Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!think!husc6!m2c!umvlsi!pswanson
From: pswanson@umvlsi.ecs.umass.edu (Paul Swanson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Software thieves
Message-ID: <387@umvlsi.ecs.umass.edu>
Date: 23 Aug 89 16:45:07 GMT
References: <30706@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <6846@rpi.edu> <2361@raspail.cdcnet.cdc.com> <6865@rpi.edu> <58013@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> <6876@rpi.edu> <1160@sas.UUCP> <11682@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Reply-To: pswanson@umvlsi.ecs.umass.edu (Paul Swanson)
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Lines: 32

In article <11682@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> scheer@cit-vax.UUCP (Wonko the Sane) writes:
>
>Of COURSE you can't convince anyone of the correctness of the respective
>viewpoints.  This is essentially a religious discussion.  On the one hand,
>the pirates are arguing that information should be inexpensive if not free,
                              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Here is the fundamental falicy of the pirates' argument.  Information is
never, repeat NEVER 'free'.  It cannot be free.  It must be 'created'
(for lack of a better word) by someone who must spend at least time and
effort if not money to create it.  If you think you have an inherent
right to my, or someone elses time, effort, or money you are morally
bankrupt.  What you are arguing for is slavery of a sort.

If I write a program of some sort it is my right to distribute it as I
see fit.  If I wanted to make a program freely distributable to
everybody but Robert J. Kudla I have a right to do this (I wouldn't
expect that this would be too effective, however, given the statements
made by Kudla).  Moral people respect these rights; pirates do not.

In reality if I made a program public in some way, either commercial or
PD, I would expect that my requests as to it distribution would be
violated to some degree.  However, there is something seriously wrong
with someone who believes that violating my rights as an author is
moral.  People with an ability for self delusion as great as this are
dangerous.  This is the same ability for self delusion that brought us
such atrocities as the concentration camps of Nazi germany or slavery in
the USA.  I'll get of my soap box now.

					Paul
>
>Disclaimer:  I am totally irresponsible.  So shoot me then!
Not you but perhaps Kudla or those of his ilk.