@peretti I’m really impressed that you took the time to make a thoughtful response. AND that you’re tackling the problem head on. I’m constantly amazed and delighted with the quality of the content Buzzfeed has put out.

Having ideas or styles that are similar to what others already have shared is a natural result of tackling relatable, funny, and timely subjects. With many people sharing ideas and collaborating, it shouldn’t be surprising that similar ideas might be recycled or might get created on 2 completely separate occasions without inspiration from anyone else.

You see this around social media, startups, and more. Many people come up with the same business ideas, without any inspiration from a previous company. And sometimes, the inspiration does come from a previous idea, but done better. Google wasn’t the first search engine. I often see jokes on Twitter that are great. Those jokes and memes then often times get improved on and get even wider distribution. I don’t think that is wrong. Buzzfeed has done this in many ways and I have seen Buzzfeed use its reach to touch many important issues and improve upon a lot of ideas.

That being said, I’m glad you publicly responded to this. And that you are making changes. It is an amazing gesture in an industry where copying IS a big problem. While I don’t think I’ve seen any exact copies from Buzzfeed, I HAVE seen people copying almost word for word in many cases. I’m glad Buzzfeed is taking a stand and showing that it is NOT okay to do this.

I hope that the changes you make to combat the problem won’t limit the creative freedom that has made Buzzfeed what it is today. If you avoid any topics or styles that have been used in the past, you’ll miss a lot of gems.

Good luck Jonah! We are all rooting for you!

Sydney