M
MICHAEL
For some reason, a reply to one of your posts, Dale, is not
going through. I've tried five times. Let's see if this works:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wow, you just don't get it.
For the last time, Dale- I do not condone stealing.
You need to step back and see the big picture.
I'm trying to tell you the reality of it all, not the
morality. So, stop with your sanctimony.
I really hate analogies, but here's one.
I also do not use pot or other illegal drugs. But, I can plainly
see the "war" on drugs has been a complete failure. Billions
in wasted money and the problem is still with us, greater than
ever. There has to be a different approach. The strictly law
enforcement side of it has accomplished nothing but fill up
our jails to overcrowding. That's the reality of it all. The same
with prostitution. If folks want it, they'll try to get it. That
doesn't mean you stop enforcing the law, but you "attack" the
problem in other ways, even if means getting a bit creative.
The law enforcement only way hasn't stopped it- it never will.
I was in a bank the other day, and to enter the bank you had
to walk through an enclosed reinforced containment area that
had metal detectors. You could not walk into the bank until a
green light came on and the door unlocked. I had never seen
this before. I saw the manager of the bank and found myself
curious enough to ask him why they put that in, maybe they had
a lot of robbery attempts. He said it was a trial thing, likely not
to be repeated any place else. Why? Because the customers
did not like it.
Microsoft's battle with the pirates is at a point that looks to be making
things only harder for paying customers, and more than likely it
is really starting to add quite a bit of unnecessary code to an already
complex OS.
Diminishing return. That seems to be where Microsoft is at this point.
So much time and energy put into stopping piracy and they accomplish
nothing. It is wasted time and wasted resources. Over 90% of Windows
sales are OEM. "Retail sales are insignificant to Microsoft's bottom line"-
that is what has been said in this group. If that is true, then why worry about
something that is "insignificant"? Their profits indicate they have been doing
just fine. Especially, in the Windows and Office division. I think it's time for
Microsoft to try some different things and stop worrying so much about that small
percentage who like to steal. Those folks aren't going to stop and they aren't
going away. When does it get to the point that what you are doing isn't
working and just accept that is part of doing business? Realize you are
making mad money and concentrate on those that will pay. Don't sweat the
small stuff.
I use to preach to my friends and family to stay away from pirate and crack
sites. I started beta testing Beta2 of Vista and shortly there after, a certain
user started posting links to some pirate sites. My curiosity took me to some
of those. One was thehotfix.net, absolutely every piece of software you could
want is there for the taking. A pirates flea market, except it's all free. I started
wondering around their forums, reading the many posts. Fascinating and disturbing.
This site is just one of *many* that do this. Lots of lechers but also some very
smart people in these forums, people from all over the world. A lot of the pirates
simply crack it because they can, and then proudly offer up their "accomplishment".
They are constantly working together, testing different ways to steal software, music,
and movies. As soon as some new protection method comes out, they are all
over it. It's almost surreal how easy it is for them to do what they do. There
have been posts here about KMS servers in China activating copies of Vista Business
and Enterprise, but the truly more diabolical method is the Vista KMS VMWare virtual
machine a thief can run locally. Now, there's the "never activate" crack. It may sound
as if I admire these pirates, I do not. But, it's sort of like a police officer who can
appreciate a well executed heist. These aren't just script-kiddies having a go at
Microsoft and other software companies- there are some very smart people at
the core of this, from all points of the globe, and it's not just China- far from it.
As far as DRM is concerned, that's the easiest for me to handle- I no longer
download music from paid services. They, MSN Music, pissed me off. I'm back to
buying CDs. With WMP 11, you can no longer make a backup of your licenses.
If something messes up, you are SOL. Never again. The RIAA is making a
total arse of itself, too. Lots of bad will and bad publicity being created by that
monster.
Lastly, contrary to your assumptions, I do not hate Microsoft. For the most
part, I believe them to be an excellent company, with great products. But I
do think they've got lost in their obsession with a losing battle, and they are
taking it out on us. They don't need to stop us, and they can't stop them.
