This is the second time I've heard a variant on "What sane person would buy it when they can get it for free?"
This seems to be an overly dismal view of human nature. Not everyone decides on their purchasing behavior based solely on price. Many people also factor in other important stuff, like ethics, working to improve the world, supporting others they like, and etc.
I.e., many people realize that every purchase we make (even those for $0) nets us more than the product itself, for better or worse. Although our democratic system is toast in the sense of having our votes actually accomplish anything, our "capitalist democracy" is alive and well -- our _real_ votes are directly purchased with the dollars we hand out every day. Be sure that you know what you're voting for, and be sure to vote for what you really want.
I agree with Silicon Synapse. Although relatively new to Linux (or perhaps _because_ I'm relatively new to Linux), I have absolutely no problem with actually paying for software. The aspects of Linux and GPL that appeal to me have nothing to do with pricing.
As a matter of fact, I've started regularly purchasing shrink-wrap and online commercial software as an intentional move to monetarily support the Linux community. I want to see Linux gain acceptance amongst end users, to be viewed by the average Joe as an attractive alternative to Windows -- and attracting a large number of commercial developers is, like it or not, an essential step toward this goal.
"Trade secret stuff is a no brainer for those that have jobs in IT. You can't take PHP code from one business and goto a competitor to work on it. Even if you are fired and are really pissed at your boss. "
Your example isn't a Trade Secret example -- it's an example of theft. Trade Secrets only have the most nebulous legal definition -- and traditionally, once other people know the "secret", then it loses all of it's Trade Secret status. In other words -- if you didn't agree to keep quiet, you're under no legal obligation to keep quiet. If you did agree to shut up, and the secret gets out through no fault of yours, then you can make a strong case that you're now free to talk.
A more appropriate variation of your example is "You can't take knowledge of internal processes and procedures from one business and goto a competitor to work on it." Except of course, that under traditional legal intrepretation, you can! Unless you're contractually barred from doing so. You can never steal _code_, even if such activity isn't specifically mentioned in your contract.
I guess, in light of this article, I'll have to be a little more cautious in my contractual arrangements. When I do work-for-hire, I'll have to insert verbage into the contract that the contract represent the whole and complete agreement, and if I'm not prohibited from doing in the contract or by statute, then I'm free to do it.
I believe I said that. It's a police state, too. Yet, it is still the duty of all of this to rectify this terrible state of affairs, rather than give up on it completely.
At least that's how I feel on optimistic days. On other days, I think "every man for himself", and ponder being one of the rats deserting the ship, rather than futilely trying to plug the thousands of holes in the hull.
Yes! It could work exactly like the law pertaining to the US Postal Service -- you cannot send _unsolicited_ matter to anyone if it is obscene, etc. You _can_ send that stuff if the recipient asked for it (either explicitely or by actively engaging in commerce - order a dirty video, you're a legal target for postal sex spam).
BTW -- the reason this law exists is because the US Postal System had the _exact_ same problem the Internet has now with unsolicited sex spam. Believe it or not.
I hear ya' The thing that keeps me from seriously persuing this notion is *wave flag here* patriotism, believe it or not. It is my duty as a citzen of my country (which happens to be the US) to keep up the good fight for freedom, no matter how futile it sometimes seems to be. The US is clearly getting more facistic as time goes by, and the citizens are clearly demanding that this trend continues, albeit through ignorance. Active voices of dissent, by citizens, are needed more and mroe every day.
I dunno how this applies to Europe -- probably not at all, but - A few weeks back, I purchased a Glenayre messaging pager, in leiu of a cellphone (I _hate_ cellphones, especially the ones I have to carry myself). This provides send/recieve internet email, voicemail, and your usual paging functions, and the service provided by SkyTel even lets me send a text message to a regular telephone (where a text-to-speech system reads it to whomever answers).
In short, it meets all my comm needs w/o having to be a telephone. Oh, and it can also act as a modem of sorts for my Palm:)
Slashdot Mirror
This is the second time I've heard a variant on "What sane person would buy it when they can get it for free?"
