[wizzard]

Maybe I'm missing something, but if I come up with a great idea and have any inkling that it may be patentable, why would I want to post the idea publicly before trying to patent it? Wouldn't that open it up to the possibility of theft?

Sure, the existence of the post could prove you thought of it first, but that doesn't prove that the idea was stolen from there nor does it pay for a lawyer...

[cruise02]

“Any person at any time may cite to the Office in writing prior art consisting of patents or printed publications which that person believes to have a bearing on the patentability of any claim of a particular patent…”

> In other words, as of September 16, the USPTO is required to accept submissions from the public of prior art.

This is for third parties to weigh in on the patentability of an idea, not for the person filing the patent.

[alexchamberlain]

That's not the point and you'll never get a patent if you make it public before filing.

Once filed, patents are up for discussion.