All good points. I think Isaac meant to say Mike's point B is valid, btw. I believe Isaac initiated the poll ( I seconded) and I was just chiming in my reasons. I have no pity for the 2 huge companies I did mention when their software is used by non-paying nobodies like me. By saying it's "wrong" to "steal" from them, I meant it to be pretty generic: Not a specific legal or moral point to anyone but myself. I guess that relates to my second point (2. Challenge! stuff that might work-- Audio and video capture and editing. ghahh.) If I was using Photoshop or whatever, unpaid, I would be spending exactly the same money as I do with say, the Gimp, because I don't donate $ to FOSS projects. I just take them and use them. I attempt to contribute in small ways, (it's all I got!) by hanging out here and other lists. Admittedly, I have taken more than I give, but I try. My free as in speech vote stands, although the beer vote is certainly appropriate in my case. B-) Isaac Atilano wrote: >Bob's point B is actually valid. I remember reading news stories of MS >actually promoting "piracy" of their products in Asian markets in order >to get people hooked on MS products. > > > >----- Original message ----- >From: "John J. Trammell" <trammell+tclug at el-swifto.com> >To: tclug-list at mn-linux.org >Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 10:25:07 -0500 >Subject: Re: [tclug-list] Poll topic- I use linux because... > >On Mon, Aug 28, 2006 at 10:07:22AM -0500, Mike Miller wrote: > > >>On Sun, 27 Aug 2006, Bob Hartmann wrote: >> >> >> >>>3. Stealing from Microsoft and Adobe is wrong. >>> >>> >>(A) It isn't "stealing" because you are not taking anything away from >>them when you make a copy of something. It's not like taking >>someone's purse. It's more like taking a photo of someone's purse. >> >> > >Utter nonsense. In today's legal climate, regardless of your opinion of >the matter, it is a prosecutable offense, and it is irresponsible of you >to say otherwise. > > > >>(B) Microsoft and Adobe want you to do it. It is much better for them >>that you use their software without paying them than it is for you to >>use other software (GNU/Linux, The Gimp, etc.) without paying them. >>Sure, they´d rather be paid, but that is unrealistic when they charge >>$750 for a product. That means they are pricing most of us out of the >>market on purpose. >> >> > >See above. > > >