That's not your pattern!

Exactly how many versions of the same pattern can there be?
I love Ravelry. It is one of my favorite places to start looking for something new and fun to make. And then when you find it you can see all the different projects made with that pattern. You get pattern notes, yarn suggestions and people's opinions about those patterns.
It is a great source of information and inspiration for me.

Having said that first, people need to realize, just because you took a pattern and changed the color of the yarn, or used larger needles to make it more "drapey", or went from five stripes in the original pattern to two tone, does not make it a new and wonderful pattern.
You can not take that and post it as your own pattern. It's not.
You can post it as a revision to the original pattern. An upgrade even. But it's not your original pattern. Even if you do post it for free. (thank you tho! I love free!)
Using Grandma's Favorite as an example, there can only be one.
I have found plenty of "Another ...." or "Just one more....." stop it!
It's not an original idea. It's Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth pattern.
It doesn't matter if you did yours in stripes or with a different kind of yarn besides cotton. It's not a new pattern. Not that we wouldn't all love to see your notes on just how you did that.

I did see one that inserted a heart in the middle of the cloth. Yes! That's a new pattern. The writer had to sit down and figure it out, chart it even, and then knit, and possibly tink the pattern until it became doable. Now you have a new pattern, and Thank You! by the way for sharing! It's awesome!

And please don't take said pattern variation and sell it! There are unsuspecting new knitters out there who have no clue that exact same pattern has been around for years with different yarn.

Ravelry is not a police state, they don't check every pattern and say "Hey, that's just like the pink striped garter st. scarf, now it's purple." 

I have a lot of things that I change a little thing here and there, and I make notes, post notes and talk about it, but I never claimed my differences to be a new and exciting pattern.
If I add ten stitches to the beginning of a mitered square instead of twelve, no it's not new, just a note.
I can tell you exactly what pattern I am using and then tell you, "this is what I did" but I can not take that difference and write it up as my new pattern. It's not. 

Now having vented, I am off to search projects  before someone sees this and banns me from Ravelry for life.