Scenario 5 (Property)Betty downloads a solitaire card game from the Internet that is “shareware.” It can be legally used for 30 days and then Betty must either delete it from her computer or send its author a fee. Betty has been using the game for 30 days.
Questions- What is the property?
- Who is its owner?
- What danger or discomfort might the unethical action cause?
- What is the advantage to the user for paying for shareware?
- Is there a parallel in the physical world to this scenario?
- Can you think of other incidents that would fall into this category?
CommentsSoftware falls into three main types: freeware (that which can be used without payment indefinitely); shareware (that which can be use for a trial period and then must either be erased or purchased); and commercial software (that which must be purchased before use).
Understanding the concept of shareware is a good way of helping students understand why purchasing software benefits them. The profits that software producers make are partially used to fund the development of more software. If the profit motive is lost from software creation, less software and fewer improvements are likely to be made.
One additional WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) is that a licensed version of the shareware product often contains additional features and/or it drops annoying reminders to register the shareware.
Students need to learn to read the licensing agreement of any piece of software.
Article originally appeared on Doug Johnson Website (http://www.doug-johnson.com/).
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