Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!tektronix!reed!percival!boblind
From: boblind@percival.UUCP (Bob Lindstrom)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Be cool kids, we could be next.
Message-ID: <1172@percival.UUCP>
Date: 19 Mar 88 18:15:04 GMT
References: <2924@gryphon.CTS.COM>
Reply-To: boblind@percival.UUCP (Bob Lindstrom)
Organization: Troutdale Shrine of Computing
Lines: 57

In article <2924@gryphon.CTS.COM> hrlaser@pnet02.cts.com (Harv Laser) writes:
>(crossposted from the Atari ST Club on Plink)
>
>-----
>Club : ATARI ST         Sec: 1 
>Date :  3/17/88  9:01   Num: 2,753 
>Theme: ATARI ST PIRACY?
>To   : ALL              By : ATARI*TROS
>Title: WILL WP -- GO AWAY???
>-----
>
>     Thanks to ST*BILL for this alarming  news  about  Word  Perfect on the
>ST.
>
> (A transporting from American PeopleLink follows in which Todd Acerson
>of Word Perfect Corp. tells PLink Atari ST Sysop Ron Luks that WP is
>considering getting out of the Atari ST market because of rampant BBS
>piracy of their word processor.
>-----
>(THEN, Harv Laser - PLink Amiga Sysop - returns and says:

>nb: I have not personally verified this with WP Corp, nor have I altered
>any of the text, nor am I out to start any flame wars with comp.sys.atari.st
>so this is not being posted there.  I have friends who work at WP Corp...
>they're a helluva company to be supporting the Amiga.  I'd really hate
>to see this happen to _US_ !
>

I just want to pop in and add my voice of concern on this one. I generally
stay away from piracy discussions because they tend to bring out the 
irrational in all of us. 

But, I have had SEVERAL software developers - the majors! - tell me that they
are scaling down or discontinuing Atari ST development because they simply
can't make any money at it. Piracy is so totally out of control on that machine.

I know the temptation to steal software is strong. I know it's tempting. But it's
also illegal and if the iilegality of it can't concern our post-'60s generation
then we SHOULD be concerned that the degree of piracy on the Amiga can make or
break this machine the same way it's BREAKING the Atari ST.

Despite the hardware flame wars that persist, the Atari ST is a very good
machine. I have one. I like it. (Not as well as the Amiga, of course). But
Atari users are killing its future.

So, to second Harv's plea: Invest in the future of the Amiga. If you see a
piece of software that is good, that deserves your money, please buy it and
put a stake in the future of Amiga software development. No one is saying to
buy any and all software and get burned. But DO recognize the superior
efforts with your cash. (And don't use pirated software ... if it's worth
using, it's worth buying. If it's not worth using, format the disk.)

-- 
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