Quote:
Originally Posted by HowardP
I never said that anyone asked for OF for free. Maybe my analogy was not the best. It might have been better had I mentioned all the people who complain about paying 99 cents for a song track as being overpriced and who think we should be charging only 49 cents (I'd be broke). Anyway, I hope my point was understood.
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HowardP's analogy may not be perfect, but it still gets the point across: developing software (like writing music) is difficult and requires a lot of hard work. But because there is no physical product involved, and many consumers fail to understand the costs involved, the monetary value is often deflated.
Assigning value to intellectual or virtual products is a difficult thing. I know people who would never steal a 50-cent piece of fruit but have no problem sharing music they didn't pay for. Likewise, I know other who are willing to pay over $100 for a pair of shoes worn only a few times a year, yet balk at the idea of paying for a software package that they use everyday. On top of that, they own 3,500 square foot houses and multiple cars, so it's clearly not a matter of affording the software.