RR> What I'm saying is that time is limited and there are only so
RR> many hours in a day.  If you spend your time searching for
RR> pirates, you have no time left over to write programs.

If you don't spend SOME time searching for pirates, you have all the
time in the world-because they have put you out of business.

HC> inference that I spend all of my time chasing pirates; you're
HC> being completely obtuse. 

HC> theft will escalate. I suggest you not be so 'flip'
HC> about this matter - it is likely that you will be the victim
HC> of theft someday . . . and you will probably not dismiss that
HC> activity so lightly.

People who are so flip about theft don't have a clue what it is
like. I work Saturdays at our Atari dealer, Falcon Systems. In the
last six weeks, we have been the victims of:

1) Two Jaguars stolen in a snatch and grab

2) One Jaguar taken out on a rental and a bad cheque that bounced-of
   course the user can't be contacted.

3) Two Soundblaster CD packages lost in another snatch and grab.

4) A rock through the window in the early morning hours and a Jaguar
   and CD unit stolen. This despite 1/2" thick iron bars 6" apart on
   the windows and a sensor alarm. (They pulled a TV and Jaguar
   display from 4 feet away up to the window, unplugged the Jag and
   took what they wanted through the bars

Now Falcon is a small business. Installing turnstyles and security
cams for theft prevention are a MAJOR expense. How does that make
the small retailer feel? First, it makes you feel like someone
played you for a sucker when they shoplift, second you feel
suspicious of every teenage kid that comes in. Thirdly and most
importantly, you start to feel "Why bother, no one appreciates us
here, we're just a target for low lifes."

Why am I mentioning all this? Simply as yet another real world
example of what the rip-off artists can do to honest folks trying to
earn a living. (Not Bill Gates-level-earn-a-living, but trying-to
pay-the-rent-and-phone-bill earning a living.) Assuming that Rodney
works for a living, he wouldn't be doing so for long if his employer
ignored large scale pilfering of its resources.

HC> if the situation where reversed, and you were the victim, the
HC> merits of pursuing thieves who presented themselves to you would
HC> be obvious.

Bloody obvious to those who choose to look. :-_



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