Good artists copy, Great artists steal. Con-artists?

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This post is based on this article on techcabal which details an app created to help students with exam preparations.

Now, that app, which is actually based off a google open source sample app (here) on github that is supposed to serve as a reference to android developers, is a plagiarism in every sense of the word.
Apart from the fact that the backing open source project wasn’t referenced (as stated in the Apache 2.0 license) and there was no real difference other than a name change and different text for questions, its really just a horrid ‘port’ as it crashes any chance you give it. Says a lot about the quality of the developers.

So, I want to question both the morality of copying, stealing and plagiarism (especially by nigerian developers) and the fact that in developing solutions for ourselves, should we really just be copying every open source project out there (albeit changing the name and core content to fit) or should we take a more creative, bottom-up approach using actual skill in solving our issues with technology.
The former leads to a fast deployment but no actual learning which is what we need if we ever will export software after oil dries

This is also closely related to this post on radar.

###UPDATE
I have verified these claims to be false. The project is indeed NOT a copy or clone or whatever. It’s just a misunderstanding caused by both projects using the same icons and/or visual style! i apologize to all parties involved and to the radar community especially.

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The question about morality is subjective and can’t be measured. So there can not be a benchmark on what is right vs what is wrong. For example, you may think that sleeping with the neighbours wife is a sin but I may think I am doing her a favour as she is very hot and lonely.

So the fact that you think plagiarism is wrong does not mean that someone else sees it as not wasting time reinventing the wheel. What really matters is the end result.

In regards to not referencing the open source app, that’s an issue for the original app owners to contact them. If you want to be “moral” to your own standards, you can actually be a whistleblower and report them or just stand around like the rest of us and watch the drama unfold.

The long and short of the story, is that in a land where there are no laws or laws can not be enforced, there is no sin. These guys are just another set of hustlers hoping maga will pay. If they succeed, good luck to them, if not there are loads of other apps to clone.

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I think this is interesting from couple of angles. Firstly, relying on your words, that this is a case of plagiarism, without any form of attribution, then this is indeed wrong.

However, the whole point of open source is to put knowledge (hence technology) in the hands of many. So be it Buffer or Space X, anyone can fork available code and do their thing.

Also your conclusion might be too harsh (at least in this case), because it can be argued that the PH boys have actually brought value to Nigerian students.

Finally, the use of anecdotes (like this one) to make generalised points such as 'copying every open source project’, is always going to be a long stretch. You might well be right, but better to bring data to the table (like % of GitHub/Bitbucket contribution compared to say Ghana), before making sweeping statements.

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The problem is the fact that these guys, amongst others (those browser kids readily come to mind) knowingly took code with an intention to mislead the media into thinking that they painstakingly developed it. It is upsetting. We are here trying to raise the collective standard of output of developers in the country and then the media goes ooh ahh on something that turns out to be a repackaged open source project. Na mehn.

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I totally understand that angle. And it’s a fair point to say the media (or TC in this case) has been misled. However, it won’t be the first time (nor the last), that a startup misleads the media. We can even go to town and say currently Theranos is misleading the media (never mind, patients, medical society, VCs, employees, etc), as we speak.

Now if you flip this round and the boys put proper attribution on the android app, then this becomes a mute point. We can go on different scenarios but at the end of the day, I don’t think we can use this example to say we have not ‘solved our issues with technology’. Of course there are valid questions which can be raised to the ecosystem, I’m not just convinced this stuck makes them.

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My post encapsulated my stance on the matter and wasn’t meant to disagree with your disagreement with OP. Perhaps I should have made that clear. This bullshit happens all over anyway. I may not have raw figures, but just looking at how many final year projects are rip offs or paid for tells how deep this rot is, and why a self respecting journalist should ask the right questions… as against just trying to make a story.

I bet I could clumsily rebrand AOSP and be hailed as someone who created our first mobile operating system when such shit wouldn’t even get any journalist’s attention elsewhere.

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Lol, good points! This calls for paraphrasing and moderating…So @gbenga as its your article, I of course wouldn’t want you to miss out, tldr: ‘developers say tech journalists SHOULD ask the hard questions’, fair point in this case?

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Tola when the husband, catch una 2, he’d gladly return the favour(s), when he’s done you’d be writing the book of ills. There’ll be no need for benchmarkings.

UPDATE: False alarm.

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First off, this post is personal as some of you all would have guessed.

Oshey…father christmas!
And yes, morality is subjective but this is more of a question to the community, Do you think its right vs wrong? Just state your position and maybe explain. I think its wrong and @xolubi articulates my position better than i can in

It goes on (the NYSC guy with the drone? bought a drone, played with it in public, was hailed for building a drone in nigeria). But if majority think that ‘their hustle’ should be encouraged then who am I to be a maverick?[quote=“PapaOlabode, post:3, topic:3733”]
Finally, the use of anecdotes (like this one) to make generalised points such as ‘copying every open source project’, is always going to be a long stretch
[/quote]
@PapaOlabode I also don’t have numbers but that statement is backed by emotion and personal experience with developers (my co android developer @ work told me to release one of my personal projects source on github so he can clone and publish as his. Wasn’t joking. words failed me). It’s really just my emotional response to the issue.

