JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum Question to the Moderators: Lyric Feedback Forum C

I have always understood the “Lyric Feedback Forum” to be a place where members can post lyrics, song ideas, or works in progress and receive feedback from other songwriters in the JPF community. My intention has always been to help fellow writers by offering feedback, sharing suggestions, and sometimes writing example lines to illustrate ideas.

Recently, Dom (Fdementrio) publicly stated that I stole his lyric/song idea. My wrongdoing apparently took place in the following thread:
https://www.jpfolks.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1214055/super-bowl-song.html#Post1214055

In that thread, I began by suggesting revisions to his original lyrics. I did not claim those new lines as my own work in the sense of authorship of the original idea. Since I liked the concept of the song, I also wrote an alternate, more universal version of the lyric and posted it in the same thread as part of the discussion - similar to how other members sometimes contribute ideas or lines.
At the time, Dom responded positively and encouraged the discussion. However, in another thread he is now stating that I used his lyrics without his permission: "Did you ask me, if you could use the idea I came up with?" Do I have to ask for permission before I make suggestions?
I want to emphasize that nothing was released, published, or used commercially. All of my comments and lyric suggestions were posted only within his thread as part of the feedback process.
If my contributions were inappropriate, I am happy to delete my posts from the thread. My intention was simply to participate in the collaborative spirit I believed the forum encouraged.
I would appreciate guidance from the moderators on how situations like this should be handled in the future so misunderstandings can be avoided.

I am listed as a Moderator. I don't know how that happened, but...
I often suggest words, Lines, or whole Lyrics, as examples.
To communicate, in print form, it is more expeditious to do it that way, than to try to explain what I'm thinking. If we were in the same room we could converse about the 'ideas' and the person we were trying to 'help' could 'get' what we are saying. In print, we try to 'show' the example, assuming the other person 'gets' why our suggestion makes sense.
For some members any comment becomes a point of contention. You'll find that in every thread they start or comment on they are likely to turn it into an argument.
Once I perceive that behavior I stop reading their posts, and so don't comment.
Their 'interest' is not in discussion, seeking 'feedback', learning or teaching.
Their interest seems to be that opportunity to have conflict.
I might offer my apologies, and promise it will not happen again, because I will not be reading their posts thereafter. I am under no obligation to do so. I am not interested in their 'experience' here.
If you feel the Member's accusation is inaccurate, perhaps the easiest thing to do IS to delete your comments, with apologies, likely erasing any record of your offerings of support.
However, it may also be beneficial to let your comments stand as an observable record of reality.
Others may benefit from seeing the thread progress through consecutive comments, and learn some of the 'lessons' to be gleaned.
Such an accusation is a serious matter, where Intellectual Property is concerned, and you have to evaluate what actions you decide on, to delete any record of it, or print out that record, to file as a record in defense against future allegations of misconduct.
Look how 'heavy' this gets, in what should be the 'lightest' of interactions, yours with no 'intent' other than learning/teaching, discussing, exchanging amicably in regard to questions, insights, all positives.
The other 'Party' shows no interest, and takes offense, makes allegations. It becomes contentious.
As in all the rest of life, we avoid such unpleasantries in future, places where they happen, the people who make them happen.
The person making the original post can also delete the original, altogether, or delete and re-post, eliminating others' comments.
Lots of options for all.
I'm going to go read through that thread, and comments, for my own edification.

I see you 'took' the original 'idea' and found your own frame of reference, references to the realities of the game.
Your flow is good. Your various concepts are thematically sound.
I think the Member with the original post may feel jealousy over your more intensive drawing from the facts of the games and players.
As a non-sportsman I don't find the references to an overall concept more than vaguely interesting.
So, even if I had read it all when first posted, I would not have been likely to offer any suggestions. I think Verse I lost me, not being a sportsman, and I didn't read much more into Verse II.
It was a hell of a game! Two equally matched teams, same number of wins that got them to the S-Bowl, as I recall. It may have been uninteresting to those who like a lot of great plays. It only had a few, and mostly they 'held' each other from scoring, rough and tumble football, and a winner squeaked by with field goals.
Your offerings are complete rewrites of the original. That may be the factor the Member originally posting the idea finds offensive. Yours are not mere suggestions of minor improvements to various Lines, but whole rewrites with qualities an 'evaluator' might declare equal to or greater than the original.
There are lessons to be learned, as I suggested previously.

Rob, NOBODY cares.
Dom did not accuse you of stealing his songs, we both know yiu are not good enough to do it.

Dom said you used his ideas, after you accused Tony if stealing a lyric so plain Jane that's its laughable.

You crave attention, nobody here gives a rats ass


At first I thought you were a dik, then as I saw you stopped kissing MARTYS ass, and were your own man, I second guessed.

Now you've proven to be that Dik.

You will continue to bring this up in different ways, because yiu somehow think it makes you relevant, that you are so good, you must be stealing.

Hey, why not while your at it,ask why people posting are not replying to others, basic rule, not followed.

Your just a wind bag

Thank you, Gary. I appreciate you taking the time to look through the thread and sharing your thoughts.

I do find it difficult sometimes to know where the line is between suggestions, partial rewrites, and complete rewrites when trying to offer feedback. In my first response I mostly worked with many of the original lines, while the second version became more of a full rewrite inspired by the original idea.

What I found a bit confusing is that at the time I posted those versions, Dom seemed to respond positively and even encouraged the process. In that thread he didn’t indicate that he felt I had crossed a line or used anything without permission. Funny, I can't even give the guy any credits because I don't know his name.

As you said, there are lessons to be learned here. To avoid future hassle or misunderstandings, I may step back from offering examples in threads.

Because I didn't mind, it wasn't something I was focused on doing.

But when your throwing people under the bus for doing the same thing, and your creating an environment here that only you amd Kaye matter, well that changes the landscape

There are literally thousands of other examples here to draw from that they are obviously making a point of ignoring. "Virtue Signaling" from a TROLL, then ignoring the competition, is the practice of used car salesmen...

I feel ya', Dom

Slowly, painfully, but surely... the TROLLS are making it impossible for this site to function as a collaborative community.

That's not to mention the way they're "spamming" with AI...

collaborative community ha ha , who you and Dom ? Moderators ? Who dead JFK ?