Your Opinions of Pirating Software

Crayz9000 · Post by **Crayz9000** » 2003-02-11 04:13am

RedImperator wrote:The question is, why would you want to pirate MS shit? I'd rather pay for a copy of WordPerfect than use a pirated version of Word.

That's why I use OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org)... it's free, supports most Microsoft Office features, and uses XML as its native file format...

Thunderfire · Post by **Thunderfire** » 2003-02-11 05:17am

RedImperator wrote: The question is, why would you want to pirate MS shit? I'd rather pay for a copy of WordPerfect than use a pirated version of Word.

MS Office is the standard office software. I get lots of office documents mostly
excel and word format. Importing documents is trouble even if you have a
different office release.

Pu-239 · Post by **Pu-239** » 2003-02-11 08:28am

I used to pirate software, but I've removed all of it except M$ Office- I don't use Office, my sister does. I used OpenOffice, since I would not touch Office with a 10 foot pole. I still possess the disks to some pirated software... though they are crappy and I should dispose of them.

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2003-02-11 10:59am

Thunderfire wrote:
RedImperator wrote: The question is, why would you want to pirate MS shit? I'd rather pay for a copy of WordPerfect than use a pirated version of Word.
MS Office is the standard office software. I get lots of office documents mostly
excel and word format. Importing documents is trouble even if you have a
different office release.

Which is why I didn't uninstall the copy of Word that came with my machine. I save WordPerfect documents as RTFs and test them in Word to make sure they open. Though, if I know that it won't have to be edited (like I'm taking it to the print center to make 100 copies or something), I convert it into a PDF.

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2003-02-11 02:37pm

Heavily priced software like Windows i'll pirate. There is no justification as to why Windows must be so expensive. Games i never pirate. I'll play a demo if i like it i'll buy it. as for music, i use MP3's as a try before you buy. Every MP3 i downloaded and kept i went out and bought the single or album. As movies the only movies i D/L are porn and that industry is making more than enough money.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-02-11 02:39pm

Thunderfire wrote:MS Office is the standard office software. I get lots of office documents mostly excel and word format. Importing documents is trouble even if you have a different office release.

That's only true for people who use annoying formatting methods such as floating text boxes. For the majority of ordinary documents, import filters tend to work fine.

Thunderfire · Post by **Thunderfire** » 2003-02-11 03:10pm

The quick save option can cause alot of trouble too.
Word just adds the modified text at the end of the
file if this option is turned on. Files can get pretty large
that way and even word has trouble opening these files.

Zoink · Post by **Zoink** » 2003-02-11 03:22pm

Darth Wong wrote: That's only true for people who use annoying formatting methods such as floating text boxes.

Unfortunately I have to use annoying formatting methods, like floating text boxes, and field codes

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2003-02-11 03:39pm

In general I try to pay for good software. One recent exception is Zmud. They want $25 to license it. If it were $15, I'd pay it, and I bet a lot of people that ended up stealing it would have paid $15, too. Software piracy has one strange benefit in that it lets firms know when their prices are too high.

However, I make one big exception. I propose that it is morally wrong to pay for Microsoft software. I know it may sound strange to say it's wrong not to steal something, but M$ has become an abusive company that I believe can be clearly shown to be having a damaging effect on technological progress in the software industry, and therefore a damaging effect on our everyday lives. Just as we vote with our dollars under capitalism, we vote by withholding those dollars, and Microsoft needs to be voted out of office.

Korvan · Post by **Korvan** » 2003-02-11 03:44pm

Being a bit of a closet conspiracy nut, I think that piracy is acutally supported by the large publishers. Which do you think Microsoft prefers you use, a pirated copy of MS Office or OpenOffice?

Piracy groups often get ahold of games a few weeks before their release. These leaks almost always occur at the publishers. Supposed piracy losses allow publishers to screw developers out of royalites and I'd imagine there are a lot of accounting tricks that can be done as well. I'm not saying that EA is the next Enron, but...

When you pirate software, I believe that you are actually supporting big business. Instead, why not look to cheaper and often free alternatives provided by independant software developers.

jegs2 · Post by **jegs2** » 2003-02-11 03:57pm

I believe in paying for software once. That means not paying for the same software twice, so I can put it on both of my systems (ahem, Win XP & most new Palm OS apps), and that also means not paying for every upgrade that comes out (or at least paying a much lower price).

Larz · Post by **Larz** » 2003-02-11 04:13pm

If I bought it, then I shouldn't need to buy it again unless I make the disc explode, which is pretty damn unlikely.

