Chess Ethics

You have an idea for a chess book. It is an idea that nobody has ever tried. You gather material and start to write the book. However you become quite ill. You have the book 1/3 of the way completed but you do not know if you will ever recover from your illness. You are unable to finish but do not want to see your "idea" go to waste. The book would take about 6 months to finish.

So you contact another book author. You tell him your situation and about the book. You give him permission to complete the book and use all the writings and material you have already completed. You even tell him that he can designate himself as the sole author of the book and also he can keep all the profits from the book. He accepts and 7 months later--the book has been picked up by a chess book publisher and it is a very nice book and a success!

But he makes absolutely no mention of the work you have done so that the book will exist!  No mention at all.  What do you think?

PS I am never going to give out which book it is or who is the author.

 No, not at all. I was disappointed because it was my idea for the book [nobody had thought of the idea at all] and I had handed him 1/3 of the book completed and he could not even say: "Thanks to ... ... who gave me some ideas for this book." Then he could be sole author and can reap the profit etc.

This isn't a question about chess ethics, it's one of business ethics. No one should make any decisions based on the latter, it's asking for trouble...

If you didn't want credit, you should not have given away the idea without saying you want some mention of your supporting efforts. If you wanted credit then you should have said something.

The guy did nothing wrong. It might be rude, but not unethical.

ponz, sorry to hear about it.  A lot of people out there forget to give credit where it is due.  Maybe he misinterpreted sole authorship to imply that the ideas were his too...either way, I am sorry.  I believe your work would be something wonderful to look at, and I hope you can forgive him and release any frustration and anger you may have towards him.

 Actually at the time I gave away my partial authorship--I was depressed and misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. So it didn't really matter. But since then it is only a footnote in my life. Sure, I wish he had at least said something like: "Many thanks to """""""" who had the original ideas behind this book and who has contributed towards its success"  [or something like that :)]

But what he did does not rise up enough for me to have to forgive him. Maybe he thought that if he acknowledged my contributions that eventually he would have to give some of the profit of the book to me? [I would not have taken any $ from him in any event]

it is just

I assume once bitten, lesson learned - no more book ideas for him?  ;-)

Why are you never going to reveal which book?

I disagree...I think we should leave it right here. 

This gentleman is a respected chess writer, and he deserves a bit more respect than to be pushed around to the "right" forum.  He has a valid complaint, and was simply looking to find an open ear to discuss to.  And I bet if you took the time to talk to him about chess ideas, you might learn some brilliant stuff.  He is an expert on the Ponziani - might be a good man to ask a couple of questions to :-)

lol you are too funny :-)  Why don't you take him up on a game of chess, winner takes all?  ;-P

If you told him he could claim sole authorship and all profits... he may have thought you wanted to remain anonymous.

I prefer to construe things in the most favorable way, instead of assuming he did it for a nefarious reason.

+another

What nefarious reason could he have had, anyway?

 As stated at first not going to reveal book or author. No reason to try and destroy another human being because he was inconsiderate etc.

that is true--no more books for him :)

 Nefarious, I think, means wicked. He could have had a reason that was less than nefarious. Actually, I also tend to construe things in the most favorable way. But in this particular case he did some actions which indicate he was somewhat bothered by his own behavior--will list some: 1. When book was approved and later puplished, he did not even contact me. 2. He never gave the slightest personal thanks to me. [I did give him thanks for taking over the book] 3. He made a  change in the book at a point where no change was needed. The change made the book poorer and also violated a confidence he had with me.

This change very indicated to me that he was trying to show the material in the book was all his undertaking. 

what NKT73 is saying is very powerful.  Your "friend" was given the opportunity to do well with it, and he failed his test.  But your test is to see how you respond to this.  And so far, from the sound of things, it sounds like you are doing a wonderful job :-)  You forgive them, learn from the lesson, and continue on.  

BTW, maybe you could teach me some basic pointers in the Ponz sometime?  Nothing cutting edge, just some basic themes.  Always looking for new ideas :-)

I would. Why have so much concern for somebody who obviously wouldn't pour their coke on you if you were on fire.