On , Leslie Satenstein (1:167/133@fidonet) wrote: 
 > Hi Bob, 
Leslie...
  Hi back at 'ya - LTNT! ;-)
 > I don't condone piracy, but sometimes I wonder if I am right. I no
 > longer program entirely in C, or CPP, and therefore my compilers are
 > not used as they should be. 
 > Often times I have need to evaluate some software that is not offered
 > as evaluation copies. What to do?
  This is a valid need, but it's not the way the original message was worded. 
Like you, I've shared copies or borrowed software from a friend or client in 
order to evaluate it, but it's always been as a prelude to a legitimate 
acquisition. This person made a blanket statement that no hobbyist uses legal 
compilers. This statement is what triggered my admittedly volatile response. 
It's demonstrably false, and evinces an attitude that needs to be addressed.
 > The best approach to software evaluation that I have experienced, and
 > I applaud them for it, is from IBM. One can download and install the
 > product, and it will run for 60 days. After which, it is disabled. No
 > amount of additional reinstalling will get it to work, except for a
 > operating system resinstall (clever of them).
 > In this way I purchased their VISUAL CPP product after I learned all
 > it's capabilities. Other vendors could follow their example. Perhaps it
 > would mean many more sales and much fewer pirated copies?
  I agree wholeheartedly. 
--- QM v1.00
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