Re: Morality and Pirated Software

> File sharing is still a good way, in my opinion, to get started when you
> don't have the money to get started with. I still stand by my opinion. And
> I'm glad that everyone stands by theirs.

                         File sharing is illegal and immoral - period!

It never ceases to amaze me that people can spend thousands of dollars on
hardware and then turn around and steal software.  If you steal software,
you are fundamentally a dishonest person because you rationalized away the
truth to fit your little private reality.  Who know what other things you
can rationalize away? Fidelity?  Murder if it's justifiable to you?  Gimme a
break!

I have had to defend our websites from thieves that stole images and text
several times.  All I ever hear is that they thought the images were public
domain, or they didn't know the webmaster "borrowed" the images.

Grow up and live in the real world.  You just don't hurt Microsoft or
Macromedia when you steal software.  You hurt the folks that came up with
the ideas and wrote the code, the folks that did the packaging and shipping
and even the lady that does payroll.  Stealing just doesn't hurt some big
mysterious company, it trickles down to everyone that works there and
everyone that sells the stuff including distributers and retailers that lost
half their sales to software pirates.

It wouldn't bother me so much, but I KNOW that most of the people that steal
software can afford it.  I used to work in a computer store and it was
pathetic how the majority of computer type people were into stealing
software.  "Thats my shareware version of Word - wink wink."  Ya, drove up
in a big SUV but you can't afford a word processor.  Last night you ate at
la Chateux and today you can't afford software - right!

If you really couln't afford the software, there's always shareware or open
source.  No need to be a thief.

Paul Wilson
webguroo(at)tampabay.rr.com




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