Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ucsd!ucrmath!rhyde
From: rhyde@ucrmath.ucr.edu (randy hyde)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: Rastan GS
Message-ID: <9096@ucrmath.ucr.edu>
Date: 7 Oct 90 21:42:38 GMT
References: <2114@nyx.UUCP> <13917@smoke.BRL.MIL> <2151@nyx.UUCP> <13958@smoke.BRL.MIL> <1990Oct7.050620.19014@isis.cs.du.edu>
Organization: University of California, Riverside
Lines: 25

>> I do not equate the word pirate with thief...
Perhaps you should look up the word "pirate" in the dictionary sometime.
I equate "pirate" with thief.
I do *NOT* equate "hacker" with "good programmer".

Both of these terms have gained a romantic air due to less upstanding
individuals in our society.

BTW, "cracking" a game is definitely illegal based on current copyright laws.
While I agree that protecting a piece of software is only going to hurt the
honest person, software companies are well within their rights to do so.
I don't even consider copy protection immoral.  Cracking and pirating are
both immoral and *ILLEGAL* activities.  It's amazing to read on this net
one message complaining about lack of support for the GS only to be followed
by a message claiming it's okay to "pirate" software.  I would apologize to
you immediately if you could prove you've *paid* for every piece of software
on your system and that you've never given away a cracked piece of software.
However, I would be lying if I claimed *I* never used a piece of pirated
software in my life.  But I like to think that I've reformed myself (not that
I was ever big into that kind of stuff).  If you don't like some company's
policy concerning copy protection, you have a very powerful weapon to fight
back with: your wallet.  Just don't buy the program.  OTOH, if you're not
willing to pay for it (and not distribute it once you do pay for it), don't
complain when no one supports the GS anymore...
*** Randy Hyde O-)