In the past, most software I used was paid and proprietary and would have some sort of limitation that I would try to get around by any means possible. Sometimes that would be resetting the clock on my computer, disabling the internet, and other times downloading a patch.
But in the past few years I’ve stopped using those things and have focused only on free and open source software (FOSS) to fulfill my needs. I hardly have to worry about privacy problems or trying to lock down a program that calls home. I might be missing out on some things that commercial software delivers, but I’m hardly aware of what they are anymore. It seems like the trend is for commercial software providers to migrate toward online or service models that have the company doing all the computing. I’m opposed to that, since they can take away your service at any time.
What do you do?
About 20 years ago, I saw this exact same discussion on mozillazine. Everyone was raving about FOSS being nicer, friendlier, and more convenient, and how piracy is bothersome.
Then this guy posted a reply, to the tune of “Yeah, and now imagine your entire OS was like that… you should try it.”
A little later I did, and never looked back. For me, FOSS is convenience.
I use Arch btw.
One thing I do for Games is buying used ones. I still have a PS4 and I am not playing much, so there’s a ton of 2nd hand older AAA Games I haven’t played yet, that are sold for a few bucks.
My Policy:
FOSS if there is something I like that does what I need in a way I can understand.
Paid software if its useful software that doesn’t have a stupid high price.
Overprice software or software that thinks their software needs a subscription service? Raise the flag!
I don’t pirate software anymore, the risks aren’t worth it to me
FOSS. I don’t pirate at all, it’s a security nightmare. If I were to, it’d be heavily sandboxed and definitely not anything important to my day-to-day. It’s just not sustainable or ethical, not to mention extremely inconvenient. I just pirate some movies occasionally.
