Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!hoser.berkeley.edu!bryce
From: bryce@hoser.berkeley.edu (Bryce Nesbitt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Amiga User Demographics Are Changing...
Message-ID: <22399@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 5 Jan 88 04:58:23 GMT
References: <4898@well.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: bryce@hoser.berkeley.edu (Bryce Nesbitt)
Organization: The Logic Foundation
Lines: 43

In article <4898@well.UUCP> ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) writes:
>
>	I find this very interesting.  Some months ago, on this very
>newsgroup, it was predicted that the availability of a low-cost Amiga might
>cause software piracy activity to increase.  It appears that that prediction
>is coming true, if it hasn't already.

Ignoring morals for the moment, let's take a look at the situation:

1> We have people purchasing a low-cost computer.  Why?  Probably because
   they have less money.

   2> They have less money to start with, so probably have less money to
      spend on software.

      3> Nevertheless, these are often young, enthusiastic people.  People
	 who, it could be said, need/want more software than "average".  


Since it is 100% impossible to protect software from unauthorized
copying **, there seems to be a stress point.  Obviously the
"underdeveloped" moral standards of some individuals will loose out to
the free software. 

It could be a more realistic goal is to get these people to purchase SOME
software instead of taking it all for free.  We already know that
the people with 500+ disks of illegal software don't use it all very
often... if at all.  Enourage them to pay for what they use.

	At least with "more machines" there will be more people available
to sell software to.  Even if some of the new owners don't buy ANYTHING.

	

** Protecting software is IMPOSSIBLE.  I include in this broad statment
hardware protection measures such a serial-id roms and "dongles".

Most disturbing is that most software is available in the "Pirate Domain"
well before the offical release.  Not all beta testers are good risks.

|\ /|  . Ack! (NAK, SOH, EOT)
{o O} . bryce@hoser.berkeley.EDU -or- ucbvax!hoser!bryce (or try "cogsci")
 (")
  U	"Your theory is crazy... but not crazy enought to be true." -Niels Bohr