Do NOT hire/collaborate with Qas Rum

Something that constitutes a horror story happened to my team and I recently.
A little while back, we found somebody on the Unity collaboration forums named "Qas Rum." He Skyped me, interested in joining our team for a game abbreviated "SCP!". We were excited to have a new programmer on our team! Then, a few days ago, something horrific happened.
Read the conversation here.
TL;DR he is stealing the code from our project and using it for his own game. He said he wouldn't use my code, but he's going to "rewrite it the way it is exactly."

Now, I regret saying that I hoped his project failed, but I was livid at that point. He was being immature and completely, well, crappy about this whole situation.

Since he never emailed us or replied to the forum post, I only have his Skype contact info. His username is "vibee25"

If you ever meet someone with this Skype name, or the name "Qas Rum," run. They are not worth it.

Stay safe, everyone.
-laxeot

 

Always, always have a written contract before sharing any IP. It's to make things clear and help you guys stick together as much as it is to make things super clear if anything should happen like parting ways.

 

You should only work with freelancers that have 5000+ posts on the forums. They have a reputation to maintain, and will actually loose out if they get accused of scamming.

 

Definitely, however, both members of my team are underage, therefore we cannot enter into a contract legally.

Great idea, I think I'll make sure to look out for that next time!

 

I worked with an artist that doesn't touch the forums and only does PM, and he was fantastic to work with.

 

No no no, that's not right, you should only work with freelancers that have joined the forums earlier than 2011.They have a reputation to maintain, and will actually loose out if they get accused of scamming.

 

Sorry to hear this. I'd recommend always using an nda + a contract. When it comes to situations like these, you've just gotta go with what happens now. I'd suggest making your game better now to out do him.

 

No no no, that's not right at all. You should work with someone who can spell correctly and knows the difference between "loose" and "lose". They have a reputation to maintain and will actually lose out if they get accused of scamming.

 

The fact of this whole situation is the following.

Don't trust first. Consider everybody a miscreant fraudster but keep it to yourself. Be cautious and make records of every encounter with the person you hire or are going to hire.

Don't believe the 'Just need an extra $$$ to keep me going'. If they want to keep going and can't then it reveals interesting things. Things you should take very seriously.

Your terms matter and come first. Theirs don't. You have the money. It's your money. Not theirs, yet.

Be vocal to them regarding work they have submitted to you or will submit to you by making a very big point of an unwavering, unchangeable ideal that you are proud of and work by. You will investigate their submitted or soon to be submitted work. You will investigate it to make sure it is not stolen, borrowed, loaned, or bought from a friend of theirs who supplies in bulk on common TDK or MAXEL, Sandisk or Crucial writeable dvd/usb media.

Demanding is fine. Inform them of the schedule they have to keep to. After converting your demands and schedule for project progress in to a law that is more of a law than any god can bestow, give them one chance to either agree, decline or negotiate.

If you negotiate and both you and they are happy with it then it becomes the law you will have them abide by it. Force the fact in to their souls that a single breach of your law without an excuse good enough to leave you feeling happy that it was genuine, they are fired and you will not pay or entertain any monies they think they are owed.

It's your money still. Believe it or not.

When hiring people to work for you, there is nothing wrong with you protecting your money, project, future, health and family by empowering yourself in to becoming a nasty unnatural control obsessed freak show a**hole. I don't mean it in a way that would be unethical, illegal etc.

Being the Boss is fine. Everybody can do it.

When those you have employed have your money and you have had nothing from them that justifies what you paid them or the work was not as professionally done as they stated it would be, then believe it or not you have actually been working for them.

You business, your livelihood, your health, your future. Do you really want others in control and being the boss of that?

 

^ miscreant fraudster

Joking aside it's solid advice. I think I'll lock this now since people can search but above all, please use a legally binding agreement!