No subject
dick.green@valley.net
dick.green@valley.net
Mon, 01 Feb 1999 13:15:38 -0500
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
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Having spent the last 25 years in the software industry, in every =
capacity from programmer to CEO, I have a comment or two about this sad =
situation.
Software piracy is a disheartening fact of life. In the days before PCs, =
it was virtually non-existent because only large corporations and =
public institutions could afford big computers and would not have =
exposed themselves to the legal liability. With the advent of the PC, =
piracy increased substantially. Many copy protection schemes were =
attempted, from passwords to "dongles", but most successful vendors have =
abandoned them. Some feel that it's futile, while others figure it's a =
form of advertising. Honest people will eventually buy the software and =
dishonest people will never buy the software. In other words, you'll =
never get a sale from the pirate anyway, so there's no point in trying =
to thwart his/her efforts. Some vendors put a few mild blockades in the =
way of copying software, like serial numbers, mostly to discourage the =
casual user from passing the program around. In fact, we put serial =
number protection in one product intended soley for use by corporate MIS =
departments simply to prevent them from accidentally copying the =
software (a staff installer may not be aware of the license agreement =
and might just assume that it's OK to deploy copies for new machines.)
The advent of the Internet has caused huge growth in piracy, obviously =
due to the increased ability of people to send files to one another. =
There are large communities of serious hackers who do nothing but crack =
protection schemes and trade the pirated software with each other. It's =
a big status game. However, that's not the biggest problem. The real =
issue is that increased supply and competition, much of it due to =
shareware and feeware availability on the Internet, has caused the =
software consumer's perception of value to drop like a rock. People just =
don't think they should have to pay much, or anything, to own software. =
Like many others, I always search long and hard for freeware or =
shareware before shelling out any money for hobby-related software. This =
has devastated the economics of the software industry, severely =
compounding the problems already being caused by substantial cost =
increases for developing and marketing software. These factors hurt the =
small companies the most, leading to monopolies like those enjoyed by =
Microsoft. Only the major companies can survive the attrition of profit =
margins. If you did everything right (always a daunting task), you used =
to be able to get rich in the software business. Now only Bill Gates =
will get richer (as if he needs any more money.) This is why so many =
computer startups are based on Internet applications. Software margins =
don't cut it anymore -- the Internet toll bridge is the new frontier.
I'm a user of RITTY, and I must say that Brian is very talented indeed. =
I don't know why anyone would go back to using a hardware modem after =
using this program. I found it to be a tad expensive (especially the =
PACTOR version), but the features and quality were still worth it to me. =
I am really sorry to see Brian go -- his work will be sorely missed. But =
I must say that he's one of the few hams I've heard of who actually =
tried to make a living selling ham software. It's a small market and the =
customers are notorious bargain hunters. I think it's a marginal =
proposition at best. It may seem that he was overly sensitive to the =
piracy, but you have to consider that he had the twin pain of being =
ripped off and having his life's income threatened. In the future, we're =
more likely to see software coming from hams, like Ken, who consider =
writing it to be part of the hobby. Unfortunately, quality will be slow =
in coming because hobbies can have only so much priority (to the sane, =
anyhow.) This may not be optimum, but it works -- I can't begin to add =
up the many hours of fun I've gotten from CT. I'd like Ken to make about =
a thousand changes to it, but the bottom line is that it does a =
fantastic job at a very modest price.=20
One last word. Those who pirated Biran's software, and especially those =
who posted it on the Internet out of spite, should be ashamed of =
themselves. From the universal praise for Brian's products, it looks =
like they've killed the goose that laid the golden egg.
73, Dick, WC1M
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Having spent the last 25 years in the =
software=20
industry, in every capacity from programmer to CEO, I have a comment or =
two=20
about this sad situation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Software piracy is a disheartening fact =
of life. In=20
the days before PCs, it was virtually non-existent because only =
large=20
corporations and public institutions could afford big computers and =
would not=20
have exposed themselves to the legal liability. With the advent of the =
PC,=20
piracy increased substantially. Many copy protection schemes were =
attempted,=20
from passwords to "dongles", but most successful vendors have=20
abandoned them. Some feel that it's futile, while others figure it's a =
form of=20
advertising. Honest people will eventually buy the software and =
dishonest people=20
will never buy the software. In other words, you'll never get a sale =
from the=20
pirate anyway, so there's no point in trying to thwart his/her efforts. =
Some=20
vendors put a few mild blockades in the way of copying software, like =
serial=20
numbers, mostly to discourage the casual user from passing the program =
around.=20
In fact, we put serial number protection in one product intended soley =
for use=20
by corporate MIS departments simply to prevent them from accidentally =
copying=20
the software (a staff installer may not be aware of the license =
agreement and=20
might just assume that it's OK to deploy copies for new =
machines.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The advent of the Internet has caused =
huge growth=20
in piracy, obviously due to the increased ability of people to send =
files to one=20
another. There are large communities of serious hackers who do nothing =
but crack=20
protection schemes and trade the pirated software with each other. It's =
a big=20
status game. However, that's not the biggest problem. The real issue is =
that=20
increased supply and competition, much of it due to shareware and =
feeware=20
availability on the Internet, has caused the software consumer's =
perception of=20
value to drop like a rock. People just don't think they should have to =
pay much,=20
or anything, to own software. Like many others, I always search long and =
hard=20
for freeware or shareware before shelling out any money for =
hobby-related=20
software. This has devastated the economics of the software industry, =
severely=20
compounding the problems already being caused by substantial cost =
increases for=20
developing and marketing software. These factors hurt the small =
companies the=20
most, leading to monopolies like those enjoyed by Microsoft. Only the =
major=20
companies can survive the attrition of profit margins. If you did =
everything=20
right (always a daunting task), you used to be able to get rich in the =
software=20
business. Now only Bill Gates will get richer (as if he needs any =
more=20
money.) This is why so many computer startups are based on =
Internet=20
applications. Software margins don't cut it anymore -- the Internet toll =
bridge=20
is the new frontier.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I'm a user of RITTY, and I must say =
that Brian is=20
very talented indeed. I don't know why anyone would go back to using a =
hardware=20
modem after using this program. I found it to be a tad expensive =
(especially the=20
PACTOR version), but the features and quality were still worth it to me. =
I am=20
really sorry to see Brian go -- his work will be sorely missed. But I =
must say=20
that he's one of the few hams I've heard of who actually tried to make a =
living=20
selling ham software. It's a small market and the customers are =
notorious=20
bargain hunters. I think it's a marginal proposition at best. It may =
seem that=20
he was overly sensitive to the piracy, but you have to consider that he =
had the=20
twin pain of being ripped off and having his life's income threatened. =
In the=20
future, we're more likely to see software coming from hams, like Ken, =
who=20
consider writing it to be part of the hobby. Unfortunately, quality will =
be slow=20
in coming because hobbies can have only so much priority (to the sane, =
anyhow.)=20
This may not be optimum, but it works -- I can't begin to add up the =
many hours=20
of fun I've gotten from CT. I'd like Ken to make about a thousand =
changes to it,=20
but the bottom line is that it does a fantastic job at a very modest =
price.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>One last word. Those who pirated =
Biran's software,=20
and especially those who posted it on the Internet out of spite, should =
be=20
ashamed of themselves. From the universal praise for Brian's products, =
it looks=20
like they've killed the goose that laid the golden egg.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>73, Dick, WC1M</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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