This seems to be an overly dismal view of human nature. Not everyone decides on their purchasing behavior based solely on price. Many people also factor in other important stuff, like ethics, working to improve the world, supporting others they like, and etc.
I.e., many people realize that every purchase we make (even those for $0) nets us more than the product itself, for better or worse. Although our democratic system is toast in the sense of having our votes actually accomplish anything, our "capitalist democracy" is alive and well -- our _real_ votes are directly purchased with the dollars we hand out every day. Be sure that you know what you're voting for, and be sure to vote for what you really want.
I agree with Silicon Synapse. Although relatively new to Linux (or perhaps _because_ I'm relatively new to Linux), I have absolutely no problem with actually paying for software. The aspects of Linux and GPL that appeal to me have nothing to do with pricing. As a matter of fact, I've started regularly purchasing shrink-wrap and online commercial software as an intentional move to monetarily support the Linux community. I want to see Linux gain acceptance amongst end users, to be viewed by the average Joe as an attractive alternative to Windows -- and attracting a large number of commercial developers is, like it or not, an essential step toward this goal.
"Trade secret stuff is a no brainer for those that have jobs in IT. You can't take PHP code from one business and goto a competitor to work on it. Even if you are fired and are really pissed at your boss. "
Your example isn't a Trade Secret example -- it's an example of theft. Trade Secrets only have the most nebulous legal definition -- and traditionally, once other people know the "secret", then it loses all of it's Trade Secret status. In other words -- if you didn't agree to keep quiet, you're under no legal obligation to keep quiet. If you did agree to shut up, and the secret gets out through no fault of yours, then you can make a strong case that you're now free to talk.
A more appropriate variation of your example is "You can't take knowledge of internal processes and procedures from one business and goto a competitor to work on it." Except of course, that under traditional legal intrepretation, you can! Unless you're contractually barred from doing so. You can never steal _code_, even if such activity isn't specifically mentioned in your contract.
I guess, in light of this article, I'll have to be a little more cautious in my contractual arrangements. When I do work-for-hire, I'll have to insert verbage into the contract that the contract represent the whole and complete agreement, and if I'm not prohibited from doing in the contract or by statute, then I'm free to do it.
I believe I said that. It's a police state, too. Yet, it is still the duty of all of this to rectify this terrible state of affairs, rather than give up on it completely.
At least that's how I feel on optimistic days. On other days, I think "every man for himself", and ponder being one of the rats deserting the ship, rather than futilely trying to plug the thousands of holes in the hull.
Yes! It could work exactly like the law pertaining to the US Postal Service -- you cannot send _unsolicited_ matter to anyone if it is obscene, etc. You _can_ send that stuff if the recipient asked for it (either explicitely or by actively engaging in commerce - order a dirty video, you're a legal target for postal sex spam).
BTW -- the reason this law exists is because the US Postal System had the _exact_ same problem the Internet has now with unsolicited sex spam. Believe it or not.
I hear ya' The thing that keeps me from seriously persuing this notion is *wave flag here* patriotism, believe it or not. It is my duty as a citzen of my country (which happens to be the US) to keep up the good fight for freedom, no matter how futile it sometimes seems to be. The US is clearly getting more facistic as time goes by, and the citizens are clearly demanding that this trend continues, albeit through ignorance. Active voices of dissent, by citizens, are needed more and mroe every day.
But, if you're not going to need multi-million dollar care, why buy the insurance in the first place?
I dunno how this applies to Europe -- probably not at all, but - A few weeks back, I purchased a Glenayre messaging pager, in leiu of a cellphone (I _hate_ cellphones, especially the ones I have to carry myself). This provides send/recieve internet email, voicemail, and your usual paging functions, and the service provided by SkyTel even lets me send a text message to a regular telephone (where a text-to-speech system reads it to whomever answers).
:)
In short, it meets all my comm needs w/o having to be a telephone. Oh, and it can also act as a modem of sorts for my Palm