Steal this O.S.

[James Colbert]

So how would you express these as percentages? If a population of 100
people are examined and 10 people are found to be left handed, and a
population of 1000 people are examined and 100 are found to be left
handed, then while the group of 1000 is obviously larger, the ratio of
left handed people to the population is actually the same in each group.

If you maintain the Windows sphere has a higher *percentage* of piracy,
then the question of "why" suddenly starts to become interesting, because
Apple users as a group must then be more honest. Why is that?

If the percentages are the same then the problem is the same and it's
simply a matter of scale, so the difference in numbers is irrelevant.

Which is it? You can't have it both ways!

Neither, as there are obvious dynamics with the reality that don't exist
with your analogy, rendering it invalid. The dynamics involved are 'human
nature'. Whereas many resent MS as the 'giant', the same cannot be said for
those who are left handed. 'Left-handedness' is not something people resent,
or could even do something about aside from indulging in psychotic
behaviour, such as the cutting off of the offending limb.

Again, it comes down to distribution (and the obvious dynamics). If Apple
were the 'giant' of the computer software industry, one could expect to see
similar events. It's not rocket science.

 

[James Colbert]

It's called "emphasizing a point".

And is quite unnecessary in this context, as we are in agreement, as we are
with your below statements. However, your 'tone' seems to be one of
correction, which is somewhat confusing. If I am wrong, accept my apologies.
If not, perhaps your reading comprehensive skills are deficient. In any
event, your responses seem inappropriate to my comments.

James

 

[MICHAEL]

Richard Urban is the rudest and most condescending
MVP I have ever encountered, and he has always been
that way, in any forum he happens to post to.

-Michael

 

[Robert Moir]

Neither, as there are obvious dynamics with the reality that don't
exist with your analogy, rendering it invalid.

Then why not answer the part where I actually mentioned Microsoft and Apple?
I'll assume you can't, as it was pretty obvious what the analogy meant, but
instead you chose to turn cartwheels in order to evade the issue.

 

[Richard Urban]

Other people speak as they feel. I do the same.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[James Colbert]

Then why not answer the part where I actually mentioned Microsoft and
Apple? I'll assume you can't, as it was pretty obvious what the analogy
meant, but instead you chose to turn cartwheels in order to evade the
issue.

Ah, it seems as though your issues have become part of this conversation. No
cartwheels...I just didn't think it necessary to hand hold anyone to such an
obvious point. This seems not to be the case here. My apologies for taking
you at face value.

The invalidity of your analogy aside, as I've said, scale is only part of
the issue. With what we shall henceforth call the 'Giant Syndrome' (GS),
human nature is such that there are a certain type of people that may be
attracted to attack the Windows realm simply by virtue of GS. Your request
for percentages notwithstanding, such statistics *cannot* be valid because
__many of the 'opponents' of Windows don't use Windows__. Makes sense,
right? Therefore, providing percentages will not in anyway validate or
invalidate the assertions I or you have made.

But common sense will tell the story. Higher distribution, more support,
higher pricing, much higher popularity, inavailability to those who cannot
afford it...the list can go on. These are all dynamics that contribute to
the number of viri, trojan horses and hacks that Windows endures.

Your defensiveness may be rooted in the perception that I am stating Windows
as superior to any other OS. This is not the case. I say to each his own.
You, obviously, are a proponent of MAC. Fine. If you like Apple, use it. If
you prefer Linux, use it. It matters little.

The reality is that given all the above stated circumstances, Windows will
be more attractive to those who wish to pirate, hack or infect an OS. No,
not rocket science at all.


James

 

[Dale]

Microsoft prices does not encourage piracy. Lack of honor and character
individually and in society as a whole encourage piracy. Microsoft prices
are just an excuse.

Dale

 

[Dale]

And your bank, by keeping money in a vault, assumes all its customers are
thieves. If it assumed that people were not thieves until proven otherwise,
they'd simply leave the money laying around on tables.

Dale

 

[Robert Moir]

Ah, it seems as though your issues have become part of this
conversation. No cartwheels...I just didn't think it necessary to
hand hold anyone to such an obvious point. This seems not to be the
case here. My apologies for taking you at face value.

What "Issues" are you talking about? All I see is you evading a point.

The invalidity of your analogy aside, as I've said, scale is only
part of the issue. With what we shall henceforth call the 'Giant
Syndrome' (GS), human nature is such that there are a certain type of
people that may be attracted to attack the Windows realm simply by
virtue of GS. Your request for percentages notwithstanding, such
statistics *cannot* be valid because __many of the 'opponents' of
Windows don't use Windows__. Makes sense, right? Therefore, providing
percentages will not in anyway validate or invalidate the assertions
I or you have made.

