I do regular work with various other providers for Joomla services and software, and once in a while we get interesting support requests. For example, one person demanded for us to fix something they broke. The interesting part is they admitted fully to downloading the software from some file sharing site illegally and wanted support. In another case a user contacted us asking for the documentation for the software since it didn't come with their illegally downloaded copy. Sure, its kind of funny on one hand, but it shows a serious issue with the character and perceptions of many people.

I'm also pretty fed up with the constant twitter messages that I see in my searches for information related to Joomla, Drupal, or Wordpress. There are many linked to various forums or blogs that are centered around posting links to these file sharing sites. Now technically these file sites are not illegal, however, the can be used illegally, and that's what we have here.

But you can't stop it...

People have always engaged in illegal activities, and much of the time those activities piggy back off of the success of the work done by a company or individual, which is their business. The problem with the web is that it blurs the line between whats legal and illegal, and also blurs the line between what seems illegal and what is illegal.

We can see this in the history of Napster. It was a free program that anyone could use to download virtually any kind of music, so long as it was on the network somewhere. At the time, the legality surrounding Napster was rather weak, and that's why it lasted for quite a while before the official shutdown (and later relaunch as a legitimate service).

What I'd like to suggest is that experiences like these have caused the web to foster a generation of internet users accustomed to free offerings.  People almost expect to get things for free, and really they don't seem to care if getting it for free means breaking the law by stealing.

I can't stop it, but you can

Its impossible to police the entire internet, because it is so vast, and because servers can be located anywhere which often governs how much legal pressure can be applied. So the fact is, we cannot manage to actually stop people from these practices. However, what people probably often don't realize is how their actions affect others. Its the drop in a bucket syndrome.

Its easy to think, whats the big deal if I download and use this program illegally, I'm just one person and it only costs $30, not a big loss. I appeal to those of you who make this mental journey through the conscience. The other kind of downloader probably doesn't care at all, and there is nothing I can do for them. For the rest of you, would you shoplift a cd from your favorite software store? If the answer is no, then don't be a hypocrite and obtain your software legitimately.

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