Re: Cnet Article on Abandonware

["Arkain" <rwking@usa.nospam.net>]

JUST A POINT OF NOTE:

If it wasn't for "Mr. Average Home User" giving copies of Windows(original)
to their friends and "sharing" the software through BBS's, Windows wouldn't
be quite as big as it is today. The initial reason that Windows had so many
installations is that it was pirated from the beginning, just as current
copies of the OS are. M$ actually owes the pirates for making it so
prolific. That's the effect of "small scale copying... by home users."

As bad a crime as it is to do this, companies actually profit from piracy to
a certain degree, but as always, there is a point where it becomes
excessive. I readily agree that piracy is a "Bad Thing" but eeverything in
this world has it's uses.

Arkain

"Matt Jenkins" <mdj@bilby.cs.rmit.edu.au> wrote in message
39939d92@naylor.cs.rmit.edu.au">news:39939d92@naylor.cs.rmit.edu.au...
>
> While this is probably all true, I don't imagine M$ using this to catch
> Mr. Average Home User with his ripped copy of Windows 98 SE and Office
> 2000. Businesses they'll definitely go after, but home users, nah.
>
> If you think about it, there's a certain logic to turning a blind eye to
> small scale copying of M$'s apps by home users...
>
> Cheers,
>
> Matt
>
>
>
>
> --
>               Matt(hew) Jenkins. Computer Science (RMIT Bundoora)
>                            email: mdj@cs.rmit.edu.au
>                             -- Site of the Month --
>                             http://www.gnustep.org/