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I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

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Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#181

Post by sliverstorm »

mbq wrote: post #146
jarrett wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Certain applications that professionals need are only available on Windows. Most games are as well. Even for software with Mac/*nix versions, a person may have quite a bit of money tied up in Windows-only licenses. I'm not commenting on whether pirating Windows is ethical. I'm just pointing out that sometimes you'll have to ditch a lot of software to ditch Windows.

Quite a lot windows-only software works with Wine, .net stuff runs on Mono and there is still ReactOS -- open source OS written from scratch, binary compatible with Windows.

I have found the more important and irreplaceable the software is, the less it works with Wine...

What I mean by this is, while Notepad.exe may run flawlessly, SolidWorks doesn't.

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#182

Post by nknight »

xist wrote: post #157
Karunamon wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Minor niggle, but please stop misusing "steal". We need to get that meme killed.

it's called "identity theft" when someone does it to your identity though :P Your SSN and details are all intellectual property too!

The correct word for "identity theft" is "fraud", which is what it was called for centuries. Person A pretending to be person B isn't new, and has always been nothing more than a class of fraud, but at some point somebody decided an ancient crime needed a trendy new name.

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#183

Post by gergles »

Karunamon wrote: post #152
Game_Ender wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it's a really good root kit, how would you know you have been infected?

Probably because I'd find the appropriated information used somewhere. It's been at least 5 years with not a hint of fraudulent use of my ID or payment info. I have, however, been victimized multiple times by corporations being negligent with my data in the same time period. Sony and whatnot. Kind of interesting that it's safer to download random untrusted OS code from the internet than to give my information to a "s…

Even if you wrote the compiler by hand, it doesn't matter. See the outstanding "Reflections on Trusting Trust": http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/ken/trust.html

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#184

Post by halostatue »

jarrett wrote: post #56
melling wrote: post #23

If you don't like their product or policies, don't use it. If you use it then you should pay for it. Use Linux, a BSD Unix, or a Mac. People who pirate Microsoft products don't really hurt Microsoft, they hurt the rest of the competition.

Certain applications that professionals need are only available on Windows. Most games are as well. Even for software with Mac/*nix versions, a person may have quite a bit of money tied up in Windows-only licenses. I'm not commenting on whether pirating Windows is ethical. I'm just pointing out that sometimes you'll have to ditch a lot of software to ditch Windows.

I faced that problem (I had some money in Windows-only licenses). I still cut the cord and moved to the Mac.

If I find it necessary to move from the Mac to something else, as much as I hate it I will cut the cord and not worry about the software investments that I have made.

If you have an application that only works on Windows, then you need to either (a) deal with the Microsoft Tax and all that implies or (b) yell at your software vendor and tell them you want alternative platform support.

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#185

Post by 6ren »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #85

I share the pain this guy experiences. I had Age of Empires 3 which would not run on my machine, period, because it didn't recognize the CD Rom driver and, as Microsoft explained, it might be a 'virtual' CD ROM and that would violate the terms of service. And even though it wasn't and didn't I could never run their software on that machine. Thus the who piracy economic argument is broken in three ways: 1) Folks who p…

Just had a thought on seeing your point 1): Part of the value some people buy is exclusivity. If others can get it for free, it reduces this aspect of its value.

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#186

Post by ryandvm »

Karunamon wrote: post #129
ryandvm wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. You can't just say, "your product is too *, I'm stealing it." Well, I guess you can, but you're stretching your ethical credibility.

Unless he took a physical copy off of a shelf somewhere, he didn't steal anything. Pirated, ripped, copied, used without paying for, there are about 20 possible verbs to describe the act of using software without purchasing a license. Stealing is not one of them. I know I'm beating this horse fairly hard, but it's something that people need to be aware of.

Meh. When I create software and someone "takes away" my ability to earn income from it, it feels like stealing.

The "IP infringement is not stealing" line is just what people say when they want something for nothing and they don't want to feel bad about inflicting financial damage upon the original author.

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#187

Post by robotresearcher »

trotsky wrote: post #137
hrktb wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No it is not, at least not for every version. I didn't have to use windows for a very long time, and about a month ago I installed a windows XP SP3 in a virtual machine. The grace period ended a few days ago: - the automatic activation failed - my product key is said to have been pirated - the phone support for registration is now fully automated, and just rejects my phone activation. - the machine won't load whole s…

Windows XP launched more than 10 years ago. What I said was true for Vista (5 years old) and 7 (2 years old) and is true for Windows 8 afaik. I'm not sure what your point would be - that you'd pirate Windows 8 because you didn't approve of the ease of use of an activation system they deprecated 5 years ago?

Why should he/she approve of the system that makes his legally licensed software not work just because it's 5 years old? If it didn't have the license activation anti-feature, it would work just as well now as it did 5 years ago.

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#188

Post by Sniffnoy »

nknight wrote: post #182
xist wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's called "identity theft" when someone does it to your identity though :P Your SSN and details are all intellectual property too!

The correct word for "identity theft" is "fraud", which is what it was called for centuries. Person A pretending to be person B isn't new, and has always been nothing more than a class of fraud, but at some point somebody decided an ancient crime needed a trendy new name.

Or specifically, "impersonation".

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#189

Post by jebblue »

vectorpush wrote: post #150
MatthewB wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmm...interesting. I see the difference you are trying to illustrate but to me, obtaining something illegally that was intended to be purchased is stealing. We're talking about the same thing though:)

If they were the same thing, then that would mean downloading a copy of Star Wars is equivalent to pocketing the Star Wars DVD in your entertainment center. When does the act of stealing occur? If I download a torrent and then delete it without watching/playing/listening, did I steal it? If so, then does that mean repeatedly copying the file to and from an external hard drive is repeated theft? Does it become stealin…

>> When does the act of stealing occur? If I download a torrent and then delete it without watching/playing/listening, did I steal it?

Yes, welcome to adulthood.

Re: I'm Pirating the Next Version of Windows

#190

Post by jebblue »

Karunamon wrote: post #141
MatthewB wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmm...interesting. I see the difference you are trying to illustrate but to me, obtaining something illegally that was intended to be purchased is stealing. We're talking about the same thing though:)

The crux of the matter is that "steal" implies you've deprived the owner of something. (Actually, the us supreme court ruled on this a long while ago and clearly delineated the two..) The only reason for the tap on the shoulder is the effort by the industry groups to get people to conflate the two things. I hate seeing people be tricked, especially by such an odious organization :)

>> The crux of the matter is that "steal" implies you've deprived the owner of something.

Yes, earnings. When you grow up you will need to work and earn money and pay bills and balance a checkbook and without "piracy" (meaning stealing) controls, your Internet usage will be even higher than mine as you grow older.

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