# Don’t prove, reference By [wordbloc](https://paragraph.com/@conaw) · 2023-10-14 --- Recently there has been a series of strange tags and aggressive reach out on Twitter, by someone who claimed so urgently in the public to defend the originality of an idea, I haven’t seen such cases for a while. It immediately raises the question: Whom should we believe, and based on what? How can we establish ownership of an original idea? Through talking and showing pictures on social media? How could the viewers verify? Through the trust of …(I don’t know what to write here). If I don’t know you(him) personally, how do I know what you(he) said, posted, or claimed what you(he) did is trustworthy? This is intriguing when we consider _trust_ in societal affairs. It also reminds me that this could be an interesting topic to explore within our [Crypto Kitchen👩‍🍳](http://cryptokitchen.io/). I would prefer another approach on this matter coz I've never been a staunch believer in the notion of true _originality_ (please excuse my rigid academic mindset, as you delve deeper into more books you will discover a multitude of minds with similarities), I’m more inclined towards the concept of “knowledge referencing”. I’m a fan of acknowledging the source of the inspirations that fuel my work, that’s why I’m researching and building tools (word block [1](https://mirror.xyz/conaw.eth/hBj9GSkYzLpQM524VBVhjO8C5-KQFw9UmfrYkerlvZE), [2](https://mirror.xyz/conaw.eth/kYnZkt2hmlAK3uN2583b4LqLMr4jmIcGnkZYJuDltOQ)) on leveraging the semantic web, attempting to implement the ever-evolving idea of knowledge graph (here I referenced thoughts giant leaders Sir Tim, Ted Nelson, Alan Kay, Marvin Minsky and more), the idea is also about addressing the connections of the ideas and finding&proving the unique contributions of individuals on the web. Perhaps if we took this approach, our interaction could be more vibrant🧐 and less confrontational😠. Instead of defending the ownership of the idea, we could gracefully acknowledge the people who inspire us. I can see your desire to declare the idea is yours, but this time WE DON’T CARE. The reason is beyond simple. Unfortunately, I could not even reference you, since the fact is **we didn’t even see you and your idea/project ever before while we were discussing and preparing the event,let alone copying.** Otherwise, we will be happy to. We have no intention of engaging in debates about originality; we have a multitude of tasks at hand. We kindly request that you refrain from tagging us and contacting our guest friends. If you're interested in a collaborative and humble conversation, we are open to that. Additionally, I'd suggest exploring methods like inscribing your ideas on the blockchain or publishing papers whenever you come up with something new. This might be a viable way to gain the "confirmation" you seek for what you refer to as intellectual rights, though I can't guarantee justice in this regard. **Lastly, let's shift the question from "HOW" to "WHY."** Why do you feel the need to prove originality? As Ted Nelson wisely pointed out, ideas are variations. Perhaps it's more productive to focus on your version and your own purpose. I wrote [](https://odyssey3dao.notion.site/What-is-a-crypto-kitchen-a92016803dac4ff1926b15e1d9fccd70?pvs=4) here, we want to implement it for a good purpose and energy, to collaborate with like-minds, to engage interesting and knowledgeable souls (our friends we knew for some time) to share their knowledge, to bridge the eastern and western culture. That’s the purpose. --- *Originally published on [wordbloc](https://paragraph.com/@conaw/don-t-prove-reference)*