Talk:Innovation

From iA wiki

The idea that those people who are assured of some reward such a money or patent protection will be more likely to develop something innovative is silly. People thinking of money don't think better, they think popular. Anyone thinking there is some relation, just has to look at the quality of open source products which have been innovative. - ABliss

One problem is the lack of acknowledgement of the difference between innovation and invention or differently put to innovate or to invent: see dictionary.com for example, it both definitions, and it states a clear difference. Basically, innovations are practical and posted every day on http://www.freshmeat.net. However, these are not necessarily inventions, which are theoretic and much more scarce. An example: Xerox (or Apple? IIRC Xerox.) invented the GUI. It is also an innovation after it was released to the "common" public. When Microsoft Windows or X came later, these were innovating, but the GUI itself was hardly a invention invented by Microsoft / X consortium. While later, with Windows 95 and 98 people have found their first experience with GUI "new", it wasn't Microsoft's invention. Ofcourse, in the US, entities (mostly companies) are able to use a free (non patent encumbered) invention of one and add a logic "invention" to it, patenting it, and either using that as FUD to stop competitors or earning tons with this logic "invention". Practices like this leads to a patent minefield, lower the bar too much, and in all its idioticy it slowers science down while science by definition was always based on earlier proofed science. Unfortunately, chances are EU will adopt these lunatic laws :(

PS: i slightly changed the wording in the article because i thought this current way of wording is more objective than the previous. I propose to create a consensus on changing the "innovation" entry to "invention" as partly argumented above. What do you think?

I think your right...a page for invention might be good. Someone could just cull the more invention stuff straight into a new stub or else make a paragraph or two with a heading on the innovation page, outlining the differences. The things you mention are relevant especially with the Microsoft/pioneer debate. I agree that invention happens far more than real innovation and that defining just what that is here at iA, would be good place. - ABliss

Ok, i started one. It's far from perfect and needs fine tuning though.