Cracked Software...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Echelon
  • Start date Start date
Hmm...I guess I'm not sure exactly where I stand on this issue. On the one hand I would say that all the crackers should just die, because they are hurting the very industry that I work in for my day job. However, their cracking does make a number of other things much easier for me. Some have already mentioned the difficulty with Sony activations, and I have the same frustrations with Microsoft activations. Sure I use cracked software. I reinstall my OS at least every 3 months (quite often even more freqently), so I'm using an "illegal" cracked version of Windows XP Pro Corporate to avoid all the activation hassle. I always reinstall it on the same machine, and it is backed by a real, purchased, licensed copy of XP Pro that is not installed anywhere and is sitting in its unopened box. It just makes life simpler for me...
 
For the most part, if someone downloads a cracked copy of Nuendo, it probably isn't hurting Steinberg. Who it probably does hurt is manufactureres of cheaper software. We can't all afford $1200 + copies of Nuendo, but surely anyone who needed the software and was able to get all the hardware necessary to use it can afford one of the sub $100 programs to do their recording with.

I really don't see the downloads of programs as necessarily raising our prices. I have this feeling that software would be the same price with or without the pirating that happens nowadays. What I bet it does affect though is a companies profit margin. Bottom line, it's none of my business how much or how little they make. I live in the USA and those companies have every right to set their profit margin where they want. If I feel their software is overpriced, then I don't have to buy it. I can just buy someone else's.

What I hate is the flood of posts on these boards from people who downloaded something and have no idea how to use it. I also hate all the dongle and activation crap that comes with software now because of all the piracy. I do believe that piracy has a great impact on the industry, just not the way many people seem to think it does. About the only good thing it has done is create a bunch of jobs and revenue at companies like I-lock and it has actually created some jobs for programmers by having to add programming for protection purposes. If a person truly does download cracked software for evaluation purposes only, than thats OK by me. The problem is that the percentage of people who actually do that is very small:(
 
Prices

The Big Software Developers Should Watch Their Prices...400.00-500.00 For A Program That Is Built On Technology They Have Already Developed ...and Made A Killing On ...is Feeding The Crackers...and Promting People To Use The Cracks .......software Co's Are Overpricing To Some Extent .....most Of Us Are On A Budget
And Still Want Quality Progs To Use That We Can Afford ...and Even Though Cheap Progs Are Still Pretty Good ....n-track Etc Isnt Sonor Or Pro Tools...
 
=sigh= here we go again.

Back in the day, I was into motorcycle racing. Back then we built our own machines out of production bikes, because there were no purpose-built racers.

Then one day, a couple of guys unloaded the new Yamaha 350R off a trailer and blew all of us into the weeds.

...so you're saying I should have gone out and stolen a Yamaha?
 
ripingitar said:
The Big Software Developers Should Watch Their Prices...400.00-500.00 For A Program That Is Built On Technology They Have Already Developed ...and Made A Killing On ...is Feeding The Crackers...and Promting People To Use The Cracks .......software Co's Are Overpricing To Some Extent .....most Of Us Are On A Budget
And Still Want Quality Progs To Use That We Can Afford ...and Even Though Cheap Progs Are Still Pretty Good ....n-track Etc Isnt Sonor Or Pro Tools...
Click to expand...

So now software manufactureres should have to price professional programs around the home user? Cubase SX is a great example. In my opinion $550 for SX3 is a great price for what you get. If you can't afford that, there is always SL and SE which cost considerably less, and are still very powerful. Should Lexus drop their prices so that I don't have to buy a Toyota (which is still a quality car and does everything I need it to)?

Crackers are cracking everything from $40 programs to $2000 programs. How is it that price is an issue here?

So according to your logic, Steinberg should sell SX3 for $50 becasue it is built around technology from SX2 and they have already made their money on it? That's flat out silly. And what of those of us that paid $500 for SX2? Should you be able to get the newer version for 1/10th the cost because I already paid for the technology?

You say they have made a killing on it? Do you know how much they spent on R&D, coding, marketing, packaging etc? Do you know what Steinberg's profit margin is on these programs? How can you say they have made a killing if you don't know the circumstances?

I am not saying that they haven't made good money on it though. I hope they have. The only way they can continue to release and update software is if they are making money. If you feel the price is to high, that's your perogative. Feel free to select software that is more within your budget. There is nothing wrong with that. If you can't afford Nuendo, then you don't NEED Nuendo.

Should you get a pay cut at your job because you already know how to do it? I would bet you would be upset if they cut your pay for that reason. So why should you expect software manufactureres to cut theirs for that same reason?

BTW, please don't take this as a personal attack. It isn't. I believe that you actually had good intentions with your post (at least to some extent). However, the post in my opinion was completely misguided so I am purely stating what I disagree with and why, on an issue that really needs to be squashed (not just on this board, but in life).
 
hmmm, first off, Why Is The First Letter Of Every Word Capitalized In Your Post?

Second, Have you ever developed software in a big company? I'm not talking about writing some Java program to average a list of numbers that you wrote for you CS 101 class Freshman year in college, I'm talking about working with 100 other developers, Quality Assurance folks, an entire Configuration/Data Management team? Oh and a testing/integration team? Not to mention Product support? (oh, and those pesky Systems Engineers :D )

This stuff doesn't come cheap...

So before you continue your tirade against the price of software, think for a second.

