Rule Of Dibs

Surely my recognition of this phenomenon is not new.

"Rule Of Dibs" could also be called "Argument From First Declaration" or even "Reality Belongs To Him Who Speaks First."

In a normal discussion, someone states a premise and someone else proposes an alternative or challenges the original premise. What ensues, providing the participants are all rational, is some arbitrary amount of back-and-forth, resulting in 1) acceptance of the original premise, 2) an agreement on a new premise, 3) an agreement to disagree, or 4) unresolved competing declarations of rightness.

However, in some venues, whoever speaks first is assumed to have the "high ground" in the conversation, and the burden of proof lies mostly or entirely with the challengers.

For those not familiar with the English term "dibs" this is a common way for children to declare their ownership of (stake a virtual claim to) some preferred selection. This can be, for example, the preferred cookie (I've got dibs on the chocolate chip!) or the preferred seat (I've got dibs on the window seat!) or even a theory (I've got dibs on the origins of life!).

I see this happen from time to time on Wiki.

The foundation for this position is simple: I declare something. If this goes unchallenged I am, by default, right. If someone challenges my declaration, he only gets to be right if I allow it or if there is an overwhelming consensus from other participants and I either concede or otherwise give up because, remember, it's "my" page since I started it.

This is, of course, an AntiPattern. To the best of my knowledge, no one has yet figured out a way to beat gravity. Maybe that's only because gravity has dibs. -- GarryHamilton

Why is it called "Dibs"?

  : dibs Pronunciation: dibz
  : pl.n. Slang
  :
  :    1. A claim; rights: "I have dibs on that last piece of pie."
  :    2. Money, especially in small amounts.
  :
  :
  : [Short for dibstones, counters used in a game, probably from obsolete dib, to tap.]

Evidently (to summarize all the on-line guesswork I've waded through) it's a verbalization of the concept "if I touch it first, I own it," only extended to "if I claim it, using a magic token word, then I can own it without physically touching it." There is a child's game called "jacks" that involves small 3D star-shaped tokens (once called "dibstones" and possibly differently shaped) that seems to serve as one vehicle for the etymology of this word.

Recent events here in Engineering Central have revealed that patents are an implementation of the RuleOfDibs. You draw up a formal document with proper incantations, spend a few thousand dollars, appease the right deities, and voila! You now "own" a concept and all rights to make money with it.

Trademarks fall into this universe.

  : "I did it first!"
  : "I said it first!"
  : "I thought of it first!"

... and therefore I OWN IT! Bwahh hah hah hah ha ha ha ha ha!