on 10/5/01 5:02 PM, Jamie Pruden at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Hi Peter, > > I guess I'll have to follow this thread to its conclusion. Again, these > are my opinions, not those of my employer...
That is odd most people I have seen discuss this topic seems to be on the same page as you. > > On 10/4/01 8:40 PM, Peter Apockotos <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> typed: > >> Here are some reasons that people pirate >> >> 1. Testing purposes without the cost, I know some companies provide >> versions for evaluation ( but some or most functions are disabled ) > > OK... but you're talking about a test. Do auto dealers let you borrow the > car for a few weeks before buying for no charge. How about Kraft Macaroni > and Cheese? ;) > > Software vendors try to give the users a chance to try out the software. > Most give 30 days or so. If someone can't figure out if the sofware will > do what they want in 30 days, then maybe they don't *need* the software. > No but when shopping around for a Trans Am I had a dealer give me the car for a week to see how I liked it. >> >> 2. There is not a cheaper solution with the features needed. > > This one's weak. If you need the features, then you should purchase what > you need. Pirating to get the features you want is not a valid argument. > This arguement was based on the cost versus features >> >> 3. Software is overpriced due to the poor oversight of operating costs. > > Have you ever developed software for a global market? It ain't cheap. > No I do not develop on a global scale >> >> 4. Not all people can afford the software they need because they do not use >> it for a living. > > Again... if you need it, buy it. If you want it and cannot afford it, > save up and buy it. > But there are people in the world that would need years to save in order to purchase certain products. >> >> 5. Then there is the morally wrong reason of pirating for profit. > > All of these arguments are morally wrong. Basically, you're taking the > work of someone else and using it without their permission. How would you > feel if you had put in a year of your time on a project and someone > decided that it wasn't worth what you were asking. You would tell them to > use something else. They then break into your garage and get the plans > and build their own. Put yourself in the software companies' shoes. > No what they would be doing is taking it from a company that does not care how they get the money. The actual coders are paid by the company they work for and in most cases the coder does not own the code. Also how do view a compamy that releases an upgrade that was planned to be free or should be free and charges an upgrade fee in order to just make more profit? >> >> Do these companies not see if they lowered the cost to consumer that they >> would in fact sell more copies and reduce piracy and thus reduce operating >> costs pertaining to piracy issues. What happened to the United States of >> America between 1776 and 2001? We all have such a short time here, that it >> is shameful that money controls our lives rather than ourselves. > > Regrettably, this is a common misconception. People are going to pirate > software regardless of how little it costs. If Photoshop was $50, Adobe > could probably sell 4 times as many copies. However, the money that they > would make wouldn't support the effort to develop, test and market the > product. On top of that, there would STILL be a piracy problem. > For example, Adobe Photoshop sells around 600 if it was sold for 199.00 and the upgrade pricing was 199.00 for and upgrade from 5.0 to 6.0 this would be fine. Then only charge 99.00 or nothing for an upgrade from 5.0 to 5.5. This would work out in Adobe's favor and the customers. God forbid a customer of any company be treated correctly these days. > The number of people that will buy a software title vs. the price of the > software looks like a bell curve. Most software companies try to sell at > the price that's the peak of the curve. Why? Why not? If you were selling > widgets, you'd probably try to maximize your profit, right. Why is it so > bad for software companies to do the same thing? > No I am not that type of person, I would charge enough to cover operating expenses and some reserves but no to the point that I could contribute a couple million to a politician and say it was nothing more than chump change. > Why don't people realize that software is like anything else that you buy > in a store? If you went to Circuit City and took one of their copies of a > Sony receiver, it's theft. I doubt that you would even consider it. Yet, > when someone burns a copy of a software CD, they don't feel the slightest > guilt about stealing from the software company. > I realize this and would not steal hardware or software. But I can certainly see why it is done. > We Mac users bitch and moan about the lack of software for our platform, > then we go out and pirate the crap out of the software manufacturers. Go > figure why no one want to develop for us... > That is odd because I can find more PC software being pirated than Mac software and as you hint at there is more PC software, I wonder why? Or are you just saying that Mac users are the criminals and PC's are like politicians so it is ok for them to pirate? > smiles, > Jamie -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... 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