BeerBorg

Beer-lord wrote:Ryan, thanks for the updates and info.
I'm curious how do you know if the recipe is original? Really, so many recipes are similar to begin with and what's to stop someone from say, putting up a Pliny Clone, giving it a name that is in no way close to it and basically, claiming that the recipe is yours?
I've got a number of recipes I've brewed over the years that I put together but never stopped to even check if it resembles any other recipe out there.

Best of luck to you on your endeavors.

Sure - that's a common question I get. Heck, I suppose I should just post a FAQ on the site, eh? haha

The recipes will be screened through the same sort of tools that college professors screen term papers through. It's actually really easy to spot direct rip-offs in an automated fashion, so that will keep the plagiarism down for sure. As far as small tweaks and changes? That's a bit of a gray area, but my personal feelings are if you've taken a recipe and put your own spin on it, you've added something original to it and its ok to call it yours. I think also the home brewing community is proud of their original creations and they kind of self police when someone does try to say "Hey look at this new IPA I made. It's call Bliny the Belder." That's usually shamed out of existence pretty quickly

I suppose it's worth mentioning as well that strictly speaking, you can't copyright a recipe. Nor can you copyright/patent a common production process. So really, its not actually illegal to represent someone else's recipe as your own. Just a super dick move. And something we will not tolerate as moderators.

Anywho, the TLDR on the whole question is we'll have a very public frowny face regarding plagiarism, tools in place to screen the most obvious copies out, and we'll feature the folks doing the best original work.

Hope that helps!
-Ryan

Ryan, Thanks for jumping in and answering questions and giving more information about your product and services. I seems like there are some challenges with this concept but it seem's like it might have some legs.

I'm not endorsing the product at all but I thought about a possible use case related to the BeerBorg here. This might be a way that people that participate in the RCE (Recipe Collaboration Exchange) could create a recipe, post it on Kit Lab then everyone could get the same, exact ingredients to brew with thus eliminating one of the varibles. I guess that then begs the question if the "commission" from the sale could be split between 2 or more users?

LouieMacGoo wrote:Ryan, Thanks for jumping in and answering questions and giving more information about your product and services. I seems like there are some challenges with this concept but it seem's like it might have some legs.

I'm not endorsing the product at all but I thought about a possible use case related to the BeerBorg here. This might be a way that people that participate in the RCE (Recipe Collaboration Exchange) could create a recipe, post it on Kit Lab then everyone could get the same, exact ingredients to brew with thus eliminating one of the varibles. I guess that then begs the question if the "commission" from the sale could be split between 2 or more users?

Sure thing LouieMacGoo - again, I get a lot of value out of having folks examine the idea from every possible angle, so thanks to all you BeerBorgs out there

That's a super interesting use of the platform, for sure! Yeah, there will be the opportunity to make organizational accounts on Kit Lab, so just thinking off the top of my head, I would think you could set up some official BeerBorg seller account or BeerBorg RCE (or whatever) and then each time a new recipe comes in that the RCE group is going to brew, post it and post the link to it here. You're right that the question of how to split the proceeds of those sales is not entirely clear... but this kind of activity would be a stellar way for the BeerBorgs here who love the community you provide to help fund the ongoing cost of keeping this site up and healthy. You could - but wouldn't have to - basically use RCE events to help offset hosting costs while simultaneously making the RCE itself more uniform and the results more useful.

Each seller account on Kit Lab can be associated with one bank account (or paypal account) at the moment, but that isn't to say we can't build in new functionality to add multiple deposit accounts. Probably not top priority for launch, but certainly not outside the realm of possibility.

I suppose coming at it from the other direction too... Once the RCE recipe is selected, you could allow that author to post it to THEIR seller account and let them profit from the sales. Kind of drum up some fervor and excitement around being chosen for the next RCE brew?

Anywho, I'm starting to spit-ball-ramble There are lots of different ways to skin that one, but the takeaway for sure is that is a super interesting way to use Kit Lab that I had not thought of before.

Thanks!
-Ryan

betterbeerkits wrote:

DaYooper wrote:"Home brewers who have created great home brewing recipes will love to sell their kits on Kit Lab."

Again, dont see much benefit with going here rather than other places, with the exception being if they will ship me 7.128# of LME and grains in fractions like I can get at my LHBS. I hate getting multiples of 3.3# cans of LME and the rest in DME, but that is just me.

That, sir, is exactly what we'll be doing

That will actually be nice, as even many LHBSs do not do this and one of the reasons I have been pretty darn loyal to mine. I love not having extra hops, grains, etc laying around and getting to the point of making a Frankenbeer just because I am cheap and refuse to pitch them before they go bad.

DaYooper wrote:

betterbeerkits wrote:

DaYooper wrote:"Home brewers who have created great home brewing recipes will love to sell their kits on Kit Lab."

