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How Pirated Software Impacts Free Software
jmglov writes "Dave Gutteridge has an unusual take on why people are not interested in saving money by using a free-as-in-beer OS like Linux or *BSD: because Windows is free. At least, that is an all-too-common perception, thanks to bundling and piracy. Bundling is a well-known problem to the adoption of open source operating systems, so Dave takes a look at the piracy issue in depth. His title may offend you, but his well-written article will most likely get you thinking hard about the question, 'how much does Windows cost?'"
it's the swords -
The following replies are posted by unwashed nerds.
...only if your privacy means nothing.
Pirates are hurting free software? I think we are cutting ninjas way too much slack here.
Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
Maybe this is just tinfoil hat stuff, but could this all be part of Microsoft's strategy? Are they that smart? - no, they are really dumb. They are only making billions while they could be making MILLIONS!
You can't handle the truth.
Ghost had crashed as it finished the last disk, but luckily the disk was readable. How likely is that? Crashed AFTER the the last sector wrote.
I'd say pretty darned likely. Every time I've ever run Ghost it does that. It must be buggy in the cleanup and exit code. The images are just fine, but Ghost dies with mysterious circumstances every time. Maybe that's why they call it Ghost.
I can relate to that. My girlfriend called me a couple of weeks ago and wanted me to install Windows on her daughter's computer. She had just gone out and bought the software. I said that I was 100% sure that she already had Windows on that computer. "No", she said, "Windows isn't on this computer and she needs it to type her resume." Turns out that the computer had Windows and what she had bought that day was Office. And this is a woman who is intelligent enough to date me!
What does that say about you?
Hail Eris, full of mischief...
E pluribus sanguinem
I want to meet one of those drug dealers. They give me the first one free, then they come to me with money after that? Where do I sign up?!
"Pro level stuff," huh? You windows kids do realize that you sound ridiculous, right?
The Farewell Tour II
Quite seriously for letting the things out - they could bite some kid or crap on my lawn. If they just let them loose and don't have them on a leash or behind a high enough fence they are a menace.
How should those people be handled? Is Piracy still piracy if it's the same version as what was there before?
Yes, it's absolutely piracy.
We need to be more tough on pirates and terrorists. In the music industry we use fines of $100,000 per 5MB of illegal pirated contraband. This should be increased to $500,000 per 5MB for Windows because it is such an important piece of software. Since Windows is about 1 GB in size that means we should be fining them about a gajillion dollars per theft. If you have multiple pirated copies then we must treat it as a commercial operation, and then clearly we are talking about *much* larger numbers.
Once the fine has been paid the pirates should then be sentenced to death by hanging. This is a good way to prevent re-offending.
I know that some of you think this is a little harsh but we must remember what the world was like when we were too gentle with pirates and terrorists. Do you want events like 9/11 to become a regular occurrence?
I'll probably be modded down for this...
gives you the option of burning 1 (one) set of restore CD's
And let me guess, all I need do is send $10,000 to their bank in Nigeria to get the process moving?
Admittedly, I missed out as a kid. I never went through the 'I want to
be a fireman' phase. No endless days are spent in horror realizing
that, as I approach 30, I will really not become the pilot, policeman
or professional soccer player of my childhood dreams, for I had none.
I always envisioned myself still playing with lego all those eons
later. Since I am a programmer by profession, it could be argued that
this is actually the case. I will let that subject rest for now.
It's not that I don't realize that, by saying this, I am actually
showing the world how pitiful a character I am, sobbing over a
surrogate lost childhood dream, but I really have to express it if I
want to feel somewhat sane ever again: I want to join the BSA! These
are the real men of noble blood, in their shiny uniforms, protecting
the intellectual property rights of the poor unsuspecting software
giants, defenseless against the malevolent forces of evil software
pirates, who are bottom-feeding on these companies' revenue streams as
we speak, probably within a 100-yard radius of your house!
Before you think that I am trying to fantasize away years of social
repression and torment by projecting myself into membership of a
totalitarian copyright gestapo, let me tell you why I think it is
important to protect intellectual property rights: If you don't pay
for criminally bad software through the nose, you will never realize
how much you are being ripped off! Just think of it! All those home
users and small offices running pirated copies of Windows and Office,
they are the silent backers of the Microsoft near monopoly. Let them
pay $500 on operating system licenses and $20 per seat licenses for
using email from their WebTV like the rest of us would, had we been
lobotomized and not running BSD or Linux.
I went to the BSA website. What an interesting read! Billions of
dollars of revenue are lost to pirated copies of commercial
applications. Imagine a world where millions of companies were given
the choice between actually paying for the odd ten thousand dollars'
worth of bug-infested agonizing doofusware or going for a quality free
software solution that isn't being pushed on them like bad cocaine!
How wonderfully nice does all this software, currently labelled "Not
ready for prime time yet," actually start to look! Programs that have
been under development shorter than it took Microsoft to figure out
that DOS is not a good base line for a graphical operating system
suddenly look "promising" again. Bliss, I tell you!
Unfortunately, there is no "jobs" button on the homepage. No mention
made of job openings, not even for volunteer positions. I would
sacrifice a weekend every month to this worthy cause of making losers
pay till they bleed for the executable excrement they so worship! Hey
guys, if you are reading this, contact me! I want to join your army of
the twelve monkeys and sail the seven seas to weed out all those evil
software pirates!
Also, I want to congratulate Microsoft on their decision to move to a
subscription system for their software. The best way to make people
realize that they are being ripped off and spat upon is not just to
give them crappy applications; The secret is to make them keep paying
even after they die! The subtle never ending pain is an important part
of the message and I'm glad Microsoft are realizing this fully now.
Anyway, be aware that I am now a self-appointed BSA Auditor. Don't
make me catch you running an unlicensed copy of Windows 2000 or,
heaven forbid, Exchange Server! I will give you seven days to erase
the illegal data off your harddrive. On request I will supply you with
a Linux or BSD CD to recover the lost functionality or the address of
the nearest Microsoft dealer to quote you on the small fortune you will
have to pay to better your evil copyright violating ways. Pirate!
Cheers,
Pi