A good warez/MP3 argument

acetken

"Anything for $50!"
Joined
8 Mar 2004
Messages
48
Okay, I've thought this for a while, but I just read an article on here and now I feel I must post. I'm reeeally tired, so if I bounce around, bear with me.
Companies bitch all the time about people who download warez. Why? They say that it undercuts profits. Good call. Does it ever occur to them that the people who downloaded it would NEVER buy the program normally?
Do I have $2000 CDN or whatever to spend on photoshop so I can make 4 little graphics for my webpage? Hell no! Why should I for all the use I get out of it?
A few weeks ago, I plunked down $200 for Windows XP Home. Why you may ask? Because it's a worthwhile product. Microsoft decided to stop pumping out crap (ME anyone?) and I decided to support that. Sadly, when I got home I had a few graphics problems and learned I had to pay for support! $200 bucks and no support.
I just paid $5 at a pawn shop in town here and picked up a game from Acclaim and I had some problems with it working. They supported me fully until my problem was resolved.
Now who deserved the most cash?

When you buy a program, what you're actually paying for is a licence to use it, correct? Once you've paid you should be able to use it no matter what, right? What if your disc is scratched? Buy a new one. Kiss my big white ass. I'm not paying another $200 for XP just because my disc has a nick on it. When it happens (And it will) you can bet I'm going to get an ISO.

Another thing are games that take all of an hour to finish but still charge $60 CDN for the game. No multiplayer, nothing more. If they can make a game that can be used and tossed aside like that, screw 'em. They deserve to be distributed freely over the net. They shouldn't make crappy little games and charge full price. (IE: Most Star Wars games) You want a single player game with replay value? Check out the Spider-Man games. They even have alternate storylines for the damn games.

It's the same thing with MP3's. If you hear a song on the radio you like, download it. If you hear a bunch of songs by an artist on an album you like, buy it. Why not? If they make good stuff, support it. If the band has one good song and then disappears and there's only one or two decent tunes on the album, why bother buying it? This is why record companies were so up in arms about MP3's.
The way I figure it is if you like 3/4 of the songs on a CD, then buy it. The artist made something you like and you should support that so they make more. If a game company makes a great, nice length game, buy it.
If we all did that, maybe we'd still have Looking Glass Studios or possibly another Undying... (RIP)
 
Im not for or against the above ...


But when companies say pirating has cost them billions .. I totally disagree ....
All the people with Illegal copies probably wouldnt have bought a legal copy anyway

So they havent lost any potential buyers
 
Originally posted by acetken
Okay, I've thought this for a while, but I just read an article on here and now I feel I must post. I'm reeeally tired, so if I bounce around, bear with me.
Companies bitch all the time about people who download warez. Why? They say it undercuts profits. Good call. Does it ever occur to them that the people who downloaded it would NEVER buy the program normally?
Do I have $2000 CDN or whatever to spend on photoshop so I can make 4 little graphics for my webpage? Hell no! Why should I for all the use I get out of it.
A few weeks ago, I plunked down $200 for Windows XP Home. Why you may ask? Because it's a worthwhile product. Microsoft decided to stop pumping out crap (ME anyone?) and I decided to support that. Sadly, when I got home I had a few graphics problems and learned <b>I had to pay for support!</b> $200 bucks and no support.
I just paid $5 at a pawn shop in town here and picked up a game from Acclaim and I had some problems with it working. They supported me fully until my problem was resolved.
Now who deserved the most cash?

When you buy a program, what you're actually paying for is a licence to use it, correct? Once you've paid you should be able to use it no matter what, right? What if your disc is scratched? Buy a new one. Kiss my @$$. I'm not paying another $200 for XP just because my disc has a nick on it. When it happens (And it will) you can bet I'm going to get an ISO.

Another thing are games that take all of an hour to finish but still charge $60 CDN for the game. No multiplayer, nothing more. If they can make a game that can be used and tossed aside like that, screw 'em. They deserve to be distributed freely over the net. They shouldn't make crappy little games and charge full price. (*AHEM* Star Wars)

It's the same thing with MP3's. If you hear a song on the radio you like, download it. If you hear a bunch of songs by an artist on an album you like, buy it. Why not? If they make good stuff, support it. If the band has one good song and then disappears and there's only one or two decent tunes on the album, why bother buying it? This is why record companies were so up in arms about MP3's.
The way I figure it is if you like 3/4 of the songs on a CD, then buy it. The artist made something you like and you should support that so they make more. If a game company makes a great, nice length game, buy it.
If we all did that, maybe we'd still have Looking Glass Studios or possibly another Undying...

Uhhhhhh Microsoft provides 2 FREE tech sessions. you call, tell them the problem, if it'[s not solved they will leave the case open for you.
 
2 free sessions?! Okay, two things then.

