I fully realize that in these contests there will be similar cakes entered, depending on the theme of the contest.

What is the general feeling of the members here on CC when a pretty unusual cake is entered in the contest and four or five days later another cake, extremely similar, is entered?

This situation came up for me in the Food Contest, before I finished the cake I was working on, someone else entered a cake along the same line, but not the exact same thing that I was trying to do, but I still didn't enter the cake, not wanting to look or feel like a "copycat".

Should I feel flattered? After all, they say "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!" Somehow I don't feel flattered.

By the way, neither cake is anywhere near winning or even placing in the contest.

Just interested in the opinions of the members. Janice

Well, I can tell you of a similar thing. My youngest, the one that took the baker's course, had a fellow student come over to do a practice together before they entered their wedding cakes for a college competition. It was also part of their grade mark. The other girl had no idea what she would be doing for her wedding cake. My daughter knew exactly what she was going to do, showed her design to the other girl and worked on a practice cake. Mom here, didn't think that was such a good idea. Anyway, the day of the competition, the other girl shows up with the same decorations my daughter had used, plus one more. Needless to say, this other girl came in first, my daughter came in second. She learned a good lesson, when entering a competition, keep your ideas to yourself.
In true "what comes around, goes around fashion" the winner of the competition was hired by a local bakery. About three weeks later, my daughter was hired. After she was trained, the other girl was fired. It appears that the other girl didn't work out and my daughter was hired as her replacement.
I don't know what to say Janice. Some people are really good decorators, but they can only copy other people's ideas. Others have very original takes on everything. Some folks do ordinary cakes, extraordinarily. We all have some area where we are best.
I would think that if I discussed an idea with someone, that they wouldn't take that idea and use it for the same contest I was entering. I would also think that people would do a totally different take on a subject, just to be original. But then, haha, some people believe "All is fair in love and cake decorating", I guess.
Hugs Squirrelly

But squirrely, I don't think that Janice discussed her cake with anyone. She posted it and then 5 days later another one almost identical popped up. So it's almost like you should wait until the VERY last minute to post your cake or somebody can copy your idea. Basically it's the same thing you said only not for talking and showing ideas but for doing it and then it being copied

It might have been just a plain ol' coincidence. There's no real way of telling who made it first...
It's a tough situation and maybe you're right...save it for the last day of the contest.

Wait, I thought she didn't post it at all. I thought someone came up with a cake similar to the one she was going to do and then she didn't want to post hers for that reason. Am I missing something?

Heehee, I think we are all confused. I took it to mean when she said "Should I feel flattered? After all, they say "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!" Somehow I don't feel flattered. ", that somebody she had discussed her idea with, took that idea and produced a similar cake and entered it before she posted hers. But I could be wrong.
I would think that there is always the possibility of entering the same type of cake and a good example would be the spaghetti and meatballs cakes. But my impression was that the cake she had planned to enter, was a pretty unique idea that she had come up with.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

I can relate to exactly that kind of situation. I entered a backpack cake in the back-to-school contest. Before I posted my picture, I looked through the entries to be sure that there weren't any other backpacks.

And a couple of days later somone else entered a backpack cake, too, and that one won. We approached it differently, and I do think that the other one deserved to win. I have no idea if the back pack idea came from having seen mine or not.... I think this time I will wait until later to post my picture, though.

So I am wondering if where this discussion is headed is that if there was possibly some way of not posting the pictures until the entry deadline is over and then posting all of them at the same time? I don't know the logistics of this, if it makes a whole lot of work all at one time rather than the gradual posting as the entries come in, but you might want to make this suggestion to Jackie and Heath? Heehee, but remember, I didn't suggest it, haha. Not being the computer savvy type, I wouldn't want to suggest anything that increases the scope of work.
Hugs Squirrelly

I could be way off base here, but I don't think it is an issue of the prize. It is likely an issue of ethics and this is why these contests that are really aimed at fun, are also taken seriously in another light. I think that someone felt that someone else possibly did something that they felt was morally and ethically wrong.
I have a tendency to get upset about things like that too, haha, big surprise to anyone that knows me. But sometimes the way that people behave in minor things are a good reflection of how they would behave in major issues.
Whew, it is late at night and am I getting deep or what, haha!
Hugs Squirrelly

You are right it's not about the prize. I said that to be funny and I should have left it out.

Someone is being accused of something you don't know that they did (or did intentionally anyway). You can't crawl into anyone's head and know what they were thinking and when.

I saw the two cakes in question after my last post. I wondered which cakes we were talking about.

