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Originally Posted by Worldwalker
P.S. Steve, you've got a pretty cynical view of life if you think that the only reason people will be honest is because they're afraid of being caught (legally or socially). You are extremely wrong about thinking that people are more likely than not to behave dishonestly behind closed doors. Were that the case, society would have collapsed long ago.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
What you call cynical... I call observation of human history. Go figure.
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I think it is fair to say most people would say they are honest. The problem comes with the interpretation of the word honest. If people believe there is nothing wrong with downloading a copy of a book, song, movie or whatever for their reading, listening, viewing pleasure without paying for it, then they'll do it and think those that say it is wrong are mad. Those that think that this behaviour is wrong (and I include myself in that camp) need to change peoples views and explain why there should be payment for what they've received.
And I'm sure we can all think of many things that are illegal, but that people do, but also of things that historically were wrong but that society has now decided are okay and through changes of expectation and law this has changed.
One could argue that we are now at a (slowly changing) nexus with regards to the value of digital representations. And I have no idea which way it will go, or what the consequences of it will be....