Transformation from pirate to purchaser

[kylera]

Recently, I was hit with an epiphany about myself. It wasn't long ago when I was still scouring certain sites looking for "free" software and cackling at how sweet it was getting things for free. On top of that, even thinking why people would pay for things like this.

But now, maybe it's because I'm maybe older, or wiser, or something, buying software isn't such the big deal anymore. In fact, it's even easier to buy the stuff rather than "download" it. Maybe that was the deciding factor - the easiness to purchase makes it easier to buy than to download.

I also find out that I'm a lot more discerning with my purchases, so I don't spend money unnecessarily, but that had an unintended positive consequence - my hard drive isn't so cluttered anymore. I just have the apps I need, and nothing more

I don't know, what do you think?

 

[JAT]

Welcome to adulthood. You may find you like classical music, too.

 

[soloer]

And wine.

 

[GoCubsGo]

And boobs.

Wait ...

 

[S.B.G]

I don't know, what do you think?

I think you made a wise decision.

 

[Misaki]

On top of that, even thinking why people would pay for things like this.

Back in the days of Usenet and IRC piracy, it was a data blackmarket, where you only were able to get your grubby mitts on something if you also contributed software you purchased. Most of the DRM hoops people have to jump thru only serve to make it harder to copy the physical media and not the actual software itself. Everything changed around Napster, because suddenly it was easy to find everything.

Part of being an adult is realizing why something costs 500$ when it comes on a 10 cent piece of plastic. Children have a real hard time grasping this concept and wonder why there are different prices attached to effectively the same amount of plastic.

For me, if I can buy it legally, I'll buy it legally. If it's not sold in my country, that's the developers loss for not making it available. So if you are selling something, always make it available worldwide, it eliminates all the piracy excuses except for "I want it for free."

DRM complaints often stem from desire for interoptability with newer equipment, which is something that isn't a concern to pirates or legal users, but is to people who collect things. Most pirates are avid "collectors" of software they never even use. They just like to brag.

At any rate, what is pushing piracy rates down is the ease of downloading legally (App Store, Xbox Live, Nintendo eShop, PSN) or streaming legally (Netflix) but we're not yet in an evironment where you can sing a new song live, and have the world hear it the very next day for 99 cents. Still too many companies that believe in price discrimination, and likewise governments who insist on complicated tax regimes. It may cost 99 cents for X in the US state of Oregon, but it may cost 99 cents plus 15% in taxes in Canada or cost 1.09$ in Australia because the 10% GST must be included in the price. If this ever gets ironed, out, we'll be much better for it.

 

[gizms12]

I use to be the same way. I did it because I wanted to learn programs but couldn’t afford the high prices, after I learned the programs and got good with them I couldn’t use them out in the real world because they were bootlegged, so I had to start buying them, some I still couldn’t afford so I found similar versions from smaller companies (i.e. Photoshop to Pixelmator) now I can confidently show my hard work thus making money so I can buy more software, I’m not, going to mention all the time I use to spend haunting online for good working bootlegs.

it’s so much easier to buy software via download, I’m an old school Mac evangelist and in Apple’s dark days it was really hard to find Mac compatible apps in stores, you mostly had to order them online and wait, but with the download purchase model being used by most companies including Apple, I can indulge my software impulse buying Jones with a quick fix from the app store instead of some web based back alley hack site. since the opening of the app store I’m now seeing a lot of cheaper apps in one convenient place (that I trust), some apps that have been out there for a while but I never would of bought and some I would of never found at all, so need I say I still got a lot of apps on my hard drive, there just better quality and more useful not just a random collection of whatever I could get my hands on.

I guess my friend we both have grown, now I feel like pulling out the old Mac IIci, some floppies and reminiscing days gone by,,, naaa that thing takes forever to boot, I’m over it, Infinity Blade 2 here I come, the Iron Butcher is going down