In my opinion it's not within the realm of impossibility that two people came up with the same idea at the same time. Two people even invented the telephone at the same time so I don't have much trouble believing that the two cakes could have been decorated with the same idea independantly.

Could it have been copied? Absolutely it could have been. And if that's true it's wrong. Was it copied? None of us know...

I stand by what I said before

In the end the truly creative person will shine on their own merit.

First, let me say thanks for your responses! I have just kept quiet until now, I really don't want this to become an argument, but thought it was time to add something to my question and apologize for the length of it.

Squirrelly, you are right on target! This has nothing to do with a prize, it has to do with choices!
With all those really beautiful cakes entered in the contest? No way was my PPE2 (as I affectionately called him after a couple of revisions to the original) going to win the prize, but I had the idea in my head and it would not go awayso I made him and entered him on October 8th.

On Oct. 12th, the second cake shows up in the contestand I was so upset! Here Id thought Id had a really far out idea, and there is another one almost like him!

No, nobody stole the idea from me from a conversation, and the fact that the cakes are alike may actually be a coincidencethe point I am trying to make is that there is no way I would enter a cake in a contest that is so obviously like someone elses cake that was already entered. In the other contests you have a variety of colors to choose that keep the cakes from being alike even if some of the cakes are the same subject.

Yes, you missed something! In the Food contest, I was working on but had not quite finished a banana shaped cake when a banana shaped cake was enteredtotally different but still a banana (I did finish it and, yes, I do have pictures)! As I said, I wanted my cake to be individual, so I went looking for another cake to make for the contest. (My entry was sushi made of cake.)

There is no way Jackie can monitor this, any more than she can monitor whether or not a cake was made for the contests or something made months or years ago (well, except if the cake is already in the galleries), or even if it is actually made of cake.

If/when I enter a contest again, it will be at the deadline, and if there is another one similar it will indeed be a coincidence, because I promise you I wont be entering one like someone else has posted earlier! You are right Squirrelly, it comes down to personal choices and standards. Janice

well said, veejaytx!

I just took a look at the entries for the Halloween contest. I had some "original" ideas that are already posted!!! I still may attempt my own version of theat idea, however. Even the Spooky cake challenge had 4 out of 5 entrants that made Haunted Houses.....

When the purple contest was on, I did a search on the word "purple" just to gather some ideas....Purple people eater was one of the first images, so I'm guessing other people use the same resources as me.

I totally understand you, Veejaytx. I would not like to be in your situation either...but don't let it get to you....at the end of the day it's just a contest. If you please yourself with your work, then you have success!!!

Maybe the answer is to have the photos hidden until voting time.

I belong to several graphics groups online...and when we have a contest, we enter the size that was stated for our finished graphic to be, and sent them to the contest person.... then when she had all the graphics in by the deadline....she made a page to post the entries in.....then there was a time period to go and vote on the graphics....
and no one knew who did what graphic until the end when the winner and runner ups were posted...

I agree. I think we should not be able to see the entries until time to vote. That way, if there are any duplicates, then everyone can rest assured that they are purely coincidental.

Thanks for clarifying that Janice. I can now see what you are referring to and understand where you are coming from.
My pal in Alaska, sorry, I did realize you were joking about the prize situation. I think I have seen people bring up the fact that it is for fun and the fact that the prize is a book, people shouldn't take it so seriously many times. But like I said, I don't think it is about winning the prize.
We are all different and what upsets me, might not upset someone else.
Hugs SquirrellyCakes

Being recognized as good at what you do is it's own reward. The book is just the icing on the cake

Has anyone made the suggestion to Jackie or Heath about keeping the contest gallery private until voting starts? If it was something everyone wanted, I don't think it'd be a difficult fix. I'm just guessing here but the Naughty Cakes gallery is blocked until access is requested. The contest gallery could be done the same way...blocked until voting starts. Might even add to the excitement to have all the cakes unveiled at the same time. Maybe a poll would be a good idea. See what other members think.

While I can understand the frustration about duplicate cakes. Each cake is made by an entirely different person. Isn't this what Cake Central is all about, sharing ideas, techniques, AND our cake pictures themselves?!

If a cake is to show up similiar to another then it shows up. All beit a little or very frustrating, it's the appearance of the cake that ultimately wins the contest here right? It's the overall creativity and technique used in the creation of the cake. If a duplicate shows up then consider that a compliment!


Amy

OK..I posted apoll, so we can get some info before anyone goes to Jackie or Heath about this. I do agree that it's all about just sharing ideas, but maybe blocking the gallry until voting time would jsut put everyone's mind at ease about any duplications.

