jxyama said:
if you are a student and you need to use these expensive software, i have no doubt that those programs would be available at computer labs. why not use those? are you really "stealing" the program because you absolutely need it or you just can't live without the convenience of being able to use it on your computer?
Okay, well, first thing is first. Many people on here have asked if she's hot. Well, I don't think she is at all. If I were a guy, WHICH I'M NOT, I wouldn't be attracted to her. So yeah, for all of you out there, I'm a chick. You can refer to me as a girl now.
As for the guy I just quoted, I couldn't agree with him more. The first piece of software I ever paid for was Trillian Pro on my PC. I admit, I got a cracked copy at first, but the fact that I loved the program so much and used it all the time began to eat at me. Especially since they offer a free version. So I uninstalled my cracked Pro copy, and installed the free version. It didn't have all of the bells and whistles, so shortly after, I bought a legit copy. After that I realized that if it's something you use all the time and actually enjoy, there's absolutely no reason you should continue to rip off a company. The rest of my programs I continued to pirate, because I didn't use them so often, but even then I couldn't help but feel guilty. After I got my Mac, I did sort of see it as a fresh start. Since I'm going to school for Web Design, I saw no reason that I shouldn't save up for CS. Since I use it for work and personal use at least once a day, I definitely can save the money, whether it were $400 or $1200, I could save it.
I agree with jxyama completely. If you're a student and need to use the program for class, your school should have that program in their labs. If they don't, they really have no business teaching it. They can't expect everyone who takes the class to be able to pay for the program. Photoshop alone at a student rate is like, $200, and if you really want it that bad, pay up.
I know this girl who uses Photoshop for her work (a different girl from the one I previously mentioned in my original post). She designs covers for DVD's for some guy who works out of his home. He has a legitimate version of Photoshop that she uses while she's at work, but she has a pirated version at home. Does she really need the program, or is she using it for convenience? After all, she's only using it to touch of stupid pictures of her and her friends and could do all of this with a $100 program like Paint Shop Pro. But since it's so readily available, people think they NEED to have the best of the best. Well, they don't, and I don't. And I never said it was okay to pirate on a PC but not a Mac. I only use my PC for games now, but some of the programs that I still couldn't live without, I've paid for. Style XP being one of them. God, I love that program, so I bought a copy.
Simply said, if you're not willing to pay for a product, you have no business using it. If you use it professionally, you definitely need to pay for it since you're making money from using it. Use a 30 day trial, and in that period, I'm sure you could make the money to buy a copy.
Maybe this is all sounding hypocritical, but a person can change, you know. I think a good plan is to find her a copy online somewhere. Some people will steal no matter what you try to do, so it's not worth giving her a lecture over. Although, I do believe if you use it enough to have to have it on your home computer for more than an extended period of time, you need to pay for it. If you don't use it enough to warrant the cost, there are cheaper products out there. Even cheaper versions of the same product exist. There's just no excuse.
