How do you define a clone?

[Michael Sherwin]

Type E: Someone reads a computer chess programming book and codes a chess program strictly according to the algorithms given in the book.

Well it might not be a clone of a working chess program, but it is still cloning someone elses work.

The problem with the word clone is that it does not differentiate between good cloning and bad cloning. Bad cloning is passing someone elses work off as your own original thinking.

Most authors use a variation of alpha-beta in their chess programs, which means that their programs clone that algorithm. I've only seen one time where someone said that they did the same thing with out knowing that it already existed and had a name. The point is, is that at some time after an algorithm becomes well known, we stop giving credit to the originator of the algorithm. Well, we are not bad cloners though, because, it is common knowledge where our ideas originated.

What we need is a different word other than clone for any program that is derived from another work that the author gives credit where credit is due. How about the word, derivation.

We could agree to only use the word clone for bad type clones where the author tries to hide the fact that his program is based on or a copy of another program.

If the author freely admits that his program is based on anothers code then we can agree to call it a derivation.

Toga is a derivation of Fruit!

...

Taking cover!

[AdminX]

First off, Thank you to everyone that has tried to answer the 1st part of my question "How do you define a clone?" I think most of us would define the word as I found it defined in Wikipedia. So I really liked Michael Sherwin's point about "Derivation. I think a lot of programs are derivatives of someone else's previous work. I noticed no one tried to answer the second part of my question "What is the level of proof needed to define a clone?" Now I ask this question only because there seems to be a debate over just what is considered valid proof as to if something is a clone or not.


Wikipedia defines clone as:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clone_%28c ... science%29

An exact duplicate

A shoddy, spurious copy

A blatant ripoff, most likely violating copyright, patent, or trade secret protections

To make an exact copy of something

In software development the term clone can also refer to the process of duplicating an existing data set or object. There are two typical types of cloning. Shallow cloning is a simple copy of the original maintaining references to the original data set or object's references. Changes to a shallow clone will affect both the original and the clone. Deep cloning is a full and independent duplication of the original which will remain unchanged if the original is changed following the cloning process.