What parts of code are ok to "steal" Options

[esksmith]

I'm not sure this is a kosher question and I'm also not sure I'm putting it in the right place. If I have broken any rules, I am terribly sorry. I need etiquette help.

When creating a layout for any site (MySpace, Blogger, LiveJournal, etc.), what parts of code are okay to "steal" (I prefer the word "borrow", but I have to be honest and call it what it is)? I mean, if the background, buttons, colors, links, and everything else is yours either through customization or creation, is it acceptable to use another person's code so that you don't have to type it all out? I know that sounds incredibly lazy. And I know there are people who will probably want to have my head. But I've turned the situation around on myself and I honestly think that as long as the person used all their own images and I couldn't SEE that the coding was mine, I wouldn't care. Let's face it, a link to "pics" in MySpace is going to be the same whether you type it or I type it! The only difference is the ID.

So...at the risk of alienating myself...should I just type it myself, save it, and have a clear conscience? Or can I paste what I've already copied and say to heck with it....also with a clear conscience?

Please, please don't tell me to go jump off a building because I'm a horrible person. A simple, "No. You really should just type it yourself" will suffice.

And thanks!

[fainaru]

To me, it's okay if you 'steal' parts of the code as reference to learn your HTML/CSS, BUT if you ARE going to steal, make sure it doesn't exactly resemble, element-by-element, tag-by-tag (etc) the original source code.


Refer to this blog entry:
http://thoughts.afterglow.nu/2009/03/silen...usions-designs/


The 'thief' there made no efforts to make her coding different from the original ADDED TO THAT the fact that her layout looked no different.


So to summarize, even if the person has a ready-made-code that matches exactly what you want to design, don't me Mr. Obvious and use the code in its entirety. Move some of the elements in a different order.

As well, it's important to recognize what it is you want to copy. If it's something simple like styling a:link and a:hover vs styling for fancy hover nav links, then it's something to think twice about. That being said, even a:link and a:hover properties can have a lot of elements that don't make them as simple as they seem.