1. I couldn't find anywhere how to do it.
2. 2 SESSIONS FOR A $200-$400 PROGRAM FROM A BILLIONAIRE COMPANY?! See a problem here?
 
nope I don't see a problem with it. You should only use them on emergencies.
 
And how many emergencies are there going to be for people upgrading who don't know what they're doing? A few at least. I had one, and I've been a geek since I was 3. Why can't they be like every other company that sells software and give free support? Why are you defending them for having bad business policies? Yeah, and I also wanted to ask you how to get your 2 support calls.
 
here's a tip: when you call M$ for a free tech session, simply follow their advice and if it works, say something like "OH MY GOD - BSOD!!" - the issue is then unresolved and it won't count against your two free calls. I have called them four times, for various things and they have yet to actually fix any problems, so I still have my two calls available. :)

As for the reason they don't offer unlimited free tech support... think about it. How many calls would they get from people who want to know how to: 1) Create a new user account 2) Change their wallpaper 3) Display "My Computer" and other links on the desktop 4) Switch to "classic" start menu. Honestly! That would suck. And being inundated with calls like that would make it harder to get though for people who have 'legitmate' problems. By legitimate I mean of course problems that can't be solved by visiting any number of sites like this one and searching for maybe 3 minutes, tops. Two support calls does seem a bit arbitrary and kind of low, why not 3? or 4? But screw it - most of your questions can probably be answered online anyway. Why waste your time on hold with M$?

mavis
 
I agree with what your saying about the support being online... But!!!!!! Why can't these companies figure out something very simple........ Your screwed if you can't get online!!!!!!!!!
 
I think...

It would cost M$ billions of dollars a year to offer free support. Any company that offers free support that has products that are purchased by Grandma Browns are at risk of talking to people that do not know how to right click. The incoming call volume that the company would sustain would force the hiring of a large number of people. People that the company has to pay salaries, benefits, etc. By preventing that, the company saves millions/billions of dollars a year that turn over to profit.

The allowance of two free phone call gives the Grandma Browns a way out a couple of times, but that's it. I know I would not want to talk to a person that did not know how to double-click more than twice. After the two freebies, they should be taking their computer in, or have a service tech make a house call and give them a basic tutorial while they are there fixing their incoming mail server name in outlook express.
 
I realize it would cost quite a bit. Then again, aren't we paying quite a bit for the OS? I know why Linux charges for their support, the damn OS is free. Look at Microsoft. Their OS is like $220 Canadian with crappy support. Come on, I'm sure they can afford more than 2 calls.
 
Everyone knows that they can afford more than two calls. It is all about making money, that's what business is all about. And when you have a product like the windows OS, then they can call the shots. There are not many options for the average PC user. I would hope you would agree with me that average PC users are, for the main part, computer-illiterate and would not know what to do with a Linux box. That leaves them no choice but to buy a product (not to mention it basically comes on every new PC) that they are able to use i.e.. Windows. That gives Microsoft the opportunity to charge for support. To be quite honest, I am surprised they gave up two phone calls. Also, I agree with your reference to their level of support, I believe that one could get more help from an online forum, such as this one, then hours on the phone with M$'s support.
 
I wonder if they could make more money giving the op sys away and just charging for support?

I also agree with the sentiment about XP being a good op sys,it is so much better than 98 or ME.

I just hope that BG has made enough from all the crap that he has thrown at the public so far(98,98se,ME)all mistakes,all supposed to solve all of the problems of the previous ones.
 
EVERYONE HAS EVERY TO RIGHT GIVE THEIR BUSSINESS TO THE COMPANYS THAT GIVE THE SERVICE THEY WANT! Ya know, complaining about a product feature, (and teck support is a product feature)...using these circular arguments about why you want to steal is just self serving, and that's all...EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER BOUGHT HAS SOMETHING ABOUT IT THAT COULD BE BETTER. The car needed a bigger gas tank, the steak needed more salt, the computer could have had a bigger hard drive, THEY COULD HAVE OFFERED MORE SUPPORT, there could have been more good songs on the album, etc...UNLESS THE COMPANY LIED ABOUT THE THINGS YOU ARE BUYING, YOU ARE GETTING WHAT YOU PIAD FOR...IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE PROFIT MARGIN IS... stop making excuses, and deal with your own self;as I love to say; the world is round. (allright, maybe it's oval)
 
The day they feel good

What the?! Okay Dealer, no more drinking and posting. Psycho.
 
Two words for M$

GLOBAL DOMINATION

we've already played into their hands by buying the product in the first place.

consequently, it is us, the user that plays further into their hands because we are the ones that find the bugs and then when the next version comes out, where dumb enough to shell out even more money.

only advice.

buy it, it's a Good OS, be a member of http://www.xp-erience.org

and kick ass!:D
 
Its ok to post the link like so, examples

IP: 217.2.15.11
Port:80
User: test
Pass: example

f*p://test:example@217.2.15.11:80

or alike... :cool:

mp3dreaming.com

nice legality avoidage.
 

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Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
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