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From: cjp@vax135.UUCP (Charles Poirier)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: all copy protection
Message-ID: <1823@vax135.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 15-Jul-87 11:44:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: vax135.1823
Posted: Wed Jul 15 11:44:33 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 17-Jul-87 06:28:38 EDT
References: <1303@crash.CTS.COM> <593@madvax.UUCP> <1813@vax135.UUCP> <1637@stb.UUCP>
Reply-To: cjp@vax135.UUCP (Charles Poirier)
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 64
Summary: Boycott ja, pirate nein

In article <1637@stb.UUCP> michael@stb.UUCP (Michael) writes:
>In article <1813@vax135.UUCP> cjp@vax135.UUCP (Charles Poirier) writes:
>>Fine idea, but I don't think the suggested solution will be effective:
>>In article <593@madvax.UUCP> richc@madvax.UUCP (Rich Commins) writes:
>>>If the software that is being sold was of better quality I think their
>>>would be less stealing of software.  I've seen better public domain
>>>software, than some of the stuff being sold.  
>>
>>This kind of argument assumes pirates are ethical Darwinists.  Their
>>noble motivation is to weed out the baddies who overcharge for rotten
>>code by refusing to pay them for it.
>
>And whats wrong with that? Personally, thats exactly my opinion (I boycott
>software that doesn't play by the rules.)

Boycotting is fine!  Certainly, it is the right and duty of a responsible
consumer to not buy what you don't like.  But I was clearly referring
to piracy.  I had thought that most piracy was in the "take anything you
can get" spirit.  Apparently many of the pirates and pirate apologists
on this net think otherwise.  I'm not completely convinced it isn't
mostly self-image salve, but perhaps I've underestimated the revenge
motive for piracy.  In that light it strikes me as an even more
immature thing to do.
 
>As far as "I've seen better PD than the commercial stuff", why should I pay
>when I can get better for free?

Fine if that satisfies you.  But it seems that pirates let that slip over
into "Why should I pay *for anything* when I can get *some* good things
free?"  I ask, why should you pirate at all if PD stuff is sufficient?

>>I just don't understand the logic of this.  Pirates are thieves.
>
>good word processor). Some time ago, I calculated how much I had spent on
>software, and the value of the software I had. I had been a fairly active
>pirate. I found that the totals roughly balanced.
>In other words, my pirating had enabled my to stay even, nothing more.

"Stay even"; really!   Salve, salve.   "Value" meaning what it's
"worth" rather than than what you paid I guess.  Do you truly believe
it's ok to steal things from people if you won't meet their price?  I'd
like you pirates to think about this.  Suppose it were you trying to
sell?  Different people value things differently, but this is never
justification for theft.

>I personally find pirating to be a matter of respect. I have no respect any
>more for EA. I'd pirate anything they make in a minute if I thought they
>made anything worth the disk it would take up. Marble Madness was the

This is thin salve indeed.  You would punish EA by pirating if they
*improved* their products to a quality you approve of.  This is exactly
what I was getting at in my "ethical Darwinism" barb.  Sure, you are happy
to boycott what you don't like, but when the quality improves, do you
pay?  (flame warning) NO!  you PUNISH!  (flame off).  Too much stick,
not enough carrot.  It's not ethical, and it doesn't promote higher quality
or lower prices.

>: Michael Gersten		seismo!scgvaxd!stb!michael
>: Copy protection? Just say Pirate! (if its worth pirating)

-- 
	Charles Poirier   (decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4,attmail)!vax135!cjp

   "Docking complete...       Docking complete...       Docking complete..."