Downloading Stuff: The Poll

[brujon]

So, what's your take on this bad boy? I do it, because really, there aren't much cheaper alternatives, at least here in my country. Especially on books, because really, graduation gets a lot cheaper if you just use ebooks.

[Pencil]

Oh boy those awnsers are suggestive...

[Slaughterhouserock]

As a good man once said: "I pirate movies. Fuck anybody that tries to stop me. And fuck anybody that wants to hear me rationalize why I do it."

[Risada]

I do, but the price for some stuff here on Brazil is simply outrageous. If it was cheaper, I would buy much more stuff...

[archangel.arcanis]

I download stuff but only because I prefer digital copies of things. I will buy products I have already downloaded if they are worth the money people want for it, and I will frequently download things I already own to have in a digital format. DRM is more invasive for legitimate users than it is for the pirates whom they want to stop with it, so fuck them.

[bhu]

I ddownload stuff because I have irrational appetite for collecting porn.  So neener neener. 

[brujon]

Oh boy those awnsers are suggestive...

Why are they suggestive? I tried to surmise the most common points of view in the options of the poll. Have any input?

[Pencil]

Because they dont ask to describe your behavior but want you to categorize yourself into kinda suggestive position." I'm an information era anarchist" or "I'm a law abiding citizen" are for example in general of specific connotations from the public.

Imo i would be better to just ask what one does.For example

1)I download frequently(equal or more than x downloads in y time)
2)I download sometimes(less than x downloads in y time)
3)I don`t download at all
4)I don`t have any opinion on that topic
 
In this case something like this is in general observed better because you don`t need the subjective opinion of those "polled" (is this the correct word?) to get results for your research.
Or to make it short:Opinions are subjective and behavior is objective and a study is better the more objective it is.

[SorO_Lost]

Where is the I vote with my wallet option?

[Sinfire Titan]

I'm one of the people who downloads with the intent of sampling it. Unwanted stuff gets deleted outright, whereas worthwhile stuff is purchased (with two exceptions, I've purchased a DVD copy of every movie I have on my hardrive, and those exceptions are on my wishlist). Anything I didn't like, I deleted.

Only things that can't be found on Netflix or DVD easily are truly pirated (Freakazoid, MegasXLR), but I have every intention of getting those whenever I have the opportunity.

[Tshern]

Beer and cigarettes are too expensive and I am used to having way more than my fair share, so I complement legitimate purchases with copious amounts of pirating.

[littha]

I generally try not to download stuff but when I do it is generally fansubbed anime (because quite often it isn't available in english otherwise) and games that I am not entirely sure about buying (It it only survives one play its not worth buying).

I do own a load of anime but trying to get your hands on the stuff in the UK is rather harder than I would like. 

[caelic]

As someone who's tried to make a go of it as an RPG writer, I know how much sweat goes into writing a book--and how little profit generally results for the amount of work you put in.  There's no way I'm going to lower that profit margin further by pirating books.

I've seen my own stuff pirated--and, yes, I've had people tell me to my face that I should thank them for "helping circulate my work."  Needless to say, I don't see it that way.

[Unbeliever]

It's probably worth distinguishing things that are still commercially available -- e.g., Pathfinder, D&D 4E -- and things that are not and have been out of print for a long time.  I find it hard to feel too bad about downloading copies of AD&D sourcebooks.  I will hardly ever look at them, but I like them for nostalgia and occasionally for idea food.  Given that the game has been out of print for decades, and that space is at a premium (I own the old Necromancer's Handbook, but don't have room for it in my current apartment), online downloads are an ideal solution.

Speaking of which, it also annoys me that more companies do not make their gaming materials available on pdf to purchase.  This is the age of the tablet and laptop.  More and more gamers will be phasing out the rucksack of books that used to characterize gamers.  This is doubly true for people like me, who live in NYC, and have to carry everything.  If I could just toss it in the trunk of my car I'd probably care a bit less.  But, with my ipad I can carry my entire rpg library in pdf, and I can also modify the documents to suit my tastes.  I can cut out just the pages for ship rules from Stormwrack, for instance, and just keep them handy or open, even though the book is on my shelf. 

[Kajhera]

Give as I'm able, take as I desire/know will actually work. Does that make me an information-era communist? DRM pretty much means stuff won't work. So I buy DRM-free games. Even if they don't work now, they might on a different computer, and that pleases me.
Love Kickstarter. I can pay people to make things. Much more sensible than paying people to have made things in a sense. Probably because 'commissioned' is the only artistic business model I've figured out how to do even.

[mrorangesoda]

It's probably worth distinguishing things that are still commercially available -- e.g., Pathfinder, D&D 4E -- and things that are not and have been out of print for a long time.  I find it hard to feel too bad about downloading copies of AD&D sourcebooks.  I will hardly ever look at them, but I like them for nostalgia and occasionally for idea food.  Given that the game has been out of print for decades, and that space is at a premium (I own the old Necromancer's Handbook, but don't have room for it in my current apartment), online downloads are an ideal solution.

Speaking of which, it also annoys me that more companies do not make their gaming materials available on pdf to purchase.  This is the age of the tablet and laptop.  More and more gamers will be phasing out the rucksack of books that used to characterize gamers.  This is doubly true for people like me, who live in NYC, and have to carry everything.  If I could just toss it in the trunk of my car I'd probably care a bit less.  But, with my ipad I can carry my entire rpg library in pdf, and I can also modify the documents to suit my tastes.  I can cut out just the pages for ship rules from Stormwrack, for instance, and just keep them handy or open, even though the book is on my shelf.

I'm in agreement with this. I was happy to pay for my 2 Pathfinder downloads, but I'm not paying more than msrp for a used copy of Tome of Battle knowing none of the money goes to the people/company that made the work in the first place.

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

There are shades of grey here. It's basically a civil infraction like sneaking into a concert without paying.

The biggest perpetrators are those with the power to get away with it (big companies/governments with an interest in copyrights), not kids peering over the fence.

[Endarire]

It depends.

[Jackinthegreen]

If I could actually find the books at a decent price and good condition, I'd probably buy them.  Admittedly I haven't looked too hard mostly due to PDFs being a few clicks away.  If WotC had a system where I could make a free account, add money to that account through a gift card or whatever, and pay for the PDFs, I would gladly buy materials assuming I had the money.

[Unbeliever]

Yeah, WotC could probably make some decent cash on releasing nice, high quality PDFs of 3.5 material for say $8 each. 

They'd also do well if they released an excel spreadsheet or database type thing compiling feats, etc.  Pathfnder sort of has one online, though it's not perfect it's a start.  And, fans made a really solid one for Star Wars Saga Edition.  I'm always a little baffled why gaming companies don't do these simple things to make the games less arduous to play.  Though I can say the same thing about computer game companies, too, I suppose.