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The Bolshevist · 07-10-2003, 03:03 PM

I find it offensive to hear some people say that if you can't afford software, you shouldn't have a computer, or that everyone here can afford it and we are just liars. That takes a fair amount of assumptions. College students are barely making ends meet in Canada; I shudder to think about the US. The elderly, whom a computer may be a link to distant grandchildren, may own a computer given to them by a family member. The unemployed, who for no fault of their own, need a computer at home for retraining. What about these groups? Making computers a toy for the financial elite destroys the idea of a global village.

Personally, I do not pirate. I used to, and I still have an old copy of Windows 2.0 that I have on disk, which I have on "long term evaluation" (and have had since 1994 or thereabouts!) I use OpenOffice, simply because of the cost MS products and my low income. I occasionally buy a program from the clearance bin and I treated myself to a copy of The Sims recently. Everything else I get online, or do without. I am not going to judge another person for what they do; I can only deal with what I do, and hope others rest easy in their decisions. MS make good products, but I notice they often require patches. So much for a company that has 80% of the world market. And it is true; if piracy did disappear overnight, prices would not go down, for the shareholders would crucify the CEO.

That is my two kopeks worth.

07-10-2003, 03:03 PM	#38 (permalink)
The Bolshevist Insane Location: Vancouver, Canada	I find it offensive to hear some people say that if you can't afford software, you shouldn't have a computer, or that everyone here can afford it and we are just liars. That takes a fair amount of assumptions. College students are barely making ends meet in Canada; I shudder to think about the US. The elderly, whom a computer may be a link to distant grandchildren, may own a computer given to them by a family member. The unemployed, who for no fault of their own, need a computer at home for retraining. What about these groups? Making computers a toy for the financial elite destroys the idea of a global village. Personally, I do not pirate. I used to, and I still have an old copy of Windows 2.0 that I have on disk, which I have on "long term evaluation" (and have had since 1994 or thereabouts!) I use OpenOffice, simply because of the cost MS products and my low income. I occasionally buy a program from the clearance bin and I treated myself to a copy of The Sims recently. Everything else I get online, or do without. I am not going to judge another person for what they do; I can only deal with what I do, and hope others rest easy in their decisions. MS make good products, but I notice they often require patches. So much for a company that has 80% of the world market. And it is true; if piracy did disappear overnight, prices would not go down, for the shareholders would crucify the CEO. That is my two kopeks worth. __________________ Workers of the world, UNITE! You have nothing to lose but your silly uniforms and paper hats!!