Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!hao!gatech!mcnc!unccvax!fwp
From: fwp@unccvax.UUCP (Rick Pasotto)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Viruses and Stolen Software
Message-ID: <874@unccvax.UUCP>
Date: 5 Jan 88 01:29:25 GMT
References: <927@louie.udel.EDU+
Organization: Univ. of NC at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Lines: 34

in article <927@louie.udel.EDU+, rminnich@udel.EDU (Ron Minnich) says:
+ 
+ 'Someone else'- the police, the politicians, other organizations-
+ are expected to solve the problem. Yet people continue to buy 
+ hot lawn mowers; they are not willing to contribute time to
+ help fight crime; and so on. I see something similar happening
+ here. "commodore should do something"- but- people know of 
+ pirate boards and do not report them. I think if we really care 
+ about this machine and want to see it succeed we have to help, and
+ that includes shutting down the pirates any way we can. 
+ Commodore can not do it, and neither can the [Insert your 
+ favorite organization]. If we want this theft to 
+ stop then WE have to do it. Starting now. Or, the Amiga 
+ gets hurt. 
+ -- 
+ ron (rminnich@udel.edu)

It has been suggested that the Amiga might get a bad reputation because
of rampant software piracy.  Perhaps we could develop an _excellent_
reputation by being the computer community _most_ active in thwarting,
villifying, and making social outcasts of pirates and USERS of pirated
software.  Ron is right, merely saying to a sysop "There is some pirated 
software on your board and I don't think that's a good idea." has very
                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ?!?!?!?!?!  
little if any effect.  As George Robbins mentioned, the problem is a
social problem.  It will not be solved by passing laws or devising new
copy protection schemes.  The ONLY long term solution is to make all
aspects of piracy unthinkable to any self-respecting person.  This 
cannot be done by 'the other guy'.  Only if each of us takes it upon
himself to ostracize anyone who knowingly uses or distributes pirated
software can we ever hope to solve the problem.

Rick Pasotto
mcnc!unccvax!fwp