Again, dont see much benefit with going here rather than other places, with the exception being if they will ship me 7.128# of LME and grains in fractions like I can get at my LHBS. I hate getting multiples of 3.3# cans of LME and the rest in DME, but that is just me.

That, sir, is exactly what we'll be doing

That will actually be nice, as even many LHBSs do not do this and one of the reasons I have been pretty darn loyal to mine. I love not having extra hops, grains, etc laying around and getting to the point of making a Frankenbeer just because I am cheap and refuse to pitch them before they go bad.

I couldn't agree more. I really dislike ending up with these little bits and pieces are that are super hard to make use of and just sit around in the fridge So yeah, even if you're just uploading recipes for yourself to buy and not end up with extras, there may be SOME way for you to make use of it.

Thanks!
-Ryan

I assume I'll be told where and how to upload my recipes, at the proper time.

jimjohson wrote:I assume I'll be told where and how to upload my recipes, at the proper time.

Totally

betterbeerkits wrote:

jimjohson wrote:I assume I'll be told where and how to upload my recipes, at the proper time.

Totally

kewl beans..

Hey Ryan. Welcome to our little community. Thank you for being so friendly and forthright in your replies. Best of luck with your endeavor.

Yea...what John said. That's really cool of you to join in on the conversation here. And to be so upfront with your replies is awesome. I too hope that you do well with this.

John Sand wrote:Hey Ryan. Welcome to our little community. Thank you for being so friendly and forthright in your replies. Best of luck with your endeavor.

BlackDuck wrote:Yea...what John said. That's really cool of you to join in on the conversation here. And to be so upfront with your replies is awesome. I too hope that you do well with this.

Hey thanks you guys! I appreciate the chance to chat about it all with you guys. Really love getting feedback on this whole thing - even if the feedback is "this is going to fail!" hahaha

In the end, it's going to be the community that makes or breaks this thing, so I gotta start listening early, you know?

betterbeerkits wrote:Hey thanks you guys! I appreciate the chance to chat about it all with you guys. Really love getting feedback on this whole thing - even if the feedback is "this is going to fail!" hahaha

In the end, it's going to be the community that makes or breaks this thing, so I gotta start listening early, you know?

So true! So many people want "that is soooo super" feedback and get upset when that is not what they get. Many brew pubs fail cuz all their friends said how great their beer was rather than "it is pretty decent beer and I like the fact you share it with me for free so I will keep complimenting you so you keep sharing (for free)." Kudos to listening. Not that you will, but me I would rather get constructive feedback and either change my business model or skip it all together than go into it with rose colored glasses and end up failing. With moving into my own business in a few SHORT weeks I have been pressing people to point me to anything I may have been missing for just those reasons.

DaYooper wrote:

betterbeerkits wrote:Hey thanks you guys! I appreciate the chance to chat about it all with you guys. Really love getting feedback on this whole thing - even if the feedback is "this is going to fail!" hahaha

In the end, it's going to be the community that makes or breaks this thing, so I gotta start listening early, you know?

So true! So many people want "that is soooo super" feedback and get upset when that is not what they get. Many brew pubs fail cuz all their friends said how great their beer was rather than "it is pretty decent beer and I like the fact you share it with me for free so I will keep complimenting you so you keep sharing (for free)." Kudos to listening. Not that you will, but me I would rather get constructive feedback and either change my business model or skip it all together than go into it with rose colored glasses and end up failing. With moving into my own business in a few SHORT weeks I have been pressing people to point me to anything I may have been missing for just those reasons.

You are right on the money my friend! I literally ask people to "tell me why I shouldn't do this" although even then, you never get REAL feedback until you move onto the anonymous web and people feel free to tell you what they REALLY think! haha

Since you are headed in the same direction I am, have you read The Lean Startup? http://www.amazon.com/The-Lean-Startup- ... 0307887898 It's a great read and it really hammers home this kind of "test early and often, and get ready to pivot" mindset we both seem familiar with. I would highly recommend it if you haven't already picked it up!

Also, "a few SHORT weeks" - How's that going for you?? Are you feeling like time is just DRAAAAAAGGING?

Hey, welcome to the Borg, Ryan! I recognized your screenname from Instagram and I've seen the Kit Lab stuff popping up in there every so often. I think the concept is genius! If we like a friend's beer, we can brew it ourselves! Love it.

philm00x wrote:Hey, welcome to the Borg, Ryan! I recognized your screenname from Instagram and I've seen the Kit Lab stuff popping up in there every so often. I think the concept is genius! If we like a friend's beer, we can brew it ourselves! Love it.

Hey thanks a lot dude! I'm finding the Borg community to be a uniquely supportive and positive, so I am super happy to have found the forum

Thanks!
-Ryan