Pu-239 · Post by **Pu-239** » 2003-02-11 04:14pm

I try to use open-source alternatives when I can. Anyways all the pirated stuff I have is >5 years old, and Doom is 10 years old and hardly anyone buys it anymore, so I think pirating that is OK. The only exception is M$ Office, which I don't use anyways

jegs2 · Post by **jegs2** » 2003-02-11 04:27pm

Pu-239 wrote:I try to use open-source alternatives when I can. Anyways all the pirated stuff I have is >5 years old, and Doom is 10 years old and hardly anyone buys it anymore, so I think pirating that is OK. The only exception is M$ Office, which I don't use anyways

Has anyone paid for the full MS Office?

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2003-02-11 04:38pm

jegs2 wrote:I believe in paying for software once. That means not paying for the same software twice, so I can put it on both of my systems (ahem, Win XP & most new Palm OS apps), and that also means not paying for every upgrade that comes out (or at least paying a much lower price).

Yeah, I wouldn't have a problem piratting an extra copy of Neverwinter Nights or Warcraft III, just so I had something to whomp Spanky in next year.

Nova Andromeda · Post by **Nova Andromeda** » 2003-02-11 04:40pm

Darth Wong wrote:I buy software. However, I don't have a problem with people stealing Microsoft software, because they are price-gouging dirty-business criminals and while they successfully used influence-peddling to get themselves off with a slap on the wrist, they have no right to claim protection under the law as far as I'm concerned. They were found guilty but not seriously punished. They are criminals.

--I would like to know at what point you decide to "take the law into your own hands." Clearly, if the "other side" is cheating it is justified to even the playing feild. However, if everyone decides to take the law into their own hands we would have chaos. That is, when do you decide it is appropriate to say screw the law ... this is no longer a difference of opinion, it is unfair, and I'm being raped. How much crap can people be expected to take from the U.S. gov. anyhow??? I'd say ... nevermind TIA watching ... DAMN IT ... I'M BEING OPPRESSED!!!!

Slartibartfast · Post by **Slartibartfast** » 2003-02-11 06:19pm

That reminds me, when I heard of Neverwinter Nights and their internet playing system (and having a valid key and all that), I basically promised to myself that I would buy a legit copy for that and play it a lot. When it came out (60 dollars!!! WTF), I got a download link anyway, and got it for free, with all the intention of buying it to play it online, eventually. I played it for about a week and I realized it was an overpriced and overhyped piece of crap... I uninstalled it, and I'm glad I didn't shell a cent for it.

What does that teach us? Absolutely nothing, just... don't buy expensive software that's crap

Embracer Of Darkness · Post by **Embracer Of Darkness** » 2003-02-12 11:43am

Almost all my software is copied, and as long as my fucking wallet isn't complaining neither will I.

BlkbrryTheGreat · Post by **BlkbrryTheGreat** » 2003-02-12 12:19pm

If I need software, Ill pay for. This stuff dosen't appear magically for your convenience, someone has to work on it and they bills that need to be paid, just like anyone else.

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2003-02-12 01:49pm

jegs2 wrote:
Pu-239 wrote:I try to use open-source alternatives when I can. Anyways all the pirated stuff I have is >5 years old, and Doom is 10 years old and hardly anyone buys it anymore, so I think pirating that is OK. The only exception is M$ Office, which I don't use anyways
Has anyone paid for the full MS Office?

I have a sad and sinking feeling I did when I bought my comp. I pleaded with the Dell rep to not even bother including it (and knock several hundred dollars off my purchase price, enough to upgrade to a 3d graphics card), but she insisted they couldn't do it. If it weren't for that craptastic Office shit, I'd be playing SimCity 4 right now. By the way, does anybody know WHY Microsoft feels that it's necessary for a WORD PROCESSOR to consume so many system resources it's nearly impossible to run AIM, Opera, and Sonique in the background without have a 1 minute load time for a 100k file?

Pu-239 · Post by **Pu-239** » 2003-02-12 05:14pm

Well you can't blame MS completely. Openoffice is even more slow, even with the quickstart. I'm assuming you are exaggerating slightly when you are saying 1 minute though. How up-to-date is your comp?

Pu-239 · Post by **Pu-239** » 2003-02-12 05:26pm

And Red, why did'nt you just buy a computer elsewhere?

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-02-12 05:58pm

The best word processors are raw text editors like Notepad and KEdit.

kojikun · Post by **kojikun** » 2003-02-12 06:02pm

I pirate because I couldn't get it no matter how much I'd like to. Same with music. I buy CDs, but rarely, because I don't have the money to buy every CD full of shit I listen to. And I tend not to use/listen that frequently. If I listen to a song, its for a month then thats the last i hear it. Software that I use frequently is almost always incredibly expensive (Photoshop, Lightwave, etc).

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-02-12 11:21pm

kojikun wrote:The best word processors are raw text editors like Notepad and KEdit.

Eh, they have their uses, but dammit, I like having a semblance of control over my text!