[Linux-aus] Young Aussies say pirated software is OK

[Anestis Kozakis]

At 9:05 AM +1100 2009/02/08, Paul Wayper wrote:

[Snip]

>Maybe we need some rough calculations of how much you'd pay for the GIMP,
>Inkscape, Open Office, etc. if they were competing against other products in
>the field.  Picture it: "The GIMP - normally $249, but because we don't
>believe in charging money we're giving it away!"  Would that make those people
>'value' it more?
>
>I do think people are capable of differentiating cost from quality.  Equating
>them only suits software vendors at the top of the range.  I also think the
>people using an illegal copy of Photoshop "because it's good quality" are not
>the same set as those using it because it cost them nothing.
>
>I do think that people realise that that $450 package of Photoshop still gets
>them absolutely no help from Adobe, and that they look to the community for
>help rather than the software author.  When the software author _is_ the
>community, this closes the loop.
>
>Just some thoughts,
>
>Paul

That might work, bit then you have people like my friend who has been 
bitten by badly written free software in the past.  The system 
screwed up Windows registry files, and he had to re-install his 
system from scratch.  So now he buys all his software, even Norton 
Security or McAfee Security.  No matter how much I tell him there is 
good free software out there (like AVG) that doesn't hook into the 
system and slow everything down, he won't budge.

It's these kind of people we should also be trying to make understand 
that there is good, well written free software that won't screw up 
your system.

Anestis.
-- 
Scissorsmith - "At the fork in the road, take the rocky path.  it 
will lead you to the dragon's lair",
Samurai Jack - "Where does the other path go?"
ScissorSmith - "Space Ace".
-- Samurai Jack, Episode XXI