Dr Skip wrote:
> Used often, it may bring new and interesting ideas or inventions. If you 
> end up
> designing something (like a protocol) that has been done before, you've 
> made
> the same journey few others have, and will be able to offer insights and
> perspective only few can.

Why don't you smelt your own iron, then? Very few people have done it, so 
you'll have a very unique perspective.

You can then proceed to cutting your own wafers. :)


> That doesn't say copying is universally bad, but it isn't a good 
> educational
> activity either. After becoming experienced in thinking it through, you're
> better able to select something to copy and/or modify, and you can tell a 
> good
> example from a bad one. We haven't even discussed the negative side of 
> learning
> from bad examples while thinking they're good ones. ;)

You can learn more by exposing yourself to many different options, instead 
of limiting yourself to what you yourself can come up with. Note that I 
never used the word "copy". It implies exactly what you describe: using 
someone else's work without understanding.

Vitaliy 

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