4 ms·

My argument is far more cogent than any argument in favor of piracy. I can boil down every one one of those arguments, no matter how erudite, to "if I can get s

My argument is far more cogent than any argument in favor of piracy. I can boil down every one one of those arguments, no matter how erudite, to "if I can get something for free, why shouldn't I".

boomboomsubban 6y ago
First, your edits >Regardless, ask yourself how you'd feel if the film, video game, or book you pirate was made by a close friend. Would you tell them you pirated their product? And if so, why? Yes. They didn't create it to brag about how good their ratings were, and pirating their content doesn't mean they aren't getting anything from me, as you yourself mentioned. >As a video game creator whose digital games cost nothing to copy and distribute, I can assure you that piracy directly affects my ability to continue making games No, you can't assure me of that. You can say things but would be unable to provide any proof. >"if I can get something for free, why shouldn't I" Any time anyone buys something they've previously pirated, this argument falls apart. Not that it needs to wait until then, "why am I paying $20 to be advertised to" breaks it too.
- hesdeadjim 6y ago
  All you've managed to do is further reinforce the mental gymnastics necessary to justify getting something for nothing. :shrug:
  - boomboomsubban 6y ago
    Even you say that pirates aren't contributing nothing, I don't know why you think I need to use gymnastics to justify something.
cercatrova 6y ago
Exactly, why shouldn't I? Therefore, I can and I will, simply because there are no real, direct consequences to doing so. This is best argument for piracy as you say, which it seems most people who pirate use.
mopsi 6y ago
> "if I can get something for free, why shouldn't I". Convenience, pricing and social features. That's how Steam grew so big. It takes much more effort to torrent something than to click "Add to cart" button in Steam. And even if the price is too high, one can always wait for a sale or a giveaway. Nor will a pirated copy give street cred in the form of achievements, "games owned" and "hours played". The success of Steam, Netflix and Spotify has shown that there's plenty of money in the world, but you have to earn it by providing the best value.

My argument is far more cogent than any argument in favor of piracy. I can boil down every one one of those arguments, no matter how erudite, to "if I can get something for free, why shouldn't I".

boomboomsubban 6y ago

First, your edits >Regardless, ask yourself how you'd feel if the film, video game, or book you pirate was made by a close friend. Would you tell them you pirated their product? And if so, why? Yes. They didn't create it to brag about how good their ratings were, and pirating their content doesn't mean they aren't getting anything from me, as you yourself mentioned. >As a video game creator whose digital games cost nothing to copy and distribute, I can assure you that piracy directly affects my ability to continue making games No, you can't assure me of that. You can say things but would be unable to provide any proof. >"if I can get something for free, why shouldn't I" Any time anyone buys something they've previously pirated, this argument falls apart. Not that it needs to wait until then, "why am I paying $20 to be advertised to" breaks it too.

hesdeadjim 6y ago
All you've managed to do is further reinforce the mental gymnastics necessary to justify getting something for nothing. :shrug:
- boomboomsubban 6y ago
  Even you say that pirates aren't contributing nothing, I don't know why you think I need to use gymnastics to justify something.

cercatrova 6y ago

Exactly, why shouldn't I? Therefore, I can and I will, simply because there are no real, direct consequences to doing so. This is best argument for piracy as you say, which it seems most people who pirate use.

mopsi 6y ago

> "if I can get something for free, why shouldn't I". Convenience, pricing and social features. That's how Steam grew so big. It takes much more effort to torrent something than to click "Add to cart" button in Steam. And even if the price is too high, one can always wait for a sale or a giveaway. Nor will a pirated copy give street cred in the form of achievements, "games owned" and "hours played". The success of Steam, Netflix and Spotify has shown that there's plenty of money in the world, but you have to earn it by providing the best value.