From Pirate to Developer: Understanding the Value of Work and Software Ethics
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Becoming a software engineer didn’t just overhaul how I think logically; it also shattered my old paradigm regarding intellectual property.
Back then, as a college student from a lower-middle-class economic background, using pirated software was the norm. From the operating system to the supporting apps for college assignments on my old Dell Latitude E5450 laptop, everything was a crack. At that time, I felt “entitled” to pirate due to financial limitations, completely unaware of the ethical impact of those actions.
Misguided Doctrine and the Escape to Linux
My justification for piracy was worsened by the doctrine of a high school IT teacher. He was a genius but an arrogant figure. One of his most misguided doctrines was, “Copyright doesn’t exist, because all knowledge and creations fundamentally come from God.”
That absurd statement fooled me for years. The first turning point happened not because of a moral realization, but out of technical frustration. The Windows operating system at that time felt extremely heavy, messy, and unoptimized for an old laptop. I finally decided to migrate to Linux.
It was in this Linux ecosystem that my eyes were opened. I began interacting with Open Source Software (OSS), reading documentation, and dissecting hundreds of thousands of lines of code belonging to others that were shared freely.
When I tried to build my first Android application—a simple MP3 Player modified from public source code—I finally realized how complicated, exhausting, and mind-boggling it is to build software. From there, my respect for a developer’s hard work began to grow.
The Halal-Haram Dialogue: Advice That Changed My Direction
That technical awareness was later perfected by a moral slap from one of my lecturers. He shared his past experience when he was actively working as a graphic designer using pirated versions of Photoshop and CorelDraw.
His business was running very smoothly and generated a lucrative income that supported his family. However, there was an invisible price to pay: he always felt a sense of emptiness, his family lacked peace, and his children frequently fell ill. After introspecting, he realized that the tools he used to earn a living—pirated software—were stolen goods. The wealth generated from it became unblessed (haram).
From that day on, my lecturer switched to using free open-source software like Krita, GIMP, and Inkscape for his designs, and gradually purchased official licenses as his finances improved.
New Principle: If you cannot afford paid software, use Open Source alternatives. Pirating someone else’s work for personal gain is theft, regardless of the justification.
Current Reality: The Price of Software Equals Hardware
Armed with this awareness, I committed to “migrating”. When I started earning an income from teaching at a vocational high school and developing apps, I strictly set aside money to buy software licenses.
Today, the entire ecosystem on my laptop and smartphone is 100% original. From supporting productivity with Microsoft Office 2024 Student & Home and PDF Element, editing videos with Filmora 14, to the collection of games I legally purchased on Steam. Not to mention the array of premium apps and games I bought specifically for my phone.
If I calculate it and compare it to my hardware assets, there is a rather interesting financial reality:
| Component | Specification / Details | Estimated Value (IDR) |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware (Laptop) | Dell Latitude 5300 (Core i5 Gen 8, RAM 16GB, SSD 256GB) | 2,999,000 |
| Windows 11 OS | Original License (OEM) included with the device | Included in laptop |
| Software & Game Licenses | Office 2024, Filmora 14, PDF Element, Steam, Mobile Apps | Nearly reaching 3,000,000 |
Even though the total value of the software I bought nearly matches the physical price of the laptop itself, the expectation that “original software must be much faster than pirated ones” turned out to be not entirely true. In terms of computational performance, the difference is almost non-existent. However, there is one thing that cannot be hacked: peace of mind and pride.
The Other Side of the Developer (Indie Dev)
As a developer whose apps are used by many people on the Play Store, I deeply understand the importance of user appreciation. I also believe that if I respect other people’s work, my work will eventually be respected too.
If my pure intention was solely for charity, I wouldn’t place ads. But the reality is, my financial condition and salary as a contract teacher have their limits. Ad revenue (AdMob) is the lifeline for my operations.
I am fully aware of user complaints regarding apps that sometimes slow down. From tracing the stack trace logs in the console, I know exactly that most ANR (Application Not Responding) issues are actually caused by the ad load queue blocking the UI Thread.
So, why don’t I make a paid version (Premium/Pay-Once) without ads?
- Accessibility: I want my apps (like exam simulations and educational tools) to remain freely accessible to anyone, especially those in the same situation I was in the past.
- Bureaucracy: Managing paid apps requires complex legal documentation, cross-border tax compliance, and administrative scrutiny that I am not currently prepared to face alone.
Respecting the hard work of developers is the first step to becoming part of a healthy tech ecosystem. Developers are also human beings who need to eat. If you can’t afford to buy their work, use alternative software. Do not rob them of their rights through piracy, because it could very well be that in the wealth you acquire, there is a portion of their rights that you should have set aside.