Require screenshot of builds during build process?

[Ajdin]

Hi,

So, we have recently ran into issues where a few members would post downloaded builds from websites like PMC and ask money for it. This is against our rules and we are very strict about this and sometime go to the point of banning a member for it, as it can be considered scamming.

I came up with the idea of forcing builders to post screenshots of their builds during the build process. This would make it somewhat harder to sell stolen builds.

Please vote on the poll. I'd also appreciate if you leave your opinion of why you've voted.

 

[Nagi]

-1

There's no point in having this additional step: you can simply take apart a build and then chop it up in pieces; reverse engineer the build to its counterparts.

For example, if I were to build a castle, I can just World Edit the wall out, take a picture, add a turret, take another picture... and then bam: I've easily put together a fake time-lapse!

One can claim to have 'built' a map regardless of whether this method gets added or not. I think that having this idea implemented is a waste of time and forces an unnecessary procedure upon both parties. Although I'm no 'professional' builder, I find that the amount of 'benefits' that the builder would receive from this would far underweight their work put into the project. I agree that having a procedure like this would be 'eye-candy' for the clients but in reality, it doesn't add that much more security than there already was. In the end, it is more-or-so a liability towards an unneeded strain of work.

 

[Justis]

I voted yes, only because I believe it would help to calm the minds of a lot of those looking to purchase a build, and make those who sell them more confident that they will not be called out as scammers, or have their content resold.

Still, it would be extremely easy for someone to simply reverse engineer a build, taking pictures and claiming it was during the building process.
This really solves nothing, only dissuades it.

Also, there are those who come to MCM with the intention of selling builds they have completed in the past.
It would be unfair to say they aren't allowed to sell them here, if they did not take pictures during the building process.
They would then have to take apart the build and fake the pictures....
At that point, the whole rule is basically garbage.

 

[Lockheed]

-1

There's no point in having this additional step: you can simply take apart a build and then chop it up in pieces; reverse engineer the build to its counterparts.

For example, if I were to build a castle, I can just World Edit the wall out, take a picture, add a turret, take another picture... and then bam: I've easily put together an faked time-lapse!

The amount of time to do that is equivalent to the amount of time it takes to process the build.

One can still claim to have 'built' a map regardless of whether this method gets added or not. I think having this additional procedure is just a waste of time for both parties as it doesn't add that much more security than there was before, more-or-so give a strain to more unneeded work to legitimate builders.

1+

 

[MooshyTracks]

Practically useless since sometimes people sell builds that they bought themselves from other people, and most of the time don't have screenshots of the building process

 

[chucK_]

I'm all for this. It's not that hard to press F2 while building.

 

[Jdsgames]

Honestly it is counter intuitive when it comes to people who actually make the builds and are looking to post and it also kinda screws posting past builds onto the site because of no real "proof" you made the build in the first place.[DOUBLEPOST=1454303557,1454303453][/DOUBLEPOST]

I think this is a great idea! The people who sell stolen builds are dumb. Do you really think they have the brain power to disassemble a build and put it back together?

Not really if someone wanted to they can I mean if the builds are symmetrical or smaller builds can be easily replicated.

Also World Edit: cut parts of the build away and simply undo parts at one time.

These do take some more time but still it doesn't take a rocket scientist to use these methods.

 

[Walrus]

I voted yes, it seems like a great idea to prevent downloaded builds. I understand the points of reverse engineering, however a lot of the time you could easily tell if they just worldeditted some parts out, but it would still be a problem. It will improve the system, but wouldn't fully end plagiarizing.

However I think you would need to give a 2 week to a month notice before implementing this idea, of you do at all ofcourse. Something like "NOTICE: Starting February 16th you will be required to show proof of builds. More info here http://google.com"

 

[Jdsgames]

I voted yes, it seems like a great idea to prevent downloaded builds. I understand the points of reverse engineering, however a lot of the time you could easily tell if they just worldeditted some parts out, but it would still be a problem. It will improve the system, but wouldn't fully end plagiarizing.

However I think you would need to give a 2 week to a month notice before implementing this idea, of you do at all ofcourse. Something like "NOTICE: Starting February 16th you will be required to show proof of builds. More info here http://google.com"

World editing is very simple to do realistic changes to any build/formation and the idea of a notice what if I had a previous build I already completed which many of my builds are/will be when I post them is because I hosted many servers and took my schematics that I am sorting through currently. This idea would impose two options A.) Rebuild it or B.) Fake my own screenshots.

However even with the whole screenshot idea you can have a reference build and make your changes off that then do the screenshot thing and fake the whole process. Yes this is a bit more work for fakes but in reality this "method" is like a lock it was designed to keep honest people honest. People will still break this rule it is just gonna show that we have some honest people who make these builds.

Also what if a new user joins the server with no prior knowledge that you needed to record yourself building. This renders any previous builds useless on the site.

 

[Yeti]

Still too easy to fake.

 

[Mint]

I've seen quite a bit of good facts here, on one side someone might have bought a build from a build team and are reselling it and people can also do a fake timelapse of the build, Maybe you should make it so builders have to record them building the build and authenticate it so that way you can know they can't reverse timelapse it, I will vote no for now because I still think there are a lot of other ideas that are better than just making builders add pictures.

A lot of people can't record them doing it

Pictures usually display trial and error changes, you might take a picture of a turret but in the finished product, it has been changed a little. Taking step to step pictures of progress would help validate it, as I highly doubt people would disassemble and make the tweaks as would normally happen while building. It's very rare that you build something and you're pleased with it the thing.

For example, I make trees. I'd take pictures of the tree trunk, and then when I add the wool (usually looks very funny) and then pictures of it as it transforms. Different color changes,

There are always hints which makes the thing look more or less suspicious.
Post pictures of the terraforming before you add anything in, it's usually changed later to make space for builds and other things. Taking it from the first step (probably the heaps of sand placed) , before and after pictures would really help.

Does the person not have anything other than an axe in the hotbar? Some people might remove it but people usually have the blocks needed for the moment in their hotbar.

See a patch of dirt where the wall will be? Looks sort of suspicious, like someone worledited it out.

These are just three small things, might not be correct all the time, someone could've still built it but taken pictures as look suspicious. I could go on and on about small hints and signs to be able to try to determine on your own about how valid it is in your eyes. I could make a thread about it if it'd be requested.

People STILL post fake time lapses now, you jsut have to watch and see if it looks reasonable

 

[Jdsgames]

That's a good point that I didn't think about. Maybe only require screenshots from people with less than 50 ratings.

If you do not believe ratings = reputation then why even mention this??? Because testing a player that Is underrated will eventually lead to bots selling ratings which brings another issue into play that will bypass this idea.[DOUBLEPOST=1454335855,1454335769][/DOUBLEPOST]

Prove it! I NEVER said ratings = reputuation, but I'll try to explain what I mean since you are a noob.
Even since MCM made the "funny" rating neutral/uncounted, ratings has been more and more of a good way to determine legitamacy. However, like you said, this isn't always the case.

Yes but when you require ratings this is where bots will come directly into play and people "selling" ratings similar to how people sell facebook twitter and YouTube "ratings"