Regarding the whole issue of the legality of pdfs and a person's oponion of them. . . I think that you can sum up the various attitude's as follows:
1- Absolutley won't have anything to do with .pdf files
2- Would own .pdf files ONLY if an original of the item were in their collection.
3 - Doesn't mind owning a few pdf's and searching for a "free" download or trading them with friends
4- Will actively seek out and buy illegal .pdf files
5- Will actively create and illegally sell .pdf files (anything for a buck, right?)
I am sure that most of us here are in either Group 2 or 3. Sure, there is always an uproar about illegal pdf's and rightly so. . . when someone actively creates and sells them (on eBay for instance) they do, in fact, undermine and lower the values of collectable items. Further, they are in competition with other sellers of legitimate items and can potentially lower the final sale price of everyone on eBay.
Yet, I don't have any moral issues with acquiring the occassional (or frequent) pdf file and downloading it. So what if you have an
ST1 pdf? How many hundreds of mp3 files are on my computer? How about all of you? I bet the Acaeum membership total of illegal mp3 and pdf files is staggering. . . is it legal? Well, no. . . . but we all do it anyway. . .
Personally, I don't have one pdf files in my possession - I absolutely HATE reading anything lenghty on a computer screen and a printed copy is just too ugly to be endured. . .
But. . .
- Should selling .pdf files on ebay be condoned?
- Should we allow forum users to post a list of all their .pdfs in the classified section for trade or sale?
- Is it right for Cougar to have pdfs of all the rare on his mailing list and sell them for profit?
In my opinion, the answer is "NO" to all the above. A little shady dealing on the side never hurt anybody. . . but keep it cool and don't insult the rest of us by thinking that you are the "genius" who is going to make a "ton" of money on eBay by selling hundreds of CD compilations with one day auctions and $10.00 shipping charges.
"Gleemonex makes it feel like it's seventy-two degrees in your head... all... the... time! "