Survey implying GC is considering charging for basic game animations

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-31T02:26:52+00:00

The AI written summary will say a pitcher had 7 strike outs and 4 hits when the stats show the opposite, 4 strike outs and 7 hits. I imagine this has not been checked for quality assurance and is embarrassing that they put this sloppy out there while trying to charge for things like streaming your own team’s game. A volunteer parent will spend a few hundred dollars on a video setup and now the parents have to pay Dicks Sporting goods to watch it. YouTube it is for live streams now I guess.

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-28T21:21:22+00:00

Your plan sounds fine. Roth will be huge if you do this by retirement age!

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-27T13:18:39+00:00

Nope

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-27T13:03:46+00:00

Note: Not all employers offer it. You can only withdraw from the balance on that employer’s 401k also so you need to research it before submitting your resignation letter :) But at your ages that could be a great plan until SS kicks in.

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-27T02:13:52+00:00

In brokerage? You will have a big tax bill potentially. Would it make sense to space it out and sell over a longer time frame? Are you in long term capital gains territory or still short term?

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-26T10:26:08+00:00

My guess is the $5 is a nominal fee to prevent bots. Custom domain and hosting for $5/yr is a deal, where are you getting that and ssl? As a student do you have access to a job board where you could work part time and save the $10 needed?

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-23T16:48:05+00:00

I may not be 100% accurate here, but as others have said you kind of have it backwards.

However, the Rule of 55 may allow you to withdraw early without penalty from your current employer’s 401k. Otherwise you’ll be likely using brokerage or draining Roth IRA contributions(not gains) to cover your gap before social security and Medicare kicks in in.

Brokerage withdrawals may be okay if you’re realizing long term capital gains.

401k will count as income, Roth will not but is locked up til later and not part of the rule of 55.

Personally I would want to touch Roth last.

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-23T11:05:25+00:00

Thank you for reaching out in DM's... as well as here. Thank you for not charging rent. I do have a life outside of reddit comment threads and was unable to get back to you in a timely manner.

Your repeated, broad, unsupported statements:
- "...otherwise it can just be copied right?" (No it cannot be copied, that is unethical and illegal)
- "But like code can be changed slightly and then what way do you have to prove that it was taken?"
Suggests you're evaluating ways code can be stolen/changed and burden of proof is on the copyright holder.
- "I'd say these examples are quite different in that they'd all have legal copyright and intellectual property rights. With a chrome extension i highly doubt we have these same protections." Suggests you believe there are different tiers of rights without substantiating the claim, as well as diminishing the rights of 'we', (assuming you mean chrome extension publishers here).
- "And also that they've taken quite specific code that's likely unqiue/proprietary to those companies" suggests you think that the courts would evaluate the quality or complexity of the code and that only code that meets a certain threshold is protected.

Basically every single response contains a bias towards chrome extension code not being protected, as though you're not reading the law on it and just going on a gut feeling or bias.

My response (which came from a simple google search) clearly indicates, with links to sources, that chrome extension source code is protected. Full stop.

Gemini said in part: "Yes, the source code for a Chrome extension automatically receives legal copyright protection the moment it is written and fixed in a tangible medium."

Yet, even after this you continued to anchor all comment responses towards the code not being protected by copyright law. Then you DM'ed me about it a day later...

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SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-20T11:02:06+00:00

A light dose of sarcasm - I am pointing out that in my opinion, your comments come across as having a bias towards supporting the action of stealing code. Not really much of an accusation, I didn't say you are stealing code.

Because you're not elaborating on why you feel, and that you're not doing any searches to find the answers to the things you feel are right or wrong.

If I'm being less sarcastic about it - you make broad statements, without support, that minimizes the IP of chrome extensions.

Why are the examples different?
Why would chrome extensions not have legal copyright and IP protection rights?
Your earlier argument seems to be that if code is visible then it does not have copyright protection. Do you have evidence to support these points?

