Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
The same change in attitude needs to take place with downloading material from the internet, and people (especially children) need to be taught that simply because it's not a "material object", that doesn't make it acceptable to use it without paying for it.
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I couldn't disagree more strongly. We are entering an era as a human race - the end of scarcity. Previously, knowledge and information were precious commodities, available only to those with money or power. Copies were expensive to make, and thus distribution was much like that of physical objects - you sold a book just like an apple.
Now, however, it's as if we invented a way to give everyone on earth apples, for free. It'll destroy the apple-sellers' business, but what it will gain us a society is much, much more precious.
Business models will need to change. Someone still needs to grow that first apple. Will they do it for a salary? Will they do it because they love growing things? Will they do it based on a huge lump sum given to them by all the apple-lovers of the world, or by a government? I don't know. It will happen, though, because it's a niche that needs to be filled.
And the faster we get to that point, the better off the world will be. We're one step closer to Utopia (or maybe Star Trek).