At 06:11 PM 11/26/2002 -0600, Joe Glockner wrote: >Jack, I'm sorry, but I cannot let this pass without comment.
> >I saw Courtney's earlier post that mentioned the software piracy of >DXbase issue. It really burns my xxx that we have thieves out there and >while I know it's costly to prosecute, I think you ought to go after >anyone once you have the evidence needed. I've heard of some attorney's (sic) >who will do this pro-bono as well. Think they are funded by the >Software Piracy Association. > >Anyway, if it were my business, I would take whatever steps you can to >help reduce this. It occurs to me that as long as you distribute the >software on disks or CDs, that the thieves are going to steal it. So >seems to me that as a first step, you gotta stop sending it out on CD. >There are some pretty good encryption packages out there that allow >people to download and install from the web. I know some of them have >been cracked, but usually they got cracked because the encryption wasn't >implemented as well as it could have been. They usually come in two >flavors: Why on Earth is it to be assumed that everyone who will use this (or other) programs will have Internet access (apparently with a dedicated T1 line too). Nothing frosts me like buying some software package or another that was rushed into delivery before it is ready where I am expected to download 20 mbytes of "late release improvements" using my 28.8K dial-up connection. For example, the widow of a silent key friend recently called upon me for help because she had picked up a virus (thanks Outlook Express) and had naively gone to Office Max and bought McAfee Anti-virus. I installed the program and then spend over four hours downloading "updates" for this POS. Without my (or some else's) help she *never* would have got this running. Vendors should not assume that everyone has a 10GHz Pentium 27 with 48 Gb of memory and a wide-screen high definition 48 in. flat screen monitor and a full-time satellite Internet connection. > >1. User can download and install but it will only run on the machine >that they install it to. Much like Microsoft XP where it is tied to >hardware and that's that. If user changes major hardware, then they >gotta re-register. Do this and you've already sold me my last upgrade of DXbase. >Perhaps you could allow a user to run on up to two >machines for one fee, and an additional fee for more than two machines. >Just because someone owns 71 machines doesn't mean they gotta run DXbase >on each one of them... hihi... I have a desktop in my home office where I do my QSLing and a laptop in my cramped shack where I do my logging and I'm thinking about another one for my travel trailer. I should have to buy multiple copies? There is just one of me running the computers and radio. If I buy a book at Barnes and Noble I can read it then hand it to my wife so she can read it too. Should I have to get B&N's approval to do this? (Yeah I know the publishers are working on ways to correct this "flaw" and Poindexter will have real time knowledge of what page I'm reading but that's another issue.) > >2. User can download crippled version and must get a key from you to >unlock all the features. This helps some, but then somebody could just >give the key away to their buddies and your back to having the thieves >steal your work. > >In either of these cases, users can download it as often as they want >without additional charge as long as they are registered. > >There may be some good reason for objecting to either of the above, but >I can't think of any unless you are the pirate trying to insure that you >can continue to pirate somebody else's work. Again, if it was me, I'd >go with option 1 and let the thieves start spending their money for >DXbase or else go steal someone else's product. Well, I object and I'm a paying customer. > >Just my two cents worth of opinion. > >By the way, I also saw the comments about dropping upgrade support for >old database formats. It never occured to me but I like this idea too. >If someone opts to skip upgrades, then it's only fair that they pay the >additional cost for their decision. Why should I pay ( indirectly ) for >someone else's decision. Hear hear. I don't use the packet cluster spotting, so why should I pay for those features that I didn't ask for? I demand a refund. I say, support importing from only the >previous version and if somebody needs support for older versions, then >sell them the conversion package. I can't imagine why somebody would >skip any of the last few upgrades anyway. They were crammed with lots >of nice improvements and well worth the few dollars to upgrade. Just >doesn't make sense, but oh well. Too often, "upgrade" is a euphemism for "bug fix with a price tag". There are lots of reasons for not upgrading every time a vendor happens to offer one. If the upgrade only includes features that are of no interest to me, then "Why should I pay ( indirectly ) for someone else's decision.(?)" Wes N7WS