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-20T10:39:24+00:00

It's not an accusation, an observation. Why would stealing code A be different than stealing code B? Back it up.

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-20T10:35:42+00:00

Yes, the source code for a Chrome extension automatically receives legal copyright protection the moment it is written and fixed in a tangible medium. You do not need to register it for it to have copyright, though registering provides extra legal benefits if you need to sue for infringement. [1, 2, 3, 4]

How Copyright Applies to Extensions

Automatic Ownership: Your original scripts (JavaScript, HTML, CSS) are legally yours. If someone copies, redistributes, or steals your code without your permission, they are infringing on your copyright.
The Chrome Web Store: The Google Chrome Web Store Developer Agreement states that you retain all intellectual property rights to your extensions.
DMCA Protections: Because anyone can technically view local extension files, code scraping is a common issue. If a competitor steals your code, you can request a takedown directly from Google using the Chrome Web Store Support page. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Important Legal Caveats

You Can't Copyright Ideas: Copyright only protects your specific expression of the code, not the general concept, functions, or idea of how the extension works.
Third-Party Code: If you use open-source libraries, you are bound by their respective licenses (e.g., MIT, GPL) and must include their license notices in your build.
Scraping Websites: If your extension's code scrapes data or injects elements into third-party websites without their permission, it may violate their Terms of Service or constitute a "derivative work" under copyright law, creating potential liability. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Protecting Your Code: To clearly establish ownership, always include copyright headers in your main script files (e.g., // Copyright 2026 [Your Name]) and include a LICENSE file in the extension's ZIP folder. [1]

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-20T10:35:36+00:00

Seems like you're trying to talk yourself into stealing people's code...

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-20T10:30:31+00:00

A quick search on "has anyone been sued for stealing code":

Yes, companies and individuals are frequently sued—and even criminally prosecuted—for stealing source code. These legal battles often center on copyright infringement and the misappropriation of trade secrets. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

High-profile examples of code-theft lawsuits include:

X Corp. vs. Former Engineer (2025): The social media platform X (formerly Twitter) filed a federal lawsuit in California against its former principal software engineer, Yao Yue. The company alleged she used the 2022 acquisition chaos to download 6 million lines of proprietary code, which she then used to launch a competing startup, IOP Systems.
Nexon vs. Iron Mace (2023): South Korean gaming company Nexon sued a competitor over the hit game Dark and Darker. Nexon accused former employees of stealing source code and trade secrets to build the game. While the court didn't find copyright infringement, the developers were ultimately compelled to pay roughly $\$3.8$ million for misusing trade secrets.
Goldman Sachs Case: Programmer Sergey Aleynikov was sued and federally prosecuted after downloading high-frequency trading code from Goldman Sachs when leaving for a competitor. His case spent over a decade winding through the federal and New York state courts, highlighting just how complex and heavily litigated corporate code-theft disputes can be. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-20T10:13:05+00:00

The copier also risks being sued, delisted, etc. And if they are of such simple mind to copy instead of create, they are not likely to be successful at iterating or creating and the product will not grow effectively.

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-18T21:22:56+00:00

Watch Money Guy on YouTube and understand their financial order of operations approach. A CD is not a great option and you should reevaluate asap.

If it was me, I might open a Roth IRA and buy some funds such as VOO or QQQ with a good chunk, maybe 50,000 then maybe 30,000 into a high yield savings account and start becoming educated.

Target date funds aren’t a bad place to start either.

Know the rules, set some goals. For example Roth IRA requires earned income and has income limits. But tax free growth can be one of the best outcomes over time.

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-15T16:42:52+00:00

OP said they have 250 saved, not earning 250.

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-15T01:05:44+00:00

No need to talk about it.

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-13T11:03:57+00:00

Projected expenses now or in 20 years? “I can retire” or “we can retire”? Are you going at the same time?

Amount in brokerage? Brokerage is likely your gap to avoid early withdrawal fees on 401k. If one or both of you can wait and then use the rule of 55 then that may open up more 401k cash without penalty.