@PapaOlabode I’d relax a bit, if this was actually their motivation. But I’m still sad because of the antecedent this sets for others and the questions raised as to what the future holds for Nigeria’s tech ecosystem.

I don’t blame the media or TC for being misled, however, just really expect them to know better. That’s the secondary aim of this post, awareness, the primary of course being to rant.

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Am one of the developer of Exam Prep. Our app is not based on the topeka app. If you use both apps, you will see there is a complete difference between the two. The source code and design is different, the only thing we used from topeka (or looks like it) was the icons for some subject (google image searching for icons). If thats what you are referring to, then we are guilty and we will address that, but if thats not what you are referring to, then you are absolutely wrong.

You said “there was no real difference other than a name change and different text for questions”, wow. You mean the cbt page looks like topeka ?, or the multiplayer page ? or other pages ?. I don’t mind sharing some of the source codes to prove that you are absolutely wrong. The experience on Exam Prep and Topeka is entirely different, different animations, design, codes, etc.

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@xolubi, @papaolabode, we didn’t clone an open source project. Please, suggest ways you want me to prove this. @tola, our app is free. We didn’t clone and are not waiting for any maga to pay. Please, this is all wrong.
Here are screenshots to compare, but if you have an android phone please download and go through each app, ours is just about 6mb and requires android 3 and above (Download link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=elvis10ten.com.past_questions), topeka i believe is over 10mb and requires android 4 and above:

gameplay_selected.png1080×1920 121 KB

device-2015-12-17-115308.png1370×2405 742 KB
topics.png1370×2446 871 KB
<img src="/uploads/d

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First of all, Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Now, I’m no developer but I’m sure @xolubi will have some clever insights on this. So Ezra leave your 4 cats alone, & lets know your thoughts!

Personally I’m now curious how @efemoney is so sure this is a case of plagiarism? Did you do some sort of automated code plagiarism detection test?

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I just downloaded and installed the app. From the UI & UX perspective, its the same with the opensource project. Maybe the open source guys copied the PH guys. :smile:

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So my view is that it’s the end game that matters. If you get results with a carbon copy clone without any law suits that bankrupts you and you can sleep at night, then it’s fair game. Carry Go…

If you are wise enough to con the media or the public and they fall for it then you have passed your CEO 101 exam and I raise my hat to you.

The bottom life is that anyone that can make something out of nothing - okirika or original - earns my respect.

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Please could you point atleast 3 places where they are the same. If you can’t do this, then your wrong like i said.

Edit: Here is the screenshots of topeka for all to see (if you can’t download). Despite the fact that alot of material design apps looks similar (material pallete, patterns), the difference between both is clear.

Let me point out some of the differences. Below images is the question page design for topeka, you can see that the question is on the toolbar (i guess, since same primary color and no shadows between), the floating action button is placed on the toolbar and the options are below this (there are different types of questions, some uses slider, radio buttons, edittext, etc).

But you can see above that our design for questions is entirely different, we used a common material design pattern (placing a cardview on an extended toolbar). We have the timer and question numbers, with a sliding pane layout that reveals the question picker. Floating action bottom is at the bottom, with some other buttons (next, back, tts and stop tts).

Is there any similarities between this two ?

quiz_shakespeare.png1410×2406 719 KB
cbt.png1370×2446 852 KB

On the navigation flow:
Topeka: You select the subject you want, it animates full screen with a play button, clicking it start the quiz. As you answer you are given feedback immediately whether you got it or not with a score and the next question. At the end a score card is shown to you.

Exam Prep: You select the subject you want, it shows a dialog with option to go multi or single player. Single player starts the quiz. You can swipe left or right to next question, or use the buttons. Submitting, will take all questions and show you your score using progress bar, a comment, topics performance and a button to view solutions/answers.

We have other various sections too like questions, syllabus, performance, etc. @PapaOlabode, @xolubi.

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Let’s see the landing page of both apps. They look pretty similar to me. Anyway I guess you have nothing to prove. If you copied, learn the lesson from the post, if not move on and be happy.

Cheers

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I’m sorry but this doesn’t make sense to me.

First of all, this is now two different things, so let’s not get it muddled up: @henryC says UI & UX are the same (I think that’s a lame accusation except a blatant rip off). @efemoney makes the more serious allegation of taking code (not heard how he’s been able to substantiate this).

I obviously don’t know @Mr_Carver but my default in this cases remain the same; the first burden of proof should lie on the folks making the claims (and not he other way round).

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Screenshot_2015-12-25-18-57-03.png720×1280 114 KB

Screenshot_2015-12-25-18-55-47.png720×1280 166 KB

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@henryC this is not your evidence. It can’t be, right?

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Apart from the icons which i have accepted i downloaded them all, there is no cloning in the screen shots. Except you want to say i can’t use material design grid (https://www.google.com/design/spec/components/grid-lists.html) or i can’t use the material blue color (https://www.google.com/design/spec/style/color.html).

Differences:

  1. The toolbar of both apps are completely different
  2. The tabs
  3. The color combo on theirs (probably palette api stuff) wasn’t in ours.
  4. Even the grids are not exactly same size.

@efemoney, still waiting for your response.

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