Hello all,

I'm from India and as you all probably know, there's a huge problem of piracy here resulting in most people getting addicted to M$ without even paying for it.

I suspect this is a massive conspiracy of M$ because I have heard it several times that it was M$ who allowed piracy in the initial stages itself in India to create addiction like a drug pusher (Free initially and more and more expensive as you sink deeper and deeper into addiction), contrary to what all their execs say about fighting piracy. I have succeeded in converting my parents and brother completely to linux and nothing else runs at home (Proud to say 0% prirated software!)

But many of my friends do not share my sentiments and would rather use pirated software.

So how does one fight this? Because I know that all it will take to make laws strict will be a few bribes to Govt officials from M$. And then the pirated software users will have to pay through their nose...

HOW?

The short answer is: you can't. You can't convince
people to moral behaviour, you can't force goodness.


And really this post belongs in General, not Linux-General.


Cheers,
Tink

Moved: This thread is more suitable in General and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

just say

"all it will take to make laws strict will be a few bribes to Govt officials from M$. And then the pirated software users will have to pay through their nose..."

Get a copy of the Ubuntu Live Disk - Show them the programs then give them the install disk (if they like it). If they must use windows make them restrict it to play a smaller part in their lives. Be positive about having only legal software on your system - about how few crashes you have, about how much more secure a Linux box can be if you treat it nicely... etc.
Get a dialog going with local computer dealers who might like free software that they can safely put on their systems (I'm talking full office/graphics/multimedia packages). Write articles for your local newspapers if possible. All in all try to create a feelgood vibe around Linux.
Write your local game producers as well as the international corporations - Make them understand that you would appreciate a linux version of their creations.
Getting people to change can be an uphill battle but keep at it!

I know a guy that use to pirate software and the major reason he did it was because it was free. Use this tactic to your advantage. Tell them that if they switch to Linux they won't ever have to worry about any possible repurcutions from using pirated software AND it's free.

Honestly, just bettween you and me. There's so much pirated software in India, the Middle East and South America that most software and console manufacturers have decided not to put the money and brute force behind trying to get these contries to police piracy and the goverments don't have the ability or the inclination to try to stop it.

Just go with the free thing. If they want more of a reason tell them they are less likely to get hacked and there's almost no chance of them getting viruses. Also explain how much more stable Linux is over Windows. Also give them a live CD distro like Knoppix or Ubuntu live distro. If you have any friends interested in "internet security" check out PHLAK or Knoppix-STD and is you know a gamer who has MAME ROM's have them try KnoppixMAME. Most of (if not all) of these have a way to install from the live disk except ubuntu and it has a seperate installation version.

Arun, I understand your problem perfectly. Getting people in India to use Linux is tougher than squeezing milk out of stone.

I had started a related debate on piracy with more or less the same question and I still don't have the answers to your original question:
What is it about piracy?

Anyone else notice the absolute hilarity of this thread? Next time someone starts to tell me linux don't want everything for free i will have to point them to this thread. Funny how people wonder why no publisher releases games for linux... Well i think this thread answers that question pretty clearly.

I think you've missed the point. There's 2 kinds of free, Free Speech and Free Beer. Linux many times ties free speech and free beer together. We're just appealing to the free beer side side.

Also there are non-free games for Linux. Haven't you ever heard of a little known game series called Unreal?

Havent you heard there is no such thing as a linux only release? Do you want to guess why that is? If you say user count well i will be amused since linux users seem to chant up and down the road about how they have more users than OSX. Wow i wonder why developers bother to release OSX only games? Do you know why ID said they would not be releasing a linux version commercially? Because linux users don't buy jack. It's a quote from carmack take it up with him if you have a beef.

i always thought it was because they were ip *add word here*, and in linux os's, if you don't release the source, you cant have the game work for everyone

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Zuggy
[B]I think you've missed the point. There's 2 kinds of free, Free Speech and Free Beer. Linux many times ties free speech and free beer together. We're just appealing to the free beer side side.

I agree - The original poster talked about piracy - not about free as in GPL / Source Code, this will be a side benefit for the free as in beer people.

And presenting people with software capable of the same as the pirated software might persuade them to change. But the poster is right about the addiction. Mainly it comes down to fear of change that people don't try Linux.

Others are not / have not been persuaded to change because Linux at times could be hard to install (I'm talking the older distros here) now everything is point and click though with the power of CLI. Thus I'm suggesting the Live disk concept 1) to see if their hardware is compatible 2) if compatible then they can get an idea of what's available 3) If recipients is convinced steps can be taken toward migration....

M$ will pay the gov to jail the pirates soon enough its just a matter of time
STOP worring about it