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January 12th, 2003, 09:18 PM
#1
A matter of ethics?
Do you use cracked software? If so do you do so because of the cost of the s/w or simply becasue it is free?
Do your ethics not preclude you from doing so, or is this the only way you feel you can get back at the
greed of Corporate America? One would think that if s/w costs were reasonable then all the warez/cracks
sites would not exist. Anyone have thoughts on this.
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January 12th, 2003, 09:53 PM
#2
Great question, don
This issue has plagued me for a long time. At one time, I would use lots of cracked software. Software like 3D Studio Max and Adobe Photoshop were easy to get and usually incredibly expensive to buy. Originally I used the software and justified it by the argument about "getting back at Corporate America." I soon learned that I really wasn't getting back at Corporate America, I was just taking advantage of a good situation and using it for all it was worth. Unfortunately, there's no way to justify stealing. I still use pirated software on occasion, though. With all the software titles out there, it's very difficult to get a good idea what a program really does without trying it out first. That's how I use pirated software. If I really like the program, I'll throw down the money for it. If the program is out of my reach financially, I try to find some open-source equivalent. I'm a big fan of The Gimp, now. To be honest, I have very little use for pirated software beyond that. While I still have some disks with pirated software, I haven't actively sought pirated software for several years. I mean, really. What the hell am I going to do with Maya that I couldn't do with MilkShape?
(I'm glad you didn't ask about mp3's, though.  No comment.)
/* You are not expected to understand this. */
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January 13th, 2003, 05:32 AM
#3
I'm on the same page as roswell1329:
Before I discovered linux, yes, I did use some* software that I didn't purchase.
But since I've found linux, I have no need to use pirated software.
At home, I use linux for everything that I can.
I use m$ at work, and I can get the company to pay for whatever software that I want. (within reason)
Most of the software that I do buy is games. I won't use cracked/priated games, cause then it is a lot harder to play online and you don't get all the stuff that you would if you got it boxed.
But, when I did use pirated software, I just thought of it as trial. I couldn't see going out and spending 100s of dollars on software that I was only going to use for a semester and then just let it sit and collect dust. It was either, download the evaluation editions and uninstall it, clean the registry and then reinstall it every thirty days, or install the cracked version and use it for a couple of months, then uninstall it forever.
Like I said, linux has solved all that for me. So, nah, the only thing I upload now to p2p networks are a couple of my firends bands who have given me permission to put them on there. I've been surpirsed at how many people actually DL thier music without knowing who they are anyway!
Quitmzilla is a firefox extension that gives you stats on how long you have quit smoking, how much money you\'ve saved, how much you haven\'t smoked and recent milestones. Very helpful for people who quit smoking and used to smoke at their computers... Helps out with the urges.
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January 13th, 2003, 05:46 AM
#4
Yes..that is a good question, Don.
I buy all my programming software because I want the best and I want it to work and I want everything that comes with it.
Things that are not as important, like photoshop -- I'm guilty!
Like roswell said....mp3's???? **mathgirl puts hands in pockets...looks up...whistling**
Hmmm...just a thought, though -- how is buying a book, reading it, then giving it to a friend to read any different? Is it?
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January 13th, 2003, 05:50 AM
#5
Hmmm...just a thought, though -- how is buying a book, reading it, then giving it to a friend to read any different? Is it?
I don't think that it is any different. I mean, you go to the library and take out books there, don't you? Same thing.
If I'm not using something and someone else could have more use out of it than me... so be it. I don't care what it is. Software, hardware, books, music, dvds... whatever.
Mathgirl: BTW: I like your new avatar. Pretty cool.
Quitmzilla is a firefox extension that gives you stats on how long you have quit smoking, how much money you\'ve saved, how much you haven\'t smoked and recent milestones. Very helpful for people who quit smoking and used to smoke at their computers... Helps out with the urges.
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January 13th, 2003, 05:59 AM
#6
Oh...yes, the library -- didn't even think of that!!
About the avatar...thanks! Fractals are pretty cool!!
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January 13th, 2003, 11:41 PM
#7
I have a lot of s/w that is errrr free. I do beleive as well that if Corporate America/Canada
charged a "reasonable" price it would not suffer from warez/cracks sites. As well once you
have bought a piece of s/w it should be yours to do what you want with ie: copy and distribute. The same with the cable in your house and so on and so on.
Technology has finally empowered the masses at large and corporations are not amused! Ahh
how the worm has turned. :-)
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January 13th, 2003, 11:57 PM
#8
I agree, don, I don't see a lot of software companies going broke.....not that that makes it "right" -- I just don't think "sharing" is hurting them. I also think the logic behind their reasoning on copying, etc., is faulty. It's hard to agree with something that just does not make sense.**
**Disclaimer: I know nothing about corporate law, copyrights, etc...so it's possible I'm missing something. 
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January 14th, 2003, 12:16 AM
#9
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January 14th, 2003, 12:24 AM
#10
Guys,
What when your friends full their houses with pirated software?
Bye.
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Well
. Mp3s are different! They're peer to peer on kazaa, so blame it on your peer 