Don't you hate it when you think of something, then find out it's already been done?

[Martin]

So I had this idea of using Amazon's API, along with their product recommendations (the "customer who bought this also got..") to make a little flash based book recommendation page. You'd search for a book, then it would show a visual map of related books, clicking on one would centre on it and reload the ma so you could go on and on trying to find an interesting new book to read.

Well, this is exactly what this site does, except it's primarily for music.

 

[Leros]

When I was five years old, I thought I was a genius for coming up with the phrase "holy guacamole". I sure was disappointed when I found out I wasn't the first person to think of it.

 

[f4phantom2500]

That has happened to me more than once, but I don't remember what the ideas were.

 

[Cristatus]

Yes I am. Very.

When I was ~15, I thought: wouldn't it be cool if your car, while braking, would hold onto the springs and then release slowly after coming to a complete stop? Then I realized this idea was so cool, that I should e-mail it to Mercedes Benz, because I loved them (and still do). So I did e-mail them, even though it was just the contact e-mail on their website. Then a couple of days later, I realized that my Dad's own car (Mercedes Benz W220 S Klasse) had it.

And even to this day, whenever I sit in his car, I'm still amazed by that car.

But anyways, that's off topic to your post.
Why not make what you wanted to? Maybe yours(sp) has a little something that the others don't. Also, your's(sp) is for books, instead of music.

 

[PHiuR]

you had probably been influenced by it without your conscious brain picking it up...

 

[S Freud]

Yeah.

OP, why not continue with that idea you had, I'm sure there a lot of tech forums and tech sites but each offers their own quality.

 

[SirStev0]

When I was younger I had this buddies who used to sit around, get ****** up and play d&d. I would play once in a while and I ended up making this sweet pally who was going to eventually be a death knight (they always played evil campaigns. The pally was going to be one of their victims and then raised, etc.) I thought I had come up with the sweetest evil name ever for a pally. I had the nickname sid for a pretty long time and I decided to use the word insidious, but dropped the in, assuming it was just another prefix. Sidious, it was perfect... sounded mideval, dark, scary, and it worked with my nickname. I thought I was so clever. then a friend pointed out as I was bragging that the empire from star wars was darth sidious. they still occasionally give me ****** about that when I see them.

 

[Jeff7]

I hate it more when I think of something, and then in a few years, I see that someone else thought of it and then patented it.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
I hate it more when I think of something, and then in a few years, I see that someone else thought of it and then patented it.

Funny that was my first thought as well.

 

[sandorski]

Once I was dreaming and had to take a leak so bad. In my dream I frantically try to reach a toilet, then when I do the relief was intense. Next morning I was all wet. &^^%&^! :|:|

 

[f4phantom2500]

Originally posted by: sandorski
Once I was dreaming and had to take a leak so bad. In my dream I frantically try to reach a toilet, then when I do the relief was intense. Next morning I was all wet. &^^%&^! :|:|

...

 

[SViper]

Originally posted by: f4phantom2500

Originally posted by: sandorski
Once I was dreaming and had to take a leak so bad. In my dream I frantically try to reach a toilet, then when I do the relief was intense. Next morning I was all wet. &^^%&^! :|:|

...

...

 

[Turin39789]

I went out with a friend for his 21st birthday. We were sitting in a quiet irish bar, and another party that was already pretty hammered was inventing drinks. So I thought about it some and invented a 252 - half wild turkey 101/half bacardi 151. I ordered it and the bartender poured me one without me explaining it.

 

[lobbyone]

everytime

 

[rivan]

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: Jeff7
I hate it more when I think of something, and then in a few years, I see that someone else thought of it and then patented it.

Funny that was my first thought as well.

Or had patented it already. Worse yet, at last check, there were like 40 patents relating to my idea, and I have yet to see it come to market. And these days, the timing's probably no longer any good.

 

[SoundTheSurrender]

Look at the general computing section.

 

[xtknight]

If someone else had the same idea as you, then you're free to market and implement it better to avoid getting the short end of the stick.

 

[DT4K]

When I was like 10, going anywhere with my dad always took forever because he was a big time coffee addict, so he always had to find a place to get coffee. I thought it would be a great idea to have drive-through coffee shops. Now they're everywhere.

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: DT4K
When I was like 10, going anywhere with my dad always took forever because he was a big time coffee addict, so he always had to find a place to get coffee. I thought it would be a great idea to have drive-through coffee shops. Now they're everywhere.

I always laugh at the idiots who sit in the Starbucks drive through for 30 minutes when you can walk in and get your coffee in a few minutes. Maybe its just the one near me, but Starbucks drive through is slow as molasses.

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: Martin
So I had this idea of using Amazon's API, along with their product recommendations (the "customer who bought this also got..") to make a little flash based book recommendation page. You'd search for a book, then it would show a visual map of related books, clicking on one would centre on it and reload the ma so you could go on and on trying to find an interesting new book to read.

Well, this is exactly what this site does, except it's primarily for music.

what ya mean the wheel has already been invented?

 

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: Leros

Originally posted by: DT4K
When I was like 10, going anywhere with my dad always took forever because he was a big time coffee addict, so he always had to find a place to get coffee. I thought it would be a great idea to have drive-through coffee shops. Now they're everywhere.

I always laugh at the idiots who sit in the Starbucks drive through for 30 minutes when you can walk in and get your coffee in a few minutes. Maybe its just the one near me, but Starbucks drive through is slow as molasses.

I've never actually been to a drive-thru starbucks. But on the west coast, the drive-thru espresso stands have popped up everywhere over the past 10 years. They're usually very fast and are obviously making a lot of money.

 

[DainBramaged]

I came up with the idea of Vodka & Orange Juice. Or so I thought.

 

[Valhalla1]

when I was 10 I invented the word "dudette" (female "dude")

then I saw it on teenage mutant ninja turtles and I was crushed

 

[JEDI]

venetian blinds look plain. i always thought some graphic on the blinds would look cool.

apparently this has been DONE

 

[Midlander]

Originally posted by: xtknight
If someone else had the same idea as you, then you're free to market and implement it better to avoid getting the short end of the stick.

Not necessarily. If the idea is patented and your idea is within the scope of the patent, you can't do anything with it.