I know what you mean about everyone being a newbie at some point...but even when I was a newbie here there were at least 2 or 3 current threads on this subject at the time. I just meant that it seems to always be coming up - like it's almost on a cycle or something. 
Maybe some of us 'Forum Fanatics' or 'Superstars' could just start linking to some of the many, many threads that already exist on this subject so that the newbies can get the gist of it w/out it having to be rehashed all the time. Or...I could just be getting old and crotchety and need to chill. 
I wasn't really saying one way or the other about when/where credit should be given. Of course, I believe that if you make a cake that you simply drew inspiration from many cakes for...yes, it's your cake at that point. It's nice, obviously, and just good manners to say something like 'this cake was inspired by many cakes I viewed here at CC or otherwise online' or 'thanks so-and-so for your version of this cake. It was a big help'. But let's face it - there are hundreds of doll cakes, and shirt/tie cakes, and clown cakes, flip-flop cakes, flag cakes, etc. out there. Also - even if I try to copy a cake...there's absolutely no way that it will be exactly like the original....it'd even be hard for one person to exactly duplicate a cake to a T....no two cakes can ever be that much alike, IMO. Unless you outright copy someone else's cake, no matter the style or design, I personally don't think it's necessary to 'give credit'....nice manners, yes - but if you don't, I don't think you're doing anything wrong, necessarily. I think the stickler for everyone seems to be if they feel they did something totally original in way of design or technique...and then someone else directly copied them (or did their best to try to copy them) and it's obvious, then they'd like to be credited. I agree.
Now, I'm not gonna be saying things like: 'Thank you whoever you are that invented the cupcake cake/doll cake/flip flop cake/teapot cake!' every time I post one I've made. But - if I make a cake that is mostly or totally influenced by one sole baker/decorator or website...or is a try at a total copy - then yes...I will make it very, very clear who that person is. JMHO 
Everything that we see here is going to come up over and over again. I mean this forum would have been long gone if we only talked once or twice about how to get smooth icing, or why cakes sink in the middle, or MMF, or viva paper towels. We all have the ability to read or not read any threads we choose.
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