IT Professionals' Lounge

Opinion on Software Theft

View Poll Results: It´s wrong to shoplift but is software different? - what´s your opinion?
It´s OK to copy software, the company is rich.	1	4.35%
It´s not OK to copy software, but I´ve done in on occasion.	8	34.78%
It´s not OK to copy software - those that do should be prosecuted.	5	21.74%
All software should be free.	5	21.74%
Never copy software - if the company goes bankrupt, they can´t write more programs that we like.	4	17.39%
Voters: 23. You may not vote on this poll

« First

Last »

•

Join Date: Mar 2004

Posts: 3,826

Reputation: Catweazle is a jewel in the rough

Solved Threads: 144

Catweazle

Offline

Grandad

Re: Opinion on Software Theft

#51

Apr 29th, 2005

•

Originally Posted by jwenting

Ever heard of marketing? Do you claim that the fact that the supermarket has a temporary discount on cans of soup means that cans of soup are overpriced?
It's exactly the same thing.

You've quoted me out of context to make that point. Of course it's discount marketting. But that wasn't the point of the comment. The point was that Microsoft REGULARLY sells the product at discounted rate, without either using or caring about checks on the licensing restrictions. Microsoft doesn't need those, because the product isn't being sold at a loss. Academic and OEM licenses for the product comprise a very large part of the overall sales. Crporate licenses comprise an even larger part, and again that's effectively at a 'discounted' rate.

It's the person who privately purchases the software who pays through the nose, and needlessly so!

•

If Microsoft packs Word into Works (which is news to me, earlier versions were feature limited) they can charge less because of the higher sales volume of the product.

Balderdash! MS Works Suite is a very small market segment in comparison the MS Office. Word gets thrown in for free because MS can afford to throw it in. Doesn't cost them a thing to do so, and they're hoping people will use the eligibility they gain to purchase an Upgrade Edition of Office!

Where's that leave the poor dumb ******* who buys MS Word as a standalone product, not knowing any different?

Need to install Windows again?

Catweazle's News Desk
Search the expert answer database
'Flame free' PC games discussion.

•

Join Date: Mar 2005

Posts: 1,213

Reputation: zeroth is a jewel in the rough

Solved Threads: 36

zeroth

Offline

Nearly a Posting Virtuoso

Re: Opinion on Software Theft

#52

Apr 29th, 2005

•

Originally Posted by Catweazle

Word gets thrown in for free because MS can afford to throw it in. Doesn't cost them a thing to do so, and they're hoping people will use the eligibility they gain to purchase an Upgrade Edition of Office!

Absolutely correct! And a great marketing idea!

•

Originally Posted by Catweazle

Where's that leave the poor dumb ******* who buys MS Word as a standalone product, not knowing any different?

This is the part that bothers me and a lot of other people about the Microsoft method.

You can´t convince me that Microsoft means this to happen, although I don´t know why they don´t address the problem. I was with Microsoft in the early days when they came out with PC-DOS. (at this point half the readers are throwing tomatoes at me and the other half are cheering) The deal they made with IBM not only solidified their position in the market against their competitors but, unfortunately, proved to them that they could get away with some marginal programs and contracts.

When they came out with IE, they made a remarkably intuitive and brilliant business decision when they tied it in with Windows and forced their OEM customers to sell it with every system made. I´m not saying this was right! I AM saying it was a brilliant business decision because this one decision kept their position in the market almost invulnerable, even though they have suffered in the PR department.

MS power moguls like Steve B. have promulgated this rule of thumb in every facet of the company ever since. It might be because the individual sales of product don´t demand attention in the overall profit scheme that this part of the formula does not get the attention it deserves. I, for one, believe they should give the products away to individuals because that PR would be worth a lot more than the profit they realize on these sales.

"No one remembers who climbed Mount Everest the second time." — Na Nook.

•

Join Date: Aug 2004

Posts: 193

Reputation: YoungCoder is an unknown quantity at this point

Solved Threads: 2

YoungCoder YoungCoder is offline

Offline

Junior Poster

Re: Opinion on Software Theft

#53

Apr 29th, 2005

Is it not possible to devise a mechanism to prevent software cracking?

•

Join Date: Mar 2004

Posts: 3,826

Reputation: Catweazle is a jewel in the rough

Solved Threads: 144

Catweazle

Offline

Grandad

Re: Opinion on Software Theft

#54

Apr 29th, 2005

Yes. We can discontinue using copyright protection measures, and that would prevent software cracking because cracks would no longer be needed. but it'd defeat the purpose of it all, don't you think?

Need to install Windows again?

