[Jewelry making - Article 00391] - Re: [Orchid] Keeping trade secrets

[Noel]

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    In the discussion in this thread, I feel as though it might be
    helpful to make a distinction between "trade secrets" in the sense
    of methods, tricks or discoveries, and "trade secrets" in the sense
    of sources. These seem quite different to me. As a person with no
    special or secret sources, I feel free to go out on a limb and say
    that if the key to your work being special is knowing where to buy
    something, you're on shaky ground indeed. But if that is the case, I
    guess it would be pretty foolish to go around broadcasting that
    information. 

    As for the kinds of tricks, techniques and discoveries that can make
    someone's work unique, I'm of two minds. On the one hand, if it took
    you 20 years of work to figure something out, why should you just
    hand it over to someone else who hasn't "earned" it? On the other
    hand, it is likely that anyone who is in a position to fully
    understand what you are offering probably isn't going to use it to
    duplicate your work. Also, few things worth doing depend on only one
    "secret", but rather a host of skills coming together. 

    There are a few technical tricks I have figured out on my own that I
    have debated about sharing. But when I am writing my "tips" column
    for the CMAG (Chicago Metal Arts Guild) newsletter, or working with
    a student, the fact is I can't keep a secret. If I think someone
    will benefit, I tell them all I can. The thing is, so far, no one
    else has seen the value in the very tricks I am most proud of! 

    The best defense against being copied is to do work that is your own
    labor of love, that is way too much trouble for anyone else to
    bother imitating. Of course, it helps if that work doesn't sell all
    that well any way... 

--Noel

 
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