Topic: ignorance...it belongs to me

I don't mean this to start a fight...
It is only, very truly, ignorance that prompts this question...

I have read in a few posts about something called 'warez.'
I have gathered that this is a BAD thing and should NOT be discussed.
I don't wish to discuss them...any further than simply asking what is this thing called 'warez?' and why should it not be discussed?

I didn't post this in the Ozone forum because I didn't want 101 answers from 102 people all with their own thoughts...
I am hoping that one of the Mad Scientists (Doc Ozone, Twitch, DL-44, etc) can just give me a simple 2 line answer and have this be done...hell, e-mail me the answer and destroy the thread.

Thanks
mobrul

warez (pronounced 'wares'...as in software).

A depot for downloading pirated software. Bad topic because it carries very weighty circumstances - hefty fines and the possibility of jail time to name a couple.

Thank you.
As far as I am concerned this whole conversation could never have happened...
(kill the whole thing, if you would like)

mobrul

(not adding to the conversation)

It's an important topic. Not because we want to have any conversation about it (as this message, for example, doesn't exist), but because we need to spread that we *support* our software developers.

I've spent *way* too much money on software to try to steal it now... and perhaps that's why we all are against it... not out of principle, but because *we* had to pay for it, so must *you*.

(filling with white noise)


s t e p h e n

this, again, would be one of those things mentioned in a posting guideline page.
posts around "warez", or "can someone lend me their serial number so i can try out photoshop?" style threads make the forum instantly a facilitator.
and it brings bad company.

Yah, this is a thread that maybe could live in the "Philosophy" forum, where we could discuss the morality of warez and such, but dealing with peopl who have "lost" their passwords to programs we've already spent bundles on gets tiresome, and could drag our reputation down.

Your pal, -doc-

hmmmm... a thread about piracy, hey?
sounds good!

*says in a growly voice 'Arrrrrgghhh...where's me parrot, and me eye patch...and me rum?' So what do*...ahem...sorry, wrong voice. So what do we think about the idea of a rules and guidelines page? When do we do it.