At leat you didn't pull the "$500 for a CD which cost 50 cents to produce" argument :)

ripingitar said:
The Big Software Developers Should Watch Their Prices...400.00-500.00 For A Program That Is Built On Technology They Have Already Developed ...and Made A Killing On ...is Feeding The Crackers...and Promting People To Use The Cracks .......software Co's Are Overpricing To Some Extent .....most Of Us Are On A Budget
And Still Want Quality Progs To Use That We Can Afford ...and Even Though Cheap Progs Are Still Pretty Good ....n-track Etc Isnt Sonor Or Pro Tools...
Click to expand...
 
lpdeluxe said:
Somebody recently put it very well in another thread: the crackers don't value what they steal, so they never bother to learn to do anything with it. They like to brag to the other 12-year-olds about what they cracked, but nobody ever asks, "let's hear some awesome music you recorded with it" because there IS none. If there is, it's something they downloaded and passed off as their own. Art doesn't arise from thievery. It's not possible. Someone so lazy that they will steal software doesn't have the balls to compose, record, mix and master, to whatever degree or level of competence. It takes work and dedication, and they don't operate that way.
Click to expand...


Whoa first time I have read something on here where I can't point to a single part that I agree with. Good work...You clearly don't understand how much work it takes to crack something. That said I don't agree with using cracked versions but your comments trying to paint all people who used cracked software as lazy etc etc is quite dumb...
 
lpdeluxe - Excellent motorcycle analogy there. I was going to say something similar about speakers.

But I won't bother. :)
 
how much work it takes to crack something.

I doubt very much that the thieves "crack" their own software. They get it from someone else...the same way they get everything.
 
foreverain4 said:
lol. i use cracked versions of the software that I own. anyone that owns any sony (sonic foundry) software will know why.....
Click to expand...


Boy you can say that again! And AGAIN.

I'm one of the good guys when it comes to buying software. While I will look at pirate copies of programs to see if I like them, anything I use I will buy. That includes Cakewalk and Sonar.

But from now on I'm going to make an exception with Sonic Foundry / Sony. After having bought legal copies of Sound Forge (twice), Acid, and Video Factory, I've had it with their utter lack of support and underhanded sales policies. In particular I'm talking about software packaging that says a certain file format is supported but then after buying the product you find out you have to purchase additional upgrades in order to use it. Then when you buy the upgrade instead of getting a file download, it just installs a file - in my case the PC I wanted the upgrade for wasn't even the PC I was online with, which meant my money was wasted. And then you have to buy the same upgrade over and over, for every new PC or re-format.

I'll take great joy in stealing their software. And if there was any justice, when Sony bought them out I hope they gave every Sonic Foundry executive a well-deserved cerimonial ass-fucking.
 
Been There...Done That

Thats why my CD I am working on is made from 90% free and/ or open source software, just to see if I can do it.

AUDIO
Creative Wave Studio
The Kristal Audio Engine
Audacity
dbPower Amp

PLUGINS
Freeverb
Simulanalog Guitar Suite
Maxim Digital Audio (MDA) VST Plug-ins
Kjaerhus Audio
Digital Fish Phone's

TEXT & Misc.
Jarte - Small WP
7-Zip - Zip program
CD Cover Creator - www.thyante.com

INTERNET
Firefox
Thunderbird

Thats just a few of the FREE ones I have found that work good for me, on my system. The only M$ on this system is the OS win2000.

There is no reason to use the crack crap. Get off yer butts and learn how to USE what you have. In the long run you'll be better off because you'll know HOW to mix, set EQ's, troubleshoot, etc. instead of blameing it on the "crap software the big companys" put out.

Thank you for your time......
 
but then it boggles my mind that people spend as much time as i do on music prodection on software cracking. i do it because it makes me proud to make music, how can anyone be proud of cracking software. Let me submit a cracked version of Sonar4 PE for a grammy.
 
ya good point, why waste so much of your prescious time to crack software for somebody? Usually a criminal does something for personal gain (usually profit) but you can find cracked stuff anywhere for free. some people just case trouble for the sake of causing trouble i guess.
 
Some people just sit on a pole for days and are proud of it...

It is not because you don't understand it that it isn't possible. Those crackers do not stand alone (like you do when making music). They have a group feeling and pecking order. Doing what someone else has not done before you makes you rise in that order. Simple as that.

At the same time there are lots of people out there making software, spending even more time on creating something you can use, just as well for free. Creating a whole OS and every possible application with it. But I guess you won't understand that either...
 
minofifa said:
ya good point, why waste so much of your prescious time to crack software for somebody? Usually a criminal does something for personal gain (usually profit) but you can find cracked stuff anywhere for free. some people just case trouble for the sake of causing trouble i guess.
Click to expand...


I think that part comes down to a "to each his own" argument. I mean I personally can't stand Golf. I see no reason to play it, but I know people that love it. They get satisfaction out of buying new clubs and putting that ball in the hole. Not trying to justify the cracking of software, but there are lots of things out there that you don't see worthy of your time, but someone else does.

As far as people using cracked software getting caught... I've read lots of news stories about hackers/crackers/warez-ers? getting caught. I used to be a huge computer nerd. I still am a computer Nerd, but not as much as I used to be. Anyway, of the stories I read, all of the people getting busted for this stuff were the guys at the top of the list. Like group leaders and the people who have a warehouse cranking out blackmarket versions of Win XP that look just like retail but sell for 20 bucks. Again, not justifying those that are at the bottom of the warez totem pole, but just stating.

And those people who just plain don't feel bad about using warez software... They really don't care about using it and don't feel bad about it, but I can almost garauntee that if they had a legit version of the software it would feel so much better. Not that their concience would be cleared, but just that the operation of things would feel smoother. Also, when you pay for something, you tend to value it more. I used to use a lot of Free FTP programs, but finally found one I liked. Flash FXP. I love this program... its great for managing all of my websites. I paid for it and just knowing that I paid for it over downloading a freeware client made it feel that much better. Maybe that's the remaining part of computer nerd in me, but it does feel smoother.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top