I am in no way trying to get any financial gain on anything I have submitted prior to this post unless this new system or a variation to it is enacted that would apply to any submissions I have already added to the Community Curation.
I usually reread any writing I put into the public several times, not only for thought corrections and tweaks, but typo's too. After reading the thread starter after hitting submit (thought I could edit it), the only spelling error that did not get underlined is the word "products" before I just gave you noogy and winked. Ha. I can't even myself a proper shameless plug. I crack myself up, I love it when that happens.
Just trying to keep things fair.

I am pretty sure that no one here knows anything about my background, as well as yours, but I was in the Navy for six years. During my service as an Aviation Maintenance Administrationman I challenged my squadron's Wing (a lot of enlisted and officers well above my pay grade) regarding their instruction governing how our squadron's Library was operated. Library = both books and electronic means, that contain all the information that governs and directs every thing that the personnel do on the maintenance side of the house in a squadron of P-3 Orions: maintenance, inspections, upgrades, etc.
Well, after receiving several "0" hit audits, including being lauded (that word is something I would not normally use but it is right off my eval and first Navy Achievement Medal) by an inspection team that goes all around the world, they knew I was right. I told them about the revamping, along with some of my ideas for the revamping in a memo, after that inspection, that went through my entire chain of command and to the Wing, they agreed. It was requested by the Wing for me to help write the new instruction that would effect all P-3 Orions that were stationed on Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Base on Oahou Hawaii. I was an E-5 = half way up the food chain on the Enlisted side.
I also went to the other P-3 Orion Squadrons on Hawaii and while on deployment in Japan and taught the Librarian how to properly operate their Library and how to inspect every work center's library and how to train those work centers' Librarians = I trained and help write the instruction that directed @ the 50 people who would be responsible for bringing their P-3 Orion squadrons' Maintenance crew (2/3's of every squadron) all of the needed information to have Full Mission Capable birds while at their home port and while on deployment or detachment = either for war duties or training with other countries.
I just read that to my dad, who I constantly bounce ideas to and it was nice to see the look on that old Vet's face. He knows I was not just tooting my horn with that, but he was proud. I have all the Award Certificates (came with the Navy Achievement Medals), Letters of accommodation (like @ 6 or 7) and my evals (mostly Early Promotes, as you get up in the ranks they get a little harder to get because a Command can only give so many, damn politics). So there is a little about one of my Duty Stations and a little about me.

For those who have read my other thread entitled "Proper credit", this is a rerun. But thanks for checking out or following them. Gabe

In my eyes all the steps and people that are involved in creating ideas or experiences where the end result is something viewed in a positive light, ARE equal. And I believe everyone deep down, whether they admit it or not, thinks or wants that. Barring the reminder of their own personal gains. Thanks to Quirky's system, the gains are already predetermined. Now lets just get that system fair. The thread entitled "Everybody Wins" in the Process tab has my take on that.

So to keep all parts of the process open and inviting to use, maybe have a second thread for the same submission starting with the one that is now in place. That thread could be labeled "Engineering". That way there is a place for the "Marketers" and a place for the "Engineers".

With everything that is already in the world there is nothing simple about what we, as innovators and inventors, are trying to accomplish. In order to complete what we are all trying to achieve requires vision, planning, understanding the setbacks, foresight, understand consequences (not only the obvious ones, but the second and third order effects). So in many cases a simple explanation is just as important as the complex ones, but all are needed.

If all users here are comfortable and think it's fair here, so much more could get accomplished. Who knows? The submitter, who is more of a marketer, had some of the engineering figured out, but did not know how to word it, but then she goes to the "Engineer" tab and checks the status of what the engineers are saying and she sees something an expert in that field suggests and she now has the needed vocabulary to further that part of the process. The "engineering" thread could spark a new addition from the Marketer minded people and vice-versa.

If Quirky and we as a community participate fully and the system is user friendly, accessible and understood by all walks, all why making and keeping the compensation system fair, I see nothing but the increased rate of creation and of course profits.

Cool story bro

Thanks Spencer.
47 reviews and only 1 response? Was this too much too soon? I have a problem with that. I really thought someone would have commented about my thoughts for a fairer process. Well if anyone made it this far, please tell me what you think. Maybe this and your thoughts could influence Quirky for a change, you never know.

Gabe, sorry we left you hangin but it's a bit wordy and unformatted, and we all have ADD. Interesting thoughts from what I gathered from my scan.

