"RoseGarden" - - - - - - - from - nscave

We Keep Buying tuff We Don't Own

I've been reading a lot lately about licence agreements, copyright and other rights pertaining to technology and online policies. My point is not to state anything that infers what is legal and what is not. I am not capable of doing that.

However when you get into the subject it is mind boggling how many things we purchase but don't own.

Software

The classic thing and the one likely purchased most often for computer users is software. You can buy an operating system for your computer, or a program to use on it, and you receive a DVD package containing what you bought. But you don't own it. 

If you read the agreement fully, it probably says you can use it, can't copy it, can't modify it and a bunch of other restrictions. But you bought it with your hard earned money and its not really yours.

New Computer

You buy a new computer, whether it be desktop, laptop or tablet, it would most likely have the operating system already on it, and in most cases some basic software. But you don't own it. 

In fact these days you don't even have the physical discs anymore, just what is on the machine. You have a licence key to activate it, but if you read carefully that gives you 'use' only. It is not really yours, but you can use it.

eBooks

eReaders are a pretty common item these days with many people purchasing their books online.

Read an article a few days ago about a lady who bought ebooks for her reader online, and somehow they got deleted by the company from her account according to her report. 

According to some experts that commented, when you purchase a book online, you are purchasing the right to use it (read it) - But you don't own it. 

Just several examples of the changing times involving technology where we continually buy things, but don't really own it. 

Parental Advice

I can plainly remember my parents advice from so long ago.

"Work hard, purchase carefully, and someday you will have something to show for your money!"

This work by NSCAVE is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License