No codes here. You rude things.

May 21, 2002

So there’s a message in my inbox from some person stopping by my site, asking for the serial number to Photoshop 5 LE.

They’re kidding, right?

Folks, you will not find software serial numbers on this site. You won’t find commercial software, hacked or un-, available to download. You won’t find tips and tricks to get yourself some ‘warez’. You won’t find links to ‘warez’ sites.

I disagree with the overweening, overbearing actions of the RIAA, MPAA, and of many software companies in regards to how they deal with copyright violations, both in terms in penalties and in terms of their own reach (or belief therein). I think that in some cases, software is priced too high, especially for buggy code that users have to patch and patch and patch again, or that opens a user’s system to attacks from without, or that reads any kind of information off of a user’s computer and reports back to some company or data repository somewhere. I don’t think that software should have an expiration date. I think that software should bloody damn well be backwards compatible. I don’t think that Microsoft’s tactics of forcing people to upgrade their operating system on Microsoft’s schedule are an ethical practice. I think that their licensing scheme does NOT provide adequately for those businesses and individuals that are just fine working on Windows 98, thank you very freaking much. I think that once a consumer purchases a CD or DVD, that consumer should be free to make as many copies for personal (PERSONAL!!!) use as we wish. We should be able to mix CDs, so that we can make compilations of the songs we like and not ever have to hear the songs we don’t like. We should be able to play multimedia CDs in their computer’s CD ROM without crashing their system. We should be able to, if we so choose, mix several DVD movie tracks (without all the bonus features) onto a single DVD, for easier travel use.

I do not think that people should make full downloads of television programmes available on the Internet. I do not think that people should freely exchange full music files. Taking and enjoying something without some sort of exchange or recompense is—never mind the law for a minute—mean spirited. It implies, This person is so inconsequential that I can enjoy the fruits of their labour without even so much as a thank you, a note of appreciation, or some assistance to the well-being of the creative mind that put it here for me to enjoy. It’s really rude, people.

I don’t think that the various studios and conglomerates deserve all of the money. I think that the artist who created the works should benefit more directly. I think that some new distribution channels need to be set up, and as the Internet continues to evolve, they likely might—but only if we all get working and 1) set them up; 2) honour them; 3) use the new-born systems as intended: an alternate way to distribute product and pay for it, not a way to completely subvert the exchange process.

So everyone looking for software serial numbers and video downloads, go elsewhere and try and procure that shiznit (I think is the term). I think that the corporate magnates are in the wrong with the whole DCMA crapload. But I think you’re only justifying their opinion. Quit living down to expectations, develop a spine, and help subvert the dominant paradigm. Don’t just ignore it.

What—you think they won’t create something else equally nightmarish if you give them room to do it? Sheesh…

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