Thread: Software piracy

Make a Macromedia Flash file...

From a very quick search on zdnet, in no particular order, all 100% free and excluding all shareware (I haven't read any of this so some of it is bound to not be helpful):

http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stori...,84159,00.html

http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stori...,60291,00.html

http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stori...,50259,00.html

http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stori...,76034,00.html

Don't forget to search here:
http://www.macromedia.com/

Try rewording the search and use different search engines like google, simtel.net, and sourceforge.

And hey, if you can save up enough for a book that comes with software, it is amazing what kind of deals you can get. Plus you get the book, which you can learn from, instead of just blindly learning it on your own. I would hire someone who learned this way before I would someone who learned by the software alone, legal or not.

As for the how-tos, there have got to be a billion tutorials, walk thrus and general documentation. I won't bother.

*drum roll* I am not rich. In fact, I have been in serious debt. There was a time when that used $15 book with Borland's compiler and IDE seemed like a miracle. You can't afford that? OK, use Dev-C++ for now to get use to a Windows "visual" development studio. Take my word for it that you can easily move from one to another. Use Linux. Free and has plenty of tools that look just like MSV Studio.

Would stealing a book for knowledge be wrong? What's the difference? Are you so poor you can't afford a book? How are you on the Internet? You can't learn 100 things at once, so pace yourself. It will help you financially and you will learn more.

The law states that you can have a backup of your software. You can't use it on two computers because that is two instances of that software. You wouldn't steal an extra couch because you already bought one, and it would be convenient for you to sit in two different places, would you? It is easy to steal software, therefore it is OK. The rules on software are easier than that of couches. You can keep it on both computers if one of the versions is an archive at any given time. That is to say, you don't use both at once.

Why can't things be "black" and "white"? Why can't you do anything "black"? If you think stealing is immoral, but you do steal software, why is it hard to say that it is immoral, but you do it? Often an example of "not black and white" is included with a ridiculous generalization. Specific things are black and white, the way I see it. That's my belief. Others don't believe in a distinction at all.

I'm not condemning anyone. I think this is an interesting topic. I hope no one gets mad to hear another point of view.

-Justin

EDIT: About some software not being free. You can't get some tools free. You can get equivalent tools free. Windows vs Linux. Flash vs ActiveX or C# or Java (or in many cases even Java script). If I make a car, do I have a right to sell it, even though other cars being given away? If no one buys it, does the customer get hurt or me? Why am I evil because I charge for my own product which took a lot of work to make? So I think it is worth more than it is. So what?

It's opportunity that makes a thief, not necessarily immorality.

rick barclay

I agree completely. And what is easier to steal than software?

Nothing that I know of, that's for sure.

(poor) rick barclay

My opinion about software piracy is that without piracy the users will never be able to learn programs, like C or C++, beacuse they are just too expensive.

C and C++ probably have the most free resources out there. You're on the Internet, why don't you just use these (often superior) tools (and texts)?

Justin W:

You're right, ok, I gave a bad example.

My point is that with software piracy we wouldn't be as far in the development as we are right now.

Well, I don't follow that, but I suppose we can agree to disagree.