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

[David Newall]

Anestis Kozakis wrote:
> At 7:27 PM -0500 2009/02/07, Jon 'maddog' Hall wrote:
>   
>>  >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.
>>>       
>> O.K.  All those Windows users who have never had to reinstall their
>> system from scratch even when they only used "purchased software",
>> please raise your hands.......I thought so.
>>     
> Let me re-iterate more clearly.
>
> He downloaded bad free software and installed it.  It hosed his since 
> system and he had to re-install Windows.

Jon made a very cogent point that I think you might not have fully
appreciated, which is that now that your friend has instituted a
fully-paid-up-proprietary-only policy, he can *still* look forward to
having to reinstall from scratch.  So he  hasn't actually improved his
position, in fact he's worsened it because he'll be paying for software
that screws his system registry, instead of getting it screwed for free!