Yeah. How about a 2 paragraph summary? Heh

Yeah ADD, lol. So a 2 paragraph summary:
To allow the immediate and fair incorporation of Q members designs and engineering concepts, create a separate dialogue thread, that starts as soon as a submission is made. This way the marketers and the engineers can get involved in their appropriate side of the house and allow the two to inspire each other rather then discourage them.
A revamping of the division of profits = the 35% for submitter and 5% of design phase gets combined. One half goes to the submitter (if no solution or if part of a solution = an appropriate cut from other half) and the other half is appropriately divided to all who contribute to solving the problem (from conception to the shelf).

Here is a short version of my original post:
What does, in the Q timeline cartoon, the title "Community Curation" really mean. If it is anything like I think, then it entails cultivating, creating and analysis of all problems and solutions, which would give Q a much better insight into the future of any possible products and we, as the community may have thought of a lot of things they did not and possibly ease their workload and quicken the timeline to when we get paid. The following is a suggestion on how to stop limiting the creative process here at Quirky, this would either combine the % for the design phase and the % for the original submitter or would modify the current system. It would also combine the methods that Q uses now to select who and how much of the correct % of the profits go to. Please note that all this is if the product gets to market.

1. If the submission is an idea, problem or desired product with no solution, then half the profit goes to the submitter.
2. If the full solution (or the equivalent of what Q would normally take as a solution) is provided solely by another Q user, they get the other half.
3. If there are numerous submitters that contribute to the solution, then Q would give the submitter their half and divide the other amongst the contributors based on the system currently being used now in the Design phase, if they thought that was a complete way to do it. The % divided for the design phase would include both aspects of design during the first phase and a "redesigning" after Q has evaluated the product. Of course if the person who submitted the idea was involved in the solution, enough to satisfy the current system (not stuff like good idea or already thought of that), they would then get their original half, but also the appropriate amount of the other half.
4. Maybe put, say, 1 or 2% away for the quirky staff and if able to attend, top influencers, to have a kick ass party. Influencers who not only influence products, but those who influence the Quirky products, Hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, yeah I know shameless plug. If they can not attend, perhaps credits in a Quirky account to shop here.

Another thing to ponder:
Q has the personnel to come up with the normal "ah-ha" ideas, but the truly big ah-has, should be rewarded, no matter where in the process a submission is.

That was like 11 paragraphs eh. If you see the process diagram in the learn section you will see that the engineering part is colored dark blue/purple which means "only quirky" is involved in that part of the process. Truth is, without knowing what materials, parts, experience, etc, suppliers and manufacturers have available its really hard to be useful, even if you know the whole theory you would be engineering in the 'blind'.

Quirky has been our engineer partner all along, they get their influence, it wouldnt serve the community to reduce the already scarce influence.

I am not here to split hairs, but a blind man can still see.

Now if we are familiar in anyway as to what the things we buy and use are made of, or if we have been a part of a business, where you have dealt with suppliers or vendors of raw materials or inventory to be used in the manufacturing or some other form of product creation. Couldn't a general understanding of these things qualify anyone to participate in the Engineering thought process. We already are.

A partnership does not mean that the act of anything to be done, is burdened or placed on one of the partners shoulders.

In the process diagram:
Research, Design and Branding = Aren't the first 2 a part of engineering and isn't Branding influenced by engineering and vice-versa?

Well let's just say I just dont agree with making it all more complicated. The engineers are in quirky's HQ to allow people to submit great ideas and Q takes care of the rest. You are kind of over-engineering the process and leaving out too much stuff for subjective appreciation, and the community is already fed up with controversies and mistakes assigning influence to make it even more subject to many interpretations of the who's and why's.

There are other places where you can or must submit finished ideas and pay just as well if not more than this place. But being appealing to the masses is integral in Q's business plan, this wouldnt be a popular move on their part.

Maybe you are right and it would make the process more complicated, I don't want that either.

I just see this as a way to allow the people who can both, identify and solve a problem, to participate freely and without any constraints on either of them. It would allow for more community influence and participation.

Al Q would have to do, to implement a change like mine, is incorporate their already existing system for Influence into the "Engineering" thread I am suggesting to start at time of submission. The name of the "Engineering" thread would be something catchy and fitting to Quirky.

What if Quirky takes all of the influence earners that are below.01% and add them up and rafle them off, winner takes all to one lucky winner? Whats the point of getting 1 cent on every $1000 sold, you would rather have a 1/200 chance of getting 1%

@GabeG - using your knack and eye for achieving excellence, which of all the products Quirky is developing has the best chances of being the best-selling products? An Electronics Tech frigate-sailor wants to know how an administrative-type airdale thinks. lol BTW, do you know what a tech library on a fast-frigate is? An afterthought!