Re: Cnet Article on Abandonware

["Quantum_Cat" <anonymous@cotse.com>]

Hiya, Ernest.

 *>Piracy has certainly helped the gaming industry. I 
use Quake II as

Huh?

 *>an example. When the game Doom was released, many 
people when nuts
 *>over it because there had never been anything like it 
before. Lots
 *>of people made copies of it, and soon there was a 
huge user base
 *>of people who were just waiting for the next Doom-
like game to

Uh... Wasn't Doom shareware?

And if it still got ripped off, how did that benefit ID 
at the moment?

 *>come out -which was Quake, and then Quake II. ID made 
a fortune
 *>off of Quake II because Doom, either bought or 
copied, had created
 *>a huge market of hungry buyers. Quake II came out and 
legal copies
 *>flew off of the shelves. It was sold out for weeks, 
maybe even
 *>months.

OK.. So they made money from the nice honest folks who 
paid for Quake and Quake II.  Could you explain how the 
piracy benefited them?  Wouldn't the pirates rip off 
Quake and Quake II just as easily as you say they ripped 
off Doom?

You're point isn't as strong as you think.  Having a 
huge user base is no advantage if they're all thieves, 
dude.

 *>I can use vintage computer collecting as another 
example of a
 *>positive effect of piracy. I collect vintage 
computers of many
 *>makes and models but I probably would not have 
started collecting,
 *>and saving these old systems from the trash heap if 
there was not
 *>the large amount of free software for them. I know 
that I would
 *>not have bought my Apple IIe if I had to buy the 
software that I
 *>have. I couldn't justify the cost, when I don't NEED 
it.
 *>Collecting is a fun hobby for me but I don't have to 
do it.

Yeah?  Sure... Get "Time in a Bottle" and get two CD's 
with > 500 Megs each of software.  Shrinkit archives.  
Legally.

And yes, being a thief does mean you don't have to buy 
what you steal.  Still, are you proud of yourself?  
Hmmm?

 *>I'm not saying that piracy is right but it does have 
some positive
 *>effects, in some situations. I believe that in the 
case of vintage
 *>computer collecting, piracy may do more long term 
good than bad
 *>only because it gives people a reason not to toss 
their old
 *>computers into the trash, and it may encourage the 
next generation
 *>to take a look at some of these old systems, like the 
Apple II
 *>-thus keeping the user communities alive and growing, 
and maybe
 *>some of these new users will give something positive 
back to the
 *>community. Who knows?

Can you explain why our current HUGE legal software base 
won't do the same?

 *>Ernest

Vogons For a Turlette Free Apple II Community!

Quantum_Cat