Okay, so maybe I should feel flattered!???! Go look at the current contest pictures then look at one of my pictures...

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=coppermine&file=displayimage&meta=allby&member_id=2150&cat=0&pos=12

If someone is going to plagiarize my idea/work, I would at least appreciate the credit!
I agree, the contest pictures should remain hidden until vote time.

Hmm That's some coincidence!!

Wow...we have twins!!!

Honelsty you guys, if we don't stop complaining about the contests they're probably just going to do away with them! I personally like looking at all the contest pics as they are uploaded. It's part of the fun, seeing what everyone has come up with. There are always going to be cakes that are similar. Almost everyone get ideas from others they have seen. I doubt that there are hardly any truly origional cakes on this site or anywhrere for that matter. This and that were taken from a cake seen here... I like this technique I saw there...ect. I know before I start working on a cake I do a google search for inspiration.

I think that this really needs to be left up to each of us to govern ourselves. I'm not saying I wouldn't be bummed if I saw someone enter a cake just like mine. But if you worried about someone copying then just wait till the end to post. I don't think we should have to wait to see everyone else's pics if they want to show them. Just my opinion.

Well, versions of a Spider Cake have been around for a long time, but usually they use the two round cakes for the body, they have black licorice legs not pipe cleaners and the eyes are not done like yours. Yes, this does look like a copy of your version.
I am wondering because there are no stipulations about these cakes being original works etc. because the contest is more for fun than, say, the Wilton contests, if people don't realize that this might offend the original designers. Perhaps it doesn't dawn on them that they should ask before using the same design for a contest?
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

So I've been reading all the posts on the contest duplicates and here are my thoughts.....

I can understand being upset by a duplicate picture, but as someone else osted, that's was cc is supposed to be about. Everyone sharing ideas.

I don't think holding all the entries until voting time is a good idea. I mean, all the contests run with the season, holiday, whatever. For example, voting on this one wouldn't start until Nov. 5. Halloween is over by then so why do I want to view the photos then. I thought the purpose of the galleries and others post was to share ideas....I;ve never copied an idea but I like to use the photos for inspiration or build on anothers idea. So what if I wanted to do a halloween cake for a school party, halloween party, etc. I don't have the wonderful pictures to view and on Nov. 5 all the parties are over. I say if your afraid of duplications, someone stealing your idea, etc. don't post til the end.

Just thought I'd share my opinion. I really like cc and have feel I've benefited from the tons of information I've gathered. I would also hate to see the photos not posted at the time of year that they should be. UNLESS, the contest was run like a month or so ahead of time. Like instead of the purple last month, it was halloween. And instead of halloween this month, it was harvest. It would be great to see all the harvest/thanksgiving photos on November 5.

Just my thoughts! Happy decorating!

-Dannie

Dannie, My thoughts exactly!

I check out a few different sites. I see similar pictures on all the sites by a lot of different people. For the back to school contest, I thought of making a back pack but didn't have time to do it like I wanted. I saw a picture of a backpack done on another site which put the idea into my head.
I've noticed in the last couple of contests that the eventual winner waits until the last day or two before they post thier picture.
I also agree that if I was running the contests, I would think twice over having them with all the negative comments there seems to be. I enter, knowing I won't win but just for fun. I think that is why most people are entering.

Sandra

I honestly don't think keeping the contest gallery private until voting would eliminate all duplication. It's going to happen and not out of malice or lack of creativity but because of inspiration...we all need it and sometimes we find it in the same places.

I see some other benefits though...

Each cake will feel "new" since most of them you'll be seeing for the first time and not one you saw days/weeks ago when the contest began.

I also think some people look at the cakes but don't return to vote. It might be more convenient if when you're looking for the first time, you'll also be able to vote. Each cake will be able to make it's "first impression."

It might also eliminate the feeling of intimidation some have about entering the contests...the thought that another entry is too good to top.

And if you do have an original idea and I have seen a lot of originality...it won't be compromised.

It just seems to put everyone on a more level playing field. I know that's a statement that could be argued since we're all at different stages of learning or mastery but it's just a little something.

I'm having trouble thinking of a downside to this. The only problem might be knowing whether your entry went through...actually posted. I know I check to see if the cakes I upload are showing. With a private gallery, there would be no way of knowing for sure. Other than that, are there any other cons?

This is a really interesting discussion but ultimately Jackie and Heath would make the final decision. They've always listened to CC member's concerns and have made a lot of changes to the contests based on those concerns.

DITTO Lisa! I think this should stop there!!!!!!!!!!


Amy