This blog linked to from slashdot talks a great deal of sense about the crazy numbers coming from the Microsoft and other big company shills who disparage software piracy.

Keep reading, I’m not going to condone software piracy. I completely believe that companies that write software deserve to be paid for that software if it is their choice to license its use commercially. I work for a consulting company. My job is to design and implement software to perform tasks as specified by clients of our company. I’d be a complete hypocrite if I believed that people shouldn’t earn a living from software.

Did you read the link ? You should.

Welcome back!

Here’s why the shills who declaim software piracy are wrong:

– People who have money to buy software will invest their money in software if it is worth it. For example, Microsoft Office costs hundreds of dollars.

– People who don’t have money, or who just want to test a piece of software may download a cracked copy in order to test it. Or they may ‘borrow’ a copy from work. They may believe the software is not worth using, or may just not be able to afford it. For example, Microsoft Office costs hundreds of dollars. (!)

As well as being factually wrong, they are also killing the very hand that feeds. Every time Microsoft adds product activation, or treats users as criminals by default, a few less users will feel inclined to buy their software.

Now, about me. The main reason I don’t have Microsoft Office on my computer is that I don’t want to blow that kind of money on a software package, and I am sick of being treated like a criminal by Microsoft. For example, copies of Office at Schlumberger don’t have to be activated. Wow! No key. No scrabbling for a license. Schlumberger have the muscle to say “We don’t like your BS, give us software that we can install easily.” On the other hand, if I buy a copy of Office, I have to type a long, easily lost or mistaken key code to allow me to use the software. If I install the software on a machine that subsequently dies, then I have to phone Microsoft and grovel to some nameless minion in order that they allow me to reinstall the software on my new machine, hard drive etc.

But, the most positive reason for not buying Office, is that it forces me to install Open Office. Open Office is an Office compatible suite that grew out of Sun Office. This used to be a slow, bug-ridden app, rather like a software version of a 1920′s automobile. It worked, kinda.

However, Open Office really did grow. The 1.1.3 versions are pretty good, but much much much better is the new Office beta. For the first time, Word and PowerPoint documents can be loaded and edited using a non-Microsoft package that in some cases has better compatibility with older versions than Microsoft Office itself.

Using a pirated version of Microsoft Office *is* wrong. As well as being illegal, it promotes the Microsoft monopoly. Microsoft write some fantastic software, but sometimes their tactics leave a bad taste in the mouth.

A word processor is an appliance. Try a different brand for a while. It’ll be refreshing. Go to Open Office and download it today.