Posted by Darren (208.143.232.66) on June 10, 2003 at 09:23:47:
In Reply to: Re: Get a Lawyer Before you help Daren posted by Lurker on June 09, 2003 at 22:17:29:
: I'm confused about a lot of things, Darren. I'm not a happy person right now, both because I know too much, and because I know too little.
Then I will apologize again... I don't mean to be mean, I just like to argue a little too much. Bad habit.
: In any case, you are not the only one working on this problem
Too true.
: and it is my firm belief that more than one person already knows the answer to it, and many more have at least has a good start at finding it.
Possible... I mean, if I believe that I've found the answer then I must also believe that it's "findable", right? So therefore others *may* have found it... or are on the verge of finding it. Not impossible, just very improbable.
: If all these people would work together instead of separately, the answer would materialize practically without effort. That is my belief.
Don't know about the "practically without effort" part but... That's the reason I wish to get a few people together... to make it happen. Seperately it has a much lower chance of getting done but if we pool resources then the chances increase.
But paranoia, mistrust, and greed sometimes stop us from sharing any *serious* ideas at all... that's one extreme, keeping it all secret... and publishing totally openly on the net has other consequences... that's another extreme, giving it away. I'm trying to be moderate... find a middle ground. It takes a bit of trust from everyone involved and it has a bit of risk, but in the end I think it's a very good plan :-)
: The reason I have warned people is because I am confused about your motives. You have said many things that make me suspicious.
Ahh, but you have a suspicious nature... you aluded to such in the first paragraph of this post. I have done all I can to be as open and forthright as possible without totally exposing the design itself... but I've never hidden my motives or my objectives.
: It has been my experience that legally binding people to secrecy is generally not in their best interest. NDA's, patents, etc. are legal weapons. The fact that you have mentioned them numerous times triggers my suspicions about you.
You see them as weapons, I see them as protection. You want something... I have something... we're coming from different mindsets. Trust me, if you were walking down the street with the plans for a working Bessler wheel in your pocket I'm sure you would wish you had brought protection from muggers. And I'm pretty sure you wouldn't just stick the plans up in the window of the first Starbucks you came across.
: Don't let me distract you, though. I'm not trying to argue with you. I just don't want people who may already be well on their way to finding the answer to throw their lot in with yours, only to deeply regret it later because of any legal restrictions you may have placed upon them.
That's actually a very valid point. That's what John Collins was afraid of and I can totally understand that. But think about this... by including others in my design I am essentially partnering with them and I suddenly am looking at sharing the "prize" of a working device with several other people. I am willing to give up the title of "sole inventor" to make sure it gets done... some others are not willing to take that chance... I can see and understand both sides of the coin.
I sincerely hope that, as a group (all the people that contact me) we will be able to agree on some simple ground rules for what happens if this design works and what to do if more than one of us has already come up with this same design. I'll make some suggestions and we can all talk about it. I'm kinda tired of everyone (including myself) wanting to be "The One." I just want to get it done and I think that has a better chance if I get a little help. Whatever happens... happens :-)
Thanks!
Darren