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Why don't you pay for software?

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J-Mac:

I've highlighted a key word or two in my original quote: you and I, as far as I can tell, aren't as far apart as you apparently think! I guess my choice of the word "respect" was unfortunate... Equally unfortunate is that I can't think of a better one right now. I was trying to say that if one is going to make a case for stealing, surely they could come with something better than "the product sucks, so it's ok to steal it". At least saying the you steal because you find the price more than you can bear is... stumped again, but how about: understandable?
-Darwin (May 25, 2007, 04:32 PM)
--- End quote ---
You're right; looking at it, I think I must have misunderstood your post.  I had just read through all the posts up to that point and replied to yours as the last one I read. Sorry if I sounded as if I was aiming it at you! Though I think I had thought you were trying to justify -- to an extent, even if only a mild extent -- the appropriateness of stealing software based solely on its cost. Sorry!  Didn't mean to "preach" at you, Darwin!

iphigenie:
I am pretty certain I am 100% legal with the software on my computers, even though I have had 2 periods of 1 year in the past 6 years where I had very little income. I found freeware, cheap shareware, didn't upgrade windows and other software etc.

I even pay multiple times if I want something on 2 machines and the license says I have to - although when testing software I might try another product that says I can install on my laptop and desktop first. (I really do test software often in an order based on price and license terms and try until i find one that suits my needs)

If a program is too expensive for what I can justify to myself for the project in question, I search for an alternative. I use photoimpact, for example, as I can't see why I would pay for photoshop etc. (note that I am not a professional designer. if i were i probably would have to buy photoshop and bite the bullet)

Sometimes I search for and buy an old version - i bought acdsee 6 from amazon as the old version did the bit I needed (the nice near automated workflow for scanning in and tagging hundreds of negatives) and was a lot cheaper. (Version 9 is much improved, but not the part which i really needed at the time, and I could only justify paying that smaller amount anyway)

And I do donate, either within about 2 months if I use the program a lot, or much later if I use the program only occasionally. Sometimes I pay for or donate for something I don't even use much, because i think it's a great idea and needs supporting... (same things for games or websites)

* * *

The reason most people don't pay? Because they can get away with it. It is, in the end, pure greed.

Gothi[c]:
No one should make money off software. Work at mc donalds and code / contribute to projects in your spare time. (or use a donationware model, don't FORCE payment and ownership) it is a BASIC right to copy/modify/run software as you wish, because software is NOT property, software = ideas and creativity, and limiting ideas and creativity with ownership is always a bad idea. That is the ethical truth.

The practical truth is, that sometimes it's nice to get paid for what you like to do (and if you don't like to do it, you shouldn't be doing it). But that doesn't make it ethically correct. I'm sorry but I just don't believe in ownership of software.

More on topic: Paying for software should be done out of sympathy, goodwill, brotherhood with the developer, not because you have to, just to have the 'privilege' to use the software.

 :two:

* Gothi[c] ducks and hides

GHammer:
I like to support independent and small developers.
I like to support friendly, helpful developers.
I look for freeware, but I have two requirements.
 1- Can't look like it is being polished before the change to shareware.
 2- Has to be the equivalent or better of paid software.
I just replaced ReGet with Orbit Downloader. Quite happy with it and met my requirements.

It is one of the few that have unfortunately. Most free/open source apps just don't have the fit and finish, and way too many are the personal creation of the developer. They work how that person wanted to meet that person's needs. Nice if we both agree and have the same needs, but usually we don't. I'm also worried about 'abandonware'. Sourceforge is littered with dead projects. One you leave university and get married I guess it is harder to devote yourself to whiny leeches!

I look for, and ask for discounts if I am paying. I live in China and work as a teacher. Many of you likely have a large beer budget than I have salary. I don't bother looking at software that costs a month's pay. Not gonna buy at that price no matter what.

My sole exception? Various versions of Windows. Why? It has the tools, software, and hardware support I want. It broadens my scope when looking for an application or for hardware. About every three months for the past few years I have installed this or that flavor of linux and tried doing what I normally do, listen to music (Wavpack and FLAC), watch a few videos, play the occasional game, create lessons and lesson plans, edit and view pictures, create panoramas from images. I always end up restoring my Windows partition within a week. The apps aren't there and those I do find are limited in some way and/or do not have all the functions as their Windows competitors.

Have I ever done an 'extended' test of some software package? Yeah, sure. But I have always scraped up the money to buy whatever I keep on my system. If it is worth the disk space and I use it then I should pay for it. Just not always on the developers schedule. Is it right? No, it is expedient. Can I be 'a little pregnant'? Nope, guess not. But my rationale is not that Bill Gates has too much money or that the world somehow owes me . I simply have to save up to pay for anything that costs more than about US$30, and even then I have a wife to explain it to... Meantime, I'm selfish, I want to use the program while I wait to pay.

So, I think if you can buy a computer and you can pay for an internet connection, then you can somehow pay for the apps you use. Especially if the app comes from an individual or a small development house.

Darwin:

I've highlighted a key word or two in my original quote: you and I, as far as I can tell, aren't as far apart as you apparently think! I guess my choice of the word "respect" was unfortunate... Equally unfortunate is that I can't think of a better one right now. I was trying to say that if one is going to make a case for stealing, surely they could come with something better than "the product sucks, so it's ok to steal it". At least saying the you steal because you find the price more than you can bear is... stumped again, but how about: understandable?
-Darwin (May 25, 2007, 04:32 PM)
--- End quote ---
You're right; looking at it, I think I must have misunderstood your post.  I had just read through all the posts up to that point and replied to yours as the last one I read. Sorry if I sounded as if I was aiming it at you! Though I think I had thought you were trying to justify -- to an extent, even if only a mild extent -- the appropriateness of stealing software based solely on its cost. Sorry!  Didn't mean to "preach" at you, Darwin!
-J-Mac (May 26, 2007, 01:15 AM)
--- End quote ---

No worries! As I noted, my choice of words wasn't very precise... Still can't think of a better word, either. Embarrassing.

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