The Pirated Software Problem in the 3rd World

RockDoctor writes "Dark Reading carries an article by one Nathan Spande who works in Cambodia. Locally he finds that OpenOffice.Org and MS Office are the same price ($2), or $7-20 by downloading. He discusses why the economics of OpenSource don't work in this environment, and how it contributes to global computer security issues through the "little extras" (trojans, spambots and other malware) that typically accompany such "local editions" of software. The economics of software outside the west are very different to what most people are used to."

Comments

Not the first problem

[denoir]

The feasibility of open source and the problem of pirated software does not really qualify as a relevant issue in the third world.

For instance the wide spread lack of fresh water seems like a more relevant problem.

OpenOffice keeps developing world poor ..

[rs232]

"I can go down the block to my local market and find almost any software program, .. for somewhere around $2 per disc .. let alone spending hundreds of dollars on software, or even $4 on pirated software"

Which is it, $2 per disc or $4 per disc ?

"Before you can get consumers to use licensed software, it has to be affordable"

What's not affordable about OpenOffice at $2 per disc ?

"For one thing, knowing OpenOffice doesn't give one much of a leg up in the job market, where knowing Microsoft Office certainly does, and computer skills are one of the few things that show promise at getting people out of poverty around here."

I can't for the life of me figure out how basic proficiency in OpenOffice doesn't equate to the same in Microsoft Office. OpenOffice provides WYSIWYG word processing same as msOffice and the menu icons are virtually the same. I have personally seen msOffice users using OpenOffice, and they don't know the difference.

And presumably since these local employers are using msOffice at $2 per disc thay can't be offering much in the way of salary.

"The other thing is a distribution problem. OpenOffice at the local market costs the same as Microsoft Office"

Since they can buy a fully licensed OpenOffice at the local market at $2.00 a go, how is it in any way not affordable. Also it must be the only local market on the planet that offers OpenOffice on CD. Can we see some pictures please.