Catweazle's News Desk
Search the expert answer database
'Flame free' PC games discussion.

•

Join Date: Mar 2005

Posts: 864

Reputation: JANINE is an unknown quantity at this point

Solved Threads: 21

JANINE

Offline

Practically a Posting Shark

Re: Opinion on Software Theft

#55

Apr 29th, 2005

•

Originally Posted by Toulinwoek

Please let the person speak for his/herself. I don't mind having my viewpoint attacked, but there was an ad hominem comment that was out of place. That's how flaming gets started, and I wanted it to be clear that I don't engage in such. Don't worry, I have/had no intention of responding in kind to that person again.

exactly my point, just put in a different way of saying. there was no need for that comment to be made and it was perfectly clear to me and many others that you dont engage in such activities.

More information about me.
www.myspace.com/janine_therockchick

View My Blogs - search for janine's blog

•

Join Date: Oct 2004

Posts: 274

Reputation: mmiikkee12 is an unknown quantity at this point

Solved Threads: 5

mmiikkee12 mmiikkee12 is offline

Offline

Posting Whiz in Training

Re: Opinion on Software Theft

#56

Apr 30th, 2005

Back to the original topic...

I think software should be free. Like this, from the Spybot - Search and Destroy license:

•

I.b. Binary
What do you get if you buy software? Lots of ones and zeros, nothing more. If they were distributed as art, I could understand paying it. But if the main goal of their order is to earn money - by fees or ads - I don't like it!

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/license/

If Microsoft, Adobe, and several others thought more like that guy, the computer world would be a better place.

•

Join Date: Nov 2004

Posts: 571

Reputation: moderate_rock48 is an unknown quantity at this point

Solved Threads: 1

moderate_rock48 moderate_rock48 is offline

Offline

Posting Pro

Re: Opinion on Software Theft

#57

Apr 30th, 2005

•

Originally Posted by mmiikkee

Back to the original topic...

I think software should be free. Like this, from the Spybot - Search and Destroy license:

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/license/

If Microsoft, Adobe, and several others thought more like that guy, the computer world would be a better place.

If it were free, there would be no incentives for the company to make it better, or even make it at all, it wouldnt work. That is just like saying, cars, food, and tv's or just anything else that you buy should be free, its ridiculous to say that.

My karma ran over your dogma.

•

Join Date: Oct 2004

Posts: 133

Reputation: Cup of Squirrel is an unknown quantity at this point

Solved Threads: 1

Cup of Squirrel Cup of Squirrel is offline

Offline

Junior Poster

Re: Opinion on Software Theft

-1

#58

Apr 30th, 2005

Software is stupidly expensive, and I'll admit I have copied/given cd keys to friends. Microsoft is a major problem with it, because they charge outrageous prices. However a lot of it does go to charity....

•

Join Date: Nov 2004

Posts: 6,143

Reputation: jwenting is just really nice

Solved Threads: 213

jwenting

Offline

duckman

Re: Opinion on Software Theft

#59

Apr 30th, 2005

yes, you can have mechanisms that prevent piracy.

You can have software that runs solely on a remote machine maintained by the selling company. Customers log into that machine with their password and username and are charged by the hour with a minimum fee per logged in user.
It's called ASP (application server provider) with subscription based services.

Imagine your computer having just a stub of an operating system and connecting to a central server at Microsoft headquarters when you turn it on.
It logs in and the meter starts ticking. If you have a good creditrating on your account (creditcard, prepaid, whatever) your machine starts to load Windows 2010.
You get your desktop (your profile is stored at your own machine or maybe at a server elsewhere where you rent some space).
You start Photoshop XCL. The loader contacts a server from Adobe who checks your credit rating. If it's good Photoshop loads (with only the plugins you have indicated you want a permanent subscription to) from the server.

Both Windows and Photoshop regularly contact their owners over a secure connection to see if you're still OK on your credits and warn you if you're running out of money.

Now, if you give your license codes to someone else he logs in using your account details and you get charged for their use as well as your own.

As people are clearly allowed to attack me but I'm not allowed to defend myself, I no longer post to this site.

•

Join Date: Mar 2004

Posts: 3,826

Reputation: Catweazle is a jewel in the rough

Solved Threads: 144

Catweazle

Offline

Grandad

Re: Opinion on Software Theft

#60

Apr 30th, 2005

And if that day ever comes, jwenting, I'm happy to say that I have systems here which will happily chug along meeting my needs with Windows 2005 until the end of my days!

The scenario you describe will probably eventuate sooner or later, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it.

Need to install Windows again?

Catweazle's News Desk
Search the expert answer database
'Flame free' PC games discussion.