Re: Go, software activation, go!

Ingvar Nilsen wrote:
Peter Morris [Droopy eyes software] wrote:

Someone once said "Locks are a way of keeping honest people out".
Software activation is pointless, if someone wanted an illegal copy
it would be quite easy to find.

Peter, I feel that you misunderstand this.

As I understand, Borland, as well as thousands of others who write
software, believe in making money by selling to honest people and
serious customers. The fact that illegal copies float around does not
alter this belief, since honest people and serious customers would
purchase software the normal way, in most, but perhaps not all cases.

In other words, one has to calculate with making enough money on
serious customers, and let the unserious ramble on with their
"business". Somehow this reminds me of the tips and tricks in Delphi's
childhood about how to avoid people tampering with images in the
aboutbox. As if that was a problem to waste as much as a minute on.

The dilemma is not between activating legals software and using
illegal software. Activation is, as you hint at, actually *for*
honest people. It is there to make people resist the temptation to
temporarily duplicate software in certain situations, and probably
for several other reasons.

I am often puzzle by people being against it. Of course, when
enforced, it should be bullet proof and absolutely reliable, to avoid
situations that Mark tell us about.

Personally, no problems so far (knock on wood)

The point is, no one should be worried about the activation system. If
Borland ever fails to allow legally entitled people to maintain access to
the software they paid for then all bets are off. We just activate via
whatever means are available. What people should be concerned about is if
that were ever needed, it would be because there wasn't a Borland (or Devco)
anymore! That *would* be something to worry about. Activation is nothing
more than a minor annoyance. Ongoing support and development are critical.

--
Jim Rowell


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