| Talk is cheap. Words on a printed page or on a | | | | sometimes grumble about contributing to "Mr. Bill |
| computer screen cost someone money to put | | | | Gates' retirement fund" but he and his team did |
| them there, even if they are dictated to a voice | | | | the work then they reap the rewards. |
| recognition program. You see if someone is talking | | | | So what are the authors and programmers to |
| to you, then you can stop them and ask a | | | | do? They must develop strategies to lock out |
| question if something is unclear. If you have a | | | | those who want to harm them. |
| book, an article, or a report then it must be | | | | Lock your digital products while they are in |
| totally clear to the person who reads it, what it | | | | development and testing. Often it is those who |
| means. | | | | you trust most that can harm you the most. A |
| This gives rise to a great number of official | | | | time limited test or trial version is always far |
| reports being thousands of words when the same | | | | better than an unlimited one. This will prevent |
| thing could have been said far more simply. | | | | your readers or testers from trying to pass on |
| Anyone who has ever proofread an article or a | | | | or sell on your product. Often it is the last thing |
| book will know if the writing has been done by a | | | | we think of and then it is too late when our |
| professional who understands the need for clarity | | | | product is for sale on the cheap from another |
| and a novice who simply slaps it down quickly | | | | source. |
| without a thought to the reader. | | | | Lock your digital products online while you are |
| Now perhaps you understand why we get so | | | | selling. Do not let purchasers run off with the idea |
| passionate to protect the work of authors, and | | | | that they can come and get your product |
| programmers. I remember that when the last of | | | | whenever they like. There will be the case where |
| one particular series of books came out there | | | | someone genuinely has a problem with their |
| was an angry response when within hours of the | | | | computer hardware and loses everything and you |
| launch it began appearing on the web. A book or | | | | can send them a replacement copy but that is |
| article is not simply a string of words but it has to | | | | the exception rather than the rule. One copy per |
| be written, spell checked, grammar checked, | | | | computer, not to be shared around the family of |
| reread by