Well, I can't say I've been clean. I downloaded most of my games for many years. I've stopped a couple of years ago. I realized a) one day I'm gonna get caught because I keep finding the servers I hang out at are going down b) I know it's bad and now I'm pretty much addicted c) being an aspiring game developer, I was doing my fellow developer a disservice by not purchasing the software I use. I've been slowly replacing pirated copies of games with legal copies. Luckily most of my games are pretty old and the prices have dropped since then. I've got admit there's something nice for purchasing something and holding it.
There is one certain pirate I think we can all fix up. I call that pirate the "lazy pirate." These pirates are too lazy to hunt for deals (pricegrabber.com and froogle.com works wonders...), or if they are a student, are ill-informed about getting software cheap or free.
First off start hunting for deals. I've found software 20% cheaper than retail. Sometimes software bundled with hardware is worth the costs. For example, buying a Wacom tablet gets you software that just pays for itself, when you purchase the right bundle. Anyhow, don't be lazy and start finding those deals.
Now the lazy student pirate needs to understand how to use their library and/or education stores. PennState for example allows students to borrow MS Office, MacOS X, and Windows XP. Free software at libraries! Even though this isn't software-related, I was able to borrow some nice DVDs at my local library. I borrowed 24 Season 1, and now I am hooked. I'm going to have to buy it some day. Back to the topic at hand...
Education stores are easier to find. Apple's education store gets you some pretty sweet deals on their software. FCP, iLife, OS X, etc. are super cheap. The Academic Superstore has non-Apple software for cheap as well.
The other kind of pirate that I think is actually pathetic are the ones that say "I can't afford the software and the company is a capitalistic pig, but I have no use for it, so I'll just go ahead and pirate it." Look, if you're so angry or even jealous of a rich company, that's okay. Instead of pirating form them, just ignore them. It works quite nicely and there aren't any legal troubles behind it. Also, the big names are now starting to create consumer-level software at consumer-level prices. Photoshop Elements, FCP Express, and MS Office for students are examples. Instead of bickering about software that wasn't really intended for you and pirating it, why don't you buy the cheap version? I can't tell what features are missing from Photoshop Elements vs. Photoshop. Anyhow, those types of pirates have twisted morals or crappy parents, so I think they themselves just crap.
Part of the problem is from software companies though. For things like Photoshop, FCP, or even MS Office, they shouldn't have appealed to consumers in the first place. Photoshop wasn't intended for the regular joe. Unfortunately some idiot decided that Photoshop is just a necessity in this day and age and so people began pirating it because they don't have cash. MS Office is another example of spreading from the pros down to the consumers. MS Office was a fine office suit. But, some idiot somewhere said let's use MS Office at home and started pirating their business's copy.
Maybe the reason pro software is so expensive is to deter the regular joe. What a concept.
And, to all pirates: let's not forget almost every pro or expensive app has a free or low-cost alternative these days from other companies. GIMP vs. Photoshop. MS Office vs. OpenOffice. Don't tell my you had no choice.
And one last message to those pirates: Think twice before you start downloading. How would you feel is somebody was cutting your potential profit or even real profit by pirating or stealing your work? What if your company had to close up or lay you off or cut your paycheck because some idiot decided it was right to pirate or steal?
I find it hard to believe that pirates enjoy what they do. I've been there. It became to a point where it was like an addiction. I came to a point where I downloaded useless software just because I could. I had no use for it, but I downloaded it anyway. I felt sick inside because of what I did, and I gave up. I never actually enjoyed pirating. I got no satisfaction from what I pirated. The software I downloaded didn't feel as good compared to when I purchased them. Hopefully one day you will see that, too.
And just wait for that hammer to fall on you. Suprnova went down. MTKA is probably taking their last breaths now (those pansies locked up their invitation system for a reason). And, of course, how many Carracho and Hotline servers have fallen in these last years? Why are so many pirating hotspots locking up or forcing accounts or create ridiculous demands? They're on the run. The game is almost over. Law enforcement is about to get a step-ahead of pirates for once.
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