We were talking about piracy. If someone "owns" a pirated copy of a piece of
software they are using it.

You were apparently talking about things like malware writers too. You
really need to use an OS to develop malware for it, if only at the testing
stage.

But common sense will tell the story. Higher distribution, more
support, higher pricing, much higher popularity, inavailability to
those who cannot afford it...the list can go on. These are all
dynamics that contribute to the number of viri, trojan horses and
hacks that Windows endures.

We were not talking about hacks, we were talking about piracy. I'm just
seeing more desperate attempts to avoid the issue here.

Your defensiveness may be rooted in the perception that I am stating
Windows as superior to any other OS. This is not the case. I say to
each his own. You, obviously, are a proponent of MAC.

I am? It seems you need to see a copy of the programme for this play in
order to tell the actors apart. I was a Microsoft MVP since 1998 until
October of last year. I've probably earned just about every Microsoft
certification going over the years. I earn a living making Microsoft
products work and I've helped thousands of people on the Microsoft
newsgroups solve their issues with Microsoft products.

I'm a proponent of getting things done and solving problems, and I find that
both Apple and Microsoft products help me a great deal in those aims.

The reality is that given all the above stated circumstances, Windows
will be more attractive to those who wish to pirate, hack or infect
an OS. No, not rocket science at all.

That's nice, but come back when you can stick to the point and answer the
question that was posed to you.

 

[Dale]

A State Trooper with a speed gun assumes the same thing, that all people
are speeders until they pass through the beam successfully.

Troopers with speed guns... Now, that is just wrong. They're no more than
Revenuers. Law enforcement, my foot. Troopers with speed guns are many
times less moral than Microsoft is or are attorneys who steal Vista.

A security guard at Best Buy assumes the same thing, that you may be a
thief until you pass out of the store without the alarm going off.

A father of a 16 year old beauty assumes that her new boyfriend is a
thug/rascal/degenerate, until he is proven otherwise.

Teenage boys are degenerates and can never be proven otherwise. I know. I
was one.

Need I go on. You have really got to get a grip. You are just pissed
because you can't steal the operating systems any longer.

It is people like you who caused this mess to be dropped on the heads of
the "innocent" users.

You are absolutely right. Microsoft and the music industry both avoided DRM
until the problem of theft could not be avoided any longer.

 

[Dale]

Nobody gets stooped unless they are speeding.

That is absolutely wrong. I have seen speed traps where cops wrote tickets
for obstructing traffic when the driver was going 2 miles under the speed
limit out of fear of getting a ticket for speeding because it was a known
speed trap. One example I know of was a 75 year-old widow. Revenuers have
no brain, they just collect revenues.

 

[Dale]

He can't. All of his neighbors are thieves until proven otherwise.

Dale

 

[Dale]

WGA and the like are focussed on casual copying and do little or nothing
to prevent "industrial scale" piracy. If you're going to throw around
strawman arguements about leaving your house's front door open while you
go on vacation then I would argue that with this focus Microsoft are doing
exactly what you say, while putting ever increasingly more elaborate
padlocks on their trash can to stop people stealing the garbage.

The locks on your doors only stop casual thieves as well. Serious thieves
will still get in, no matter what you do. The analogy is very much to the
point. Go on vacation and leave your doors unlocked.

 

[Dale]

I hope it never gets that bad. I have used software that requires a
hardware dongle and have been down for days when that dongle quit.

Dale

 

[Dale]

Rather than a dongle, how about Microsoft just start going after thieves in
court. How about the courts put software thieves in jail. I think
Microsoft should do everything in their power to nail people who steal from
them just as I would do in my house.

Dale

 

[dirty old man]

| Teenage boys are degenerates and can never be proven otherwise. I know. I
| was one.

Should be: "ALL teenage boys...."
And I second that opinion.

 

[Dale]

There are some within this community who openly admit to stealing Vista and
yet we do not scorn them or exclude them. We live in a society where we
accept thieves and liars as members of our community because we are
encouraged not to judge others. We are taught to tolerate no matter what
and to accept no matter what.

 

[Dale]

He's not even close to being the rudest or most condescending. In fact,
he's pretty restrained and well-spoken.

Dale

 

[Richard Urban]

Yep! We were all guilty till proven innocent.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Dale]

You're exactly why my doors are locked when I am away from home.

You are a thief.

Dale