Lately, I’ve been approached through DM in this forum by a fellow RapidWeaver user asking me to “trade” stacks with him. I’ve kindly let him know that it is my strong opinion that:
Software needs to be paid for
“trading” software is nothing that generates value and is illegal on top of it
Stack developers don’t drive Rolls Royce
Pricing of stacks/plugins is fair and affordable
Since I’m working in the software industry for 25+ years, I deliberately support the developers community around RapidWeaver because I want to see innovative products that are useful and fun to implement. No money, no innovation.
More often than not, I buy stacks that look cool and try them out without being sure if I will finally use them. $5 or even $9 is no big deal. Yes, it might add up during a month or a project but I can easily save it on a dinner that I take at home rather than going out.
I don’t want the developer of a favourite stack to call it quits because his stacks are happily “traded” rather than paid for…
@jsc Nicely said. I thought that the idea of people stealing software was a 1990s thing and that people had ‘grown out’ of theft… Software, like time, is not free, never will be.
All the RW plugins are extremely well priced. If you use it, pay for it!
In 2002, I’ve developed the program for a large security software vendor that was to become the global software compliance program (aka piracy). During my research at that time discussing with fellow software monsters and the BSA, I’ve come across situations where people had actually been killed in that software piracy industry. Loads of money. So, nothing can catch me by surprise anymore.
Those “wonderful” times of “free software” are leaving their mark, I guess. People don’t see the value behind a line of code and what kind of education and training is required to write code.