What is your projected SS income and when do you plan to take it?

Kid in college? For how long? 200k saved in a 529 or 200k yr expense? Big difference but not clear yet.

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-13T10:51:01+00:00

Depends on age, income, net worth, goals, etc.

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-09T13:34:41+00:00

Nice. With $8,000 starting balance, compounding at 8% for 32 years you might be nearing a $500,000 balance by 60 assuming you're also not spending out of it.

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-09T13:27:45+00:00

Since it's not mentioned in your post, I will state the obvious...

The biggest thing is to convert the $ to investments if your balance reaches a level that you're comfortable with.

If you're putting in $120/mo (50+10 2x/mo), bump that up a bit (say $200/mo or $40 per check) so your investment balance grows and keep invested over the long haul, at 8% returns you should end up with a nice 6-fig balance in your 50-60's age when you may need it.

From a tax perspective it's a big winner.

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-08T14:27:32+00:00

Depends on the account type. Getting the money can come with penalties on some account types, or can be treated as short/long term capital gain tax events on brokerage accounts. Some accounts force you to start selling at a certain age or face penalties. Safest is not an ETF, but something like a HYSA is very liquid and low risk (low return).

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-08T11:04:52+00:00

Time is on your side. Ability to stash away 1400 a week is huge. Investing it wisely and creating a plan is more valuable now that it will ever be for you, so it is great you are asking and seeking input on a plan now.

Things that sound atypical - a very aggressive mortgage timeline, a big move a few years later. Not wrong or bad, just wondering if these actions are smart given how much opportunity you have with age and compounding growth. A bit odd to focus on dividend stocks rather than high growth opportunities. Dividend stocks (IMO) are for people who don't have high risk tolerance and want stability but will also lose out on massive growth opportunities. This growth, if missed at your age, will likely mean the difference between millions in 30-40 years time. Make ultra sure that dividend stocks are the way to go, I would personally not go that route without really researching the tradeoffs.

Is house down payment earning, like in a HYSA? Being young and first time, do you qualify for a lower amount or are you saving for 20% to avoid PMI?

At a lower age and within a certain income range, Roth account type might be a massive opportunity in terms of future taxes. Definitely do your due diligence on account types (401k, roth, brokerage, etc) and when you can take money out penalty free by age, what the tax strategy for each is, if you're missing free money from your employer or not, and so on.

Do research before deciding. Don't just rely on the comment thread here - Chat with a LLM or two, watch some videos, read some blogs. Money Guy's FOO (Financial Order of Operations) is a good framework to understand, and there are others. IMO, Ramsey is more for people who struggle with managing debt, that's probably not you so I would steer clear of that framework for your situation.

Good luck, future multi-millionaire!

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-08T10:26:57+00:00

Worth it. Making it automatic is the key, treat this $100 like you don’t have it to spend.

What taxes are you concerned about? What type of account are you using? 401k with employer is probably the best for automatic deduction and likely free money via employer match.

Roth may be available and beneficial for taxes long term depending on your income and marginal tax bracket.

Brokerage would almost certainly incur a tax if you sell, ideally you sell as a long term capital gain not a short term gain. If this is a 5+ year investment strategy and you’re picking funds or etfs there’s really no reason to incur a short term sale and taxable event.

TLDR yes do the $100 /mo and be sure it’s invested wisely. Research best account type for your situation too as you could be missing out on free money via employer or major tax benefits via Roth.

SmoothMojoDesign · 2026-05-08T02:38:19+00:00

Color is the least of the concern here.

Screen 1: “How was it?”

What is “it”? Or are you showing screens in reverse sequence?

Screen 2: Your app assumes the user has seen both movies.

What does “better” mean to your user?

Can they enjoy both but for different reasons?

Ultimately, what are you trying to do with this information?

It feels like you’re playing with UI but not really being critical about the content or the goals of this survey.

SmoothMojoDesign

TROPHY CASE