It's time for some common sense to come back in play.
-Michael
going through. I've tried five times. Let's see if this works:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wow, you just don't get it.
For the last time, Dale- I do not condone stealing.
You need to step back and see the big picture.
I'm trying to tell you the reality of it all, not the
morality. So, stop with your sanctimony.
I really hate analogies, but here's one.
I also do not use pot or other illegal drugs. But, I can plainly
see the "war" on drugs has been a complete failure. Billions
in wasted money and the problem is still with us, greater than
ever. There has to be a different approach. The strictly law
enforcement side of it has accomplished nothing but fill up
our jails to overcrowding. That's the reality of it all. The same
with prostitution. If folks want it, they'll try to get it. That
doesn't mean you stop enforcing the law, but you "attack" the
problem in other ways, even if means getting a bit creative.
The law enforcement only way hasn't stopped it- it never will.
I was in a bank the other day, and to enter the bank you had
to walk through an enclosed reinforced containment area that
had metal detectors. You could not walk into the bank until a
green light came on and the door unlocked. I had never seen
this before. I saw the manager of the bank and found myself
curious enough to ask him why they put that in, maybe they had
a lot of robbery attempts. He said it was a trial thing, likely not
to be repeated any place else. Why? Because the customers
did not like it.
Microsoft's battle with the pirates is at a point that looks to be making
things only harder for paying customers, and more than likely it
is really starting to add quite a bit of unnecessary code to an already
complex OS.
Diminishing return. That seems to be where Microsoft is at this point.
So much time and energy put into stopping piracy and they accomplish
nothing. It is wasted time and wasted resources. Over 90% of Windows
sales are OEM. "Retail sales are insignificant to Microsoft's bottom line"-
that is what has been said in this group. If that is true, then why worry about
something that is "insignificant"? Their profits indicate they have been doing
just fine. Especially, in the Windows and Office division. I think it's time for
Microsoft to try some different things and stop worrying so much about that small
percentage who like to steal. Those folks aren't going to stop and they aren't
going away. When does it get to the point that what you are doing isn't
working and just accept that is part of doing business? Realize you are
making mad money and concentrate on those that will pay. Don't sweat the
small stuff.
I use to preach to my friends and family to stay away from pirate and crack
sites. I started beta testing Beta2 of Vista and shortly there after, a certain
user started posting links to some pirate sites. My curiosity took me to some
of those. One was thehotfix.net, absolutely every piece of software you could
want is there for the taking. A pirates flea market, except it's all free. I started
wondering around their forums, reading the many posts. Fascinating and disturbing.
This site is just one of *many* that do this. Lots of lechers but also some very
smart people in these forums, people from all over the world. A lot of the pirates
simply crack it because they can, and then proudly offer up their "accomplishment".
They are constantly working together, testing different ways to steal software, music,
and movies. As soon as some new protection method comes out, they are all
over it. It's almost surreal how easy it is for them to do what they do. There
have been posts here about KMS servers in China activating copies of Vista Business
and Enterprise, but the truly more diabolical method is the Vista KMS VMWare virtual
machine a thief can run locally. Now, there's the "never activate" crack. It may sound
as if I admire these pirates, I do not. But, it's sort of like a police officer who can
appreciate a well executed heist. These aren't just script-kiddies having a go at
Microsoft and other software companies- there are some very smart people at
the core of this, from all points of the globe, and it's not just China- far from it.
As far as DRM is concerned, that's the easiest for me to handle- I no longer
download music from paid services. They, MSN Music, pissed me off. I'm back to
buying CDs. With WMP 11, you can no longer make a backup of your licenses.
If something messes up, you are SOL. Never again. The RIAA is making a
total arse of itself, too. Lots of bad will and bad publicity being created by that
monster.
Lastly, contrary to your assumptions, I do not hate Microsoft. For the most
part, I believe them to be an excellent company, with great products. But I
do think they've got lost in their obsession with a losing battle, and they are
taking it out on us. They don't need to stop us, and they can't stop them.
It's time for some common sense to come back in play.
-Michael
