FACT: I know more people who’ve bought Firefox (and other free software) than I do those who got the free software for free.
Does Your Ignorance Betray You?
I turned off the busy street into the alley and suddenly felt an uneasy feeling of loneliness. I suppose it was because the place was a bit spooky, to say the least. The alley was almost empty, dirty and seemed dark, even though it was probably midday. An eerie wind blew seemingly directly at me, blowing polythene bags at me. I skipped over them and headed for the dirty little sign that said, ‘Cheap Software’.
The software was indeed dirt cheap. You could get the latest Microsoft software for pocket change! Not to mention many, many other notable software. Despite the temptation, I had not gone there for bootlegged software ( yes, I think piracy is wrong, immoral, and criminal) – I had come for something very specific. I had come for Firefox, the award winning browser. To my surprise, the guy at the counter told me I could have the latest copy for just under $5. He went on to add that for that same price, each, I could have some other software too. The interesting thing to note is that Firefox, and all the $5 software on offer at that particular place is what is normally termed as free, open source software. The guy was offering to sell me stuff that I could get for free. Surprise, surprise.
The sad fact is that millions of people the world over, especially in the so-called developing world buy all their software at roughly the same price. They get Microsoft and other for-sale stuff dirt cheap because what they pay for are illegal pirated copies and they get otherwise free software at a price because they have no idea it’s free.
I have no problem with you willingly buying something that you can get for free – heck, I’ll even sell it to you! I believe we should all have the option to pay for whatever we want to pay for, even free things. What ticks me off, however, is when one is ‘tricked’ into buying anything. Of course your ignorance is always your fault but taking advantage of it isn’t nice at all. That’s what this post is about: getting rid of buyer ignorance. So go on, gather all your friends and let me tell you about an award winning software whose price is shocking!
Is Firefox Really All That?
Yes it is, and more! You can skip my long explanation why by going here.
I’m sure you’ve heard tons about the virtues of Firefox so I’ll keep it short. Like any other surfer, I am concerned about my speed and efficiency online. Lately, I also think about my privacy and security. The only browser that meets all my need is Mozilla Firefox. Firefox was built to be the fastest, most efficient and secure browser available. It lives up to all that and also gives you the option of personalizing it by getting useful little add-ons.
I know there are hundreds of faulty and plain useless software out there so you are probably skeptical. I would be too. My secret of telling whether any software is any good is finding out whether that particular software has any fanatical fans who sing its praises. Firefox passes this test:
Yes that is the Firefox Logo in a crop field. These guys made it. If they love Firefox that much, it just goes to show that Firefox is simply that damn good. Period.
How To Buy Firefox and How Not To Buy Firefox
As I said earlier, if you want to buy something that you can get for free then go right ahead. However, since you’re going to pay, anyway, wouldn’t it be better to pay the person who made what you’re paying for? In this case, that is the Mozilla Foundation. If you want to pay for your copy of Firefox, then go here.
That, though, is your problem because Firefox is so free that I can even get paid to give it to you. Don’t believe me? Check out the orange image at the bottom of my sidebar. Otherwise, you can get Firefox for free, no strings attached, by clicking on the image below:
Go here to grab 27 cool tools to personalize your Firefox and make it even cooler(after your download, of course).
I know! How can something so cool be free? Well, technically you’ll have to pay for internet access. (If you write me a nice letter, I can send you a copy on CD.) 😉
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