Pirating Windows....Evil or Justified?..Justified Evil??

[TheWobble]

Everybody here has themselves or know someoen who has a "Pirated" copy of windows..

By Pirted I mean
A: You didnt buy it Yourself for You.
B: It did not come with Your computer.

As in you bummed it from a friend, downloaded it..whatever...it cost you nothing..


OK here we go..is that wrong??

Im kind of on the wire about it..kind of conflicting views..

View 1:  Its Wrong
You didnt buy it, so you are stealing...pretty cut and dry.

View 2: Its justified..

Windows has always been a very annoying piece of software.most people dont really like it at all, they just use it because damn near everything is compatable with it, and not much else..games especally... SO why should I pay for a piece of software that
A: is buggy as hell
B: slows my system down
C: is imperfect ON PURPOSE (thats right)


For all intensive purposes I HATE WINDOWS..so why should i buy something I hate? windows is FORCED on us because Necrosoft has a monoply on OS's..so basically we are force fed windows and the only real alternative is starvation...

sa why buy a pile of junk i hate and have to use only because the company that made it has squashed or absorbed any competition that make a better product??


Where Do you stand?

[Heater]

Wobble,

Lets turn the tide a bit, say you have developed a piece of ”code” say it be a game, or utility that makes things easier to play/use and it’s your company’s leading product. How would you feel if because of this “pirating” you were losing 2.8 million in a day in revenue?

With that said I do believe you have a valid point, I to do not like Windows, and all it’s bugs etc…However Microsoft has done more to bring the PC in to the mainstream life in the last 10 years than any other.

PS: I bought mine.


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!!! Heater !!!
   

   
Shit Happens All The Time

Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.

[This message has been edited by Heater (edited 04-16-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Heater (edited 04-16-2001).]

[TheWobble]

 

Lets turn the tide a bit, say you have developed a piece of ”code” say it be a game, or utility that makes things easier to play/use and it’s your company’s leading product. How would you feel if because of this “pirating” you were losing 2.8 million in a day in revenue?

if yer gonna turn the table turn it all the way...like this..


say you have developed a piece of ”code” say it be a game, or utility that makes things easier to play/use and it’s your company’s leading product, you also intentonally leave lots of errors and problems in the software..then a while after you have sold it..you fix a few of the problems that you purposley left in, then you re-sell this same software with some of the bugs you left in fixed and call it a "new version" and charge full price for it.


Given that situation, I would expect people to pirate my software..and I couldent feel too bad for them ripping me off..after all i rip them off by not correcting known errors and then fixing SOME of them and then selling the exact same software with a few of the orignal errors i left in fixed again for just as much as i sold the orignal...then a fix a few more bugs i left in and sell it again..and so on.




[This message has been edited by TheWobble (edited 04-16-2001).]

[Sandman_SBM]

It's stealing. Microsoft may have faults. They may have ruthless business practices. Stealing from a bad person or company is still theft.

For you religious types, I'll skip the chapter and verse. You know the words... C'mon and sing along...

"Thou shalt not..."

Ya know... it's in situations like this, when I feel bad but I want to absolve some of my guilt for doing something that I know to be wrong... That's when I go find one of those people... you know... the ones with the bracelet that says WWJD... Ask them. They will help you and guide you on the difficult path...

 

[This message has been edited by Sandman_SBM (edited 04-16-2001).]

[Sturm]

I hear ya Wobble  

Reformed "cough" "network security specialist" don't know what this means it is a PC way of saying something else.

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[AKDejaVu]

This is a real departure for you wobble... trying to justify not paying for yet another computer service.

Its amazing how everyone is simply obligated to provide you with the tools necessary for you to be entertained... free of charge.

AKDejaVu

[TheWobble]

oh ok ill provide something then


here ya go [REMOVED]

that is a direct to the full CD of Windows 2000 Pro.
Why should I feel guilty for free from a company that intentonally leaves (or causes) errors in its software just so it can sell you a "new version" a few konths later which is usually nothing more than the same thing with a few of the problems they left in on purpose fixed.

Kind of like selling someone a "new car" that you know has some problems just so that you can charge them later to fix things that you knew were there and could of...should of fixed before selling it.
there    


if stealing is stealing then microsoft is the biggest thief of the 20th century...so I didnt go on too big of a guilt trip when i clicked the above link.

[This message has been edited by TheWobble (edited 04-16-2001).]

[This message has been edited by TheWobble (edited 04-16-2001).]

[Revvin]

I like to support programs that I like whether its Paintshop Pro or Gamespy because they are good solid programs, while I would'nt condone pirating you sometimes can't help but have a little sympathy for those who rip off Microsoft, they have done more to slow down technology than anyone else snapping up the small developers and their code then releasing it when they see fit. They have consistantly abused their monopoly position to release buggy unfinished unreliable code at vastly inflated prices and anyone who tries to take them on in the field of software gets dealt dirty tactics by M$ (ask Netscape to name just one)

Please remove the link before HTC has to remove it or even worse get into trouble for one of their users posting it.

As for you Sandman..is'nt it a bit hypocritical poting on this topic in light of the fact you helped a bunch of guys rip off Warbirds?

[TheWobble]

Ok i got rid of it...now i wonder who all took it down        

[Sturm]

Doh, wish others would put it in zip format, instead of downloading 2.88 meg files   and then raring them back together.  At any rate I got my win2k free do to my office.  Sorry but pirating software is about as easy as checking out a video at blockbuster.  

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[Sandman_SBM]

Revvin, there is a difference between software piracy and unauthorized use. The difference is significant enough that the courts still have not sorted out the IP laws. Were the issue as black and white as you would like to believe, Napster would never have suffered a lawsuit. They would have proceeded directly to the indictments.

Making illegal copies of software is considered software piracy. Software piracy is considered a form a theft. How is it hypocrital to say so? The law is very specific in this regard.

[This message has been edited by Sandman_SBM (edited 04-16-2001).]

[Fatty]

Wobble, if you steal a crummy car, is it no longer auto theft?

[Sturm]

Ok what am I mising here, is it most of the users are in the closet and don't see what is going on?  From what I see copying CD's from others albeit game's, applications, or OS's happens daily and I watch it .  It is done and not a thought about it being illegal.  It is kind of like speeding in a car, we all do it and we know we are breaking the law yet we still do it don't we?

The all good and holy are showing, I know these kinds, they are the ones that usually have the largest collection of burnt CD's in their CD rack.  I know your kind   What about the stores that let you RENT software and return it in 2 weeks if you don't like  it?  Can this be any easier?

(hypothetically)  Lets see I really want Photoshop 6 but I don't have 6-700 dollars to fork out, ok I will go rent it for 15$ return it after I um "uninstalled it".  

I am sorry a lot of you do not look at the oppurtunities, being honest as you might say you are?  On the contrary look at it as the Robin hood affect.  Couldn't think of a better analogy so this one will have to do.  

Better look closer around your surroundings, it is happening everywhere.  And remember this a lot fo our new software is coming from guys that didn't have the money to go out and learn programming yet got a bootlegged copy and are now making software we use now.        

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[Sandman_SBM]

Oh... I freely admit that I have purchased MOST of my software. ... and yes, I know when I'm speeding too.

[Sturm]

 

Oh... I freely admit that I have purchased MOST of my software

So are you saying you have some software you did not purchase?  Or was it given to you?  It either you purchased it or someone else did or you didn't.  Not going to comment on this anymore until you can reasure us on this one.  

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Sturm6 StaffelKapitän
JV44 Platzschutzstaffel
Airfield Defense Squadron
Support your local Hacker