This is entertaining, but I get a weird sense that people are taking it more seriously than I can. If keeping an idea confidential is really that big a concern, it seems like people basically fall into two camps:

• Those (“people you trust”) who will understand and abide by a verbal agreement along the lines of “I’d love to get your advice on this, but I need you to keep it totally confidential until I give you the okay—is that cool?” and for whom this would be unnecessary and possibly even insulting.
• Those (“everybody else”) who will do what they’re going to do regardless of this amusing but not legally binding piece of paper, and with whom you should therefore not discuss anything that matters, anyway.

siminoff:

I wrote about FriendDA back in April.  Josh Kopelman was the first person who I had ever heard the term from.  Now I just saw that there is a site, www.friendda.org that has the official FriendDA contract, awesome.

If you are too lazy to go to the site I have included the contract below, worth the read:

This agreement is entered into this ___ day of ___ 20__ by and between _____________ (hereinafter “The Advisor”) and _____________ (hereinafter “The Keeper of the Idea” or “I”) regarding information The Keeper of The Idea is choosing to share with The Advisor (hereinafter “The Idea”).

WHEREAS I possess a bright idea that I am choosing to disclose to you, The Advisor, with the mutual understanding that you are my friend and that you will not screw me.

Manners of screwing include, but are not limited to:

1. Adapting some or all of The Idea for your own purposes.
2. Choosing to share some or all of The Idea with those who are not bound to this agreement.
3. Failing to do your best to protect The Idea.

This is a “warm blanket” agreement with which, by requesting your agreement to it, I am helping myself sleep at night by placing a small amount of formality on the sharing of The Idea. I believe The Idea will only improve as a result of having solicited your honest and clear feedback.

Term

The term of this agreement shall continue until The Idea is no longer confidential.

Breach

This agreement has absolutely no legal binding. However, upon breach or violation of the agreement, I will feel free to do any of the following:

1. Curse you under my breath.
2. Publicly disclose the manner of your screw-i-tude.
3. Write about your transgressions in ALL CAPS.
4. No longer consider you a person with whom I can share my ideas.

Sharing

Sharing of some or all of The Idea with third parties may occur provided that you have cleared this with me and the third parties agree to the principles of the FriendDA.

Termination

Termination of this FriendDA can be executed by either party, but don’t be a douche.

You are acknowledging and agreeing to this disclosure by reading it. If you find any part of this agreement uncomfortable or confusing, don’t sweat it. We’ll talk about something else.

via hiten via vruz via laurawhitehead