free software that you see today (ie. Firefox, Linux, phpBB, etc).
So as we can see, there are quite a few 'creative, idea, curiosity, sites' in existance. All with the same mindset... All with a different way of tackeling it. What is it that drives us to make these sites? ... and how about the rest of us? When and where did we get the 'bright idea' to search for "ideas" online? Are we on the brim of a new era of thinking? I noticed most of these sites were created around 2000-2002... coincidence?
And which is better? ... I'd say none.... Each site is tailored to a certain cause/type/purpose and style... which in turn, is reflected in their users. After all... we are nothing without you.
What do you think about all of this?
First I'll start off with our home: The Creativity Pool ... a penny jar of ideas that operates off of a "rewards program" from its users using a firm set of rules. (I am sure Steve can explain it a heck of a lot better than I can) But from a new users perspective, this is what it seems to be. And I'll leave the rest of this open for him to talk about.
But this is just one way of going about the "idea" of having "free idea's" and its many uses...
For example: Idea-a-Day takes users submissions (sorts out the bad ones) and then posts an idea a day on its page... but unlike Steve, the creator David Owen turned his page into a book... but I guess that is also a great way to get the ideas that were put up on the web, out to more people, and maybe... just maybe... created and used to some extent.
Then there is the less commercial... the 'true at heart'... the intellectuals that are "do gooders" ... hence: ThinkCycle.org... Which is a great page that tackles "designs that matter" and ways to help everyone around the world... simply stunning and beautiful, yet very difficult to motivate those of us who are greedy.
Another site that operates around these same lines is Global Idea's Bank.org. And they only accept "social innovations" so scratch off gizmos and widgets and things you'll only use once a year.
Halfbakery.com takes and interesting approach to "free innovation"... "The Halfbakery is a communal database of original, fictitious inventions, edited by its users. It was created by people who like to speculate, both as a form of satire and as a form of creative expression". It also contains some very humorous posts!
Then there is me... Freeidea.org followes the same concepts as those above... but with a small difference... Instead of rewards, worthy goals, or plain curiosity, Freeidea.org was founded with a public license... very similar to that of free software that you see today (ie. Firefox, Linux, phpBB, etc).
So as we can see, there are quite a few 'creative, idea, curiosity, sites' in existance. All with the same mindset... All with a different way of tackeling it. What is it that drives us to make these sites? ... and how about the rest of us? When and where did we get the 'bright idea' to search for "ideas" online? Are we on the brim of a new era of thinking? I noticed most of these sites were created around 2000-2002... coincidence?
And which is better? ... I'd say none.... Each site is tailored to a certain cause/type/purpose and style... which in turn, is reflected in their users. After all... we are nothing without you.
What do you think about all of this?