Martin,

While I respect anyone's opinion and their right to have an opinion, there
are many things that have been stated concerning this thread that I
wholeheartedly disagree with.

To classify an action as "immoral" may have certain gray areas, but overall,
there are usually pretty clear lines between what should be immoral and not
immoral.  I think the cookbook analogy is a very good comparison.  Your
reference to giving out DreamWeaver since it is only part of the collection
would be more like giving out an entire chapter of a book instead of one
recipe.

The bottom line, in my opinion (right or wrong, but firm nonetheless), is
that when you purchase software, you are purchasing not only the medium it
is contained on and the code, but the research and hard work that went into
it.

Let me state an example of my own.  We have designed a program for schools
at www.schoolpad.net (which we are majorly upgrading right now at
www.schoolpad.net/New), that took 2 developers (myself and another) 3
straight months of about 60 - 80 hours a week each to put the initial
version in place.  Since then we have put countless hours into refining the
program based on direct feedback from schools, adding features and modules.

The system is comprised of many different functions and modules, some simple
and some complex.  This program is MY intellectual property.  As such,  I
would be VERY upset if someone managed to get a copy of this program (even
if I sold them a copy) and then distributed it to anyone else UNLESS I
licensed them to do so.  We, myself included, tend to think of software
developers and huge corporations as "beasts" devoid of deserving any
respect.  However, without many of these developers and corporations putting
out the software they put out, many of our lives would drastically
different, tougher in many cases.

Right is right and wrong is wrong.  Most people down deep know the
difference, but tend to justify things to themselves based on a mis-applied
sense of logic.  If you purchase software with certain conditions attached,
like not distributing copies of the software, then it is indeed wrong to do
so, and therefore since you purchased it under those terms, it would stand
to reason logically that it would immoral for you to do so.

My $.02 worth, good or bad,
Keith D Sellars
WebGraffix
www.webgraffix.com

"Making database sites seem easy"

----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin Clifford" <MLC1(at)nrc.gov>
To: <scook(at)equibase.com>; <hwg-basics(at)hwg.org>; <matthew(at)ohlman.com>;
<webguroo(at)tampabay.rr.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2002 8:33 AM
Subject: RE: Morality and Pirated Software


>>> "Cook, Shelby" <scook(at)equibase.com> 07/23/02 08:23AM >>>

>>No, but you're missing the point. The value in the cookbook that was sold
was not in a single recipe, it was in the collection.  If you copied more
than a few recipies, or say, the whole book, then it is immoral, wrong and
illegal. You're not just sending a couple of lines of code, you're sending
the whole thing to someone else.<<

Using your continuation of the cookbook analogy, I'll just go out and by
myself a copy of Macromedia Studio MX, indeed a collection.  I think I might
just give my friend a copy of Dreamweaver MX, since it's only part of said
collection.  Goodness knows I don't want to go and give him the entire
studio... that would be immoral!  Phooey.

>>Have enough convictions in your beliefs to stand up for them.  Learn what
is
right and wrong if you don't know and have the guts to say it!<<

I do.  I may get flamed for my beliefs, but I stand by them.

Martin Clifford
Homepage: http://www.completesource.net
Developer's Forums: http://www.completesource.net/forums/

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