Lots of Commercial Software for Free

Why post a link to Vetusware? Anything I was interested in demanded a registered login. NBD - one would think - but upon registering it told me I was already registered (although I've never HEARD of these folks before) so - I went along - requested a p/w reset link be sent to my email. Tried once, waited 10-15 minutes - NADA - so tried again - waited ALL DAY - NADA - something tells me these guys aren't exactly ready for prime time. Oh well? Seemed like an interesting walk down memory lane was upcoming - but I'll probably forget all about them by the time they email me my p/w reset.

geezer

I think there is a genuine and valid point of view that MS are the biggest pirates of all, and even the original creators of software piracy in the first place.

If you look at how they 'acquired' all their original material, on which they founded a billion-dollar industry, it would be hard to avoid a purely ethical viewpoint that it was all stolen or at least acquired in an extremely dubious manner. To me, it makes no difference that they were always cleared in court of any malpractice (multiple times), as you get the justice you can afford or can pay to have fixed. Ethics are entirely different and have no reliance on or recourse to law.

Example: the mouse & GUI was invented by Xerox, sold to IBM, sold to Mac. They owned the concept and pioneered it. MS stole it but were somehow cleared in court. Or perhaps, you might be charitable and come up with some other explanation of how they somehow used a patented technology that was owned by others, who did their best to protect it but failed against the MS legal army. Ditto - spreadsheets. Ditto - lots of other stuff. So their current stance on piracy is at best laughable, at worst a cynical corporate spin. I suppose all organisations outside the law try to go legit eventually, it helps so much with survival and corporate image - cf the mafia.

Therefore I personally have no issue with 'borrowing' MS technology since they so readily did so themselves. Of course, I wouldn't promote that position to others, even though it takes advantage of those who I would regard as criminals from an ethical viewpoint.

However I think we should be a lot more careful about treating other software vendors in the same way, and would resist any attempts to define their work as freeware just because they haven't locked it down with patents or whatever.

Please excuse this post being penned by 'anon', but MS' lawyers can beat anyone anywhere and the truth obviously has no relevance.

I have always wondered, except perhaps, last Thursday, how much of the duty for determining software legality rests on the user. Besides obvious, immediate issues, there seems to be some sort of protocol where the issues of legality are at least mostly on the owner of the software.
Many loopholes and so on, and I am not an attorney.
Since the entire PC clone industry was predicated on a patent loophole exploited from IBM, it seems something of a curiosity that the majority of the computer industry, or at least a large part of the users, are so easily throwing around the label "pirate", among other character insults.
And blah,blah,blah.

Do any of the naysayers actually read and comprehend what you just read in the original post?

"Also be aware that while these programs are free they are not necessarily freeware or free of copyright."

Why exactly don't you just spell it out and say that these programs are being provided in flagrant defiance of the law, and that it doesn't make the slightest difference whether you plan to use them commercially or not?

Yes, the programs are old and in many cases the copyright holders probably don't have the slightest interest in what people are doing with them. Yes, by downloading and using them you really aren't doing anyone any kind of harm. But aside from the fact that the download sites are not charging anything for their distribution, there is nothing "free" at all about most of these programs.

Hi Gizmo, This is way off base to the currect subject, but I saw a comment on a Google search that the XP Firewall is actually very good. As for it's outging potential, these can be set to your requirements, using the settings provided.

Would you please be so kind as to comment again on the XP Firwall, mentioning the settings aspect. COMODO drove me crazy with its constant quesies.

Apparently Windows XP Firewall can be set to give excellent protection. My son in the UK has been using for XP Firewall for years without any problems.

I uninstalled COMODO and replaced it with Zone Alarm trial, and immediately noticed that my PC had slowed down.

Looking forward to your comments. Kindest regards, Bob Bowen.

your link to Vetus Ware is not working....?

David

I just love this comment site and this is my first comment.Please trust Rhiannon OK.

Is there a guarantee that the software and games downloaded from these websites are malware free. Just asking, because you never know, what comes bundled with these freeware.
Silki
(http://webtoolsandtips.com)

www.oldversion.com