[Awetopsy]

everybody has a sense of right and wrong, no matter who they are, where they come from, or what time they live in. Granted their ideas of what is right and what is wrong may differ, but everyone does have a moral standpoint. Thats why we all argue about it.

[dead]

The 's are comming for you all!

[Nathan Marciniak]

I doubt that the software business and the internet would be as huge as they are if everyone bought every single copy of every piece of code they are using. In a twisted way, warez copies of good software is what keeps the public interest up.

I've written a full article on this subject which I will now shamelessly plug:

http://www.execpc.com/~saruman/articles/articles_plundering_the_galleys.html

[Lemur-X]

Let me get my 2 cents in.

If it weren't for warez and the availability of mp3s, I wouldn't own 99% of my legit software and music.

I'm the exception to the rule, but with over 700 cds, and various PC proggies, it's not like I didn't contribute to their coffers.

Perhaps, if they didn't charge exhorbatent amounts for programs that people *NEED* to learn a certain craft or trade, people would be more willing to pick them up legitimately.

[RoadMaster]

I'm not going to really give my opinon on pirating (to an extent) because I live in a warez-free house. All our software is bought. What I do notice is the general concensus that you can't learn without the software, but the software is too expensive to buy (which I do agree with for certain cases). What surprises me is that no one has brought up products such as Photoshop Elements and even something like gmax.

Let's look at the Adobe idea specifically. The newest version of Adobe Photoshop is probably around $600 or more (sorry I'm Canadian, and never bought Photoshop). Now, this program has all the current technology and all the functions included in it. What about those poor people wanting to learn how to use the software, and are students unable to shell out the high prices? One option is, as I've mensioned, Photoshop Elements, which is about a sixth of the price. I have Photoshop Elements, and the feel is similiar. I'm not sure about the menus and stuff, I kind of get frustrated with the missing easy access color selector (not swatches, I hate swatches). You get the feel of the brushstrokes, and can develop artistically, if not technically from using it, and can use it for small projects your working on. Now, we can draw with Photoshop's brushes, but the layout of Photoshop Elements might be too different for people's tastes if they want to learn Photoshop perfectly. Well, what about the Phtotoshop demos? If I'm not mistaken, Photoshop uses an unlimited timelimit demo which has all the functions except for any saving. If your learning the ins and outs of photoshop, and not the "artistic" side, that this is actually perfect for the cause, and free, the only catch is if you make anything on it you can't save (unless you print screen and paste it into another program, but that ruins any layering). Adobe is generous with their demo because they know that people will want to save their work, and if they are planning to use the program professionally they will buy it, and use their demo as a trial, instead of running off and pirating it. Adobe expected pirating, which is why their demo policy is so lenient.

gmax if you don't know is something discreet recently came out with, where game developers have to pay for gmax to support their game (at least that's what their site implied), but users get gmax free, and it is a decent low poly 3D program (note that the only thing I really have to compare with it is Milkshape, since I don't have the dough to shell out for professional stuff).

So why can't people use these demos and cheaper substitues instead of pirating? Because pirating is just as convenient to download, and has what the substitues don't. The moral and legal implications really haven't hit some people. I've met people who act surprised when I say "that program is too expensive for me", then continuously offer to send it to me. The hardest blow people have gotten morally was the big Napster case, which I'm sure raised a few eyebrows to the whole pirating situation. Just my 2 and a half cents of course

[seethemd]

uh, from ziggy stardust : "the bitter comes up better on a stolen guitar, youre the blessed were the spiders from mars"

[a_sh]

gaaah!

very interesting topic!
i have spent about 10 minutes now trying to come up with a good response that don't get me into trouble (accually i have written three replies that i've canned) but i just can't make any sense.

i think a swedish word is quite suiting right now...

typiskt..

[GatoNegro13]

hey if you don't register it, hows anyone gonna know? Ive got some programs that aren't registered myself. For learning pourpuses. ( I HATE that word! I can never spell it!)

[Awetopsy]

purposes