Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!orstcs!jacobs!griswof
From: griswof@jacobs.cs.orst.edu (Griswold Frank Steele)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re: Piracy
Keywords: philosophy, honor, thieves
Message-ID: <1545@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU>
Date: 16 Dec 87 19:50:54 GMT
References: <8712142136.aa14810@SMOKE.BRL.ARPA>
Sender: netnews@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU
Reply-To: griswof@jacobs.cs.orst.edu (Frank Griswold)
Organization: Oregon State Universtiy - CS - Corvallis, Oregon
Lines: 38

About piracy: There are surely more than "practical" reasons not to do illegal
acts.  I would hope that potential thieves of software would consider also
	1: The golden rule. (I'm sorry if this offends those who know it..)
		which says in essence: "Do unto others as you would have them
		do to you."
	2: One's own character (development): Do you really WANT to be a thief?
	3: Teaching by example: (this borders on the practical reasons...)
		Some of us have neighbors, friends, CHILDREN, who look (up) to
		us for guidance.
	4: Honor (see 2): It seems to me that one can only be truly happy, 
		(fill in a different adjective) if (s)he is being completely
		honest with (him)self. The only really (happy) folks I know
		are like that, anyhow.
ANOTHER point: I dislike (maybe hate is better word) copy protection. It is my
intent to never buy such protected software, and except for a few games, I have
lived up to the intent.  I, too have had possession of software which is copy-
righted, and for which I did not pay. AND I DONT FEEL BAD OR WRONG about that:
I used it briefly while deciding if I needed it, and then either (really!) I 
discarded it or bought my own copy. I have done both. So I can't really flame
too effectively at the guy who bragged about his pirated copy. As long as
he doesn't hurt anyone else by his 'piracy'. Which brings us full circle back
to where we started from: practical reasons not to (talk about) piracy (on the
net). Hope I've started some folks thinking that needed it. Hope I didn't bore
all the rest of you too much.

Feel free to flame me by email if you think I need it. Probably this discussion
should move over to another subject if it stays on the net.

Frank Griswold: griswof@jacobs.cs.orst.edu     (CSNET)
903 NW 30th  Corvallis OR 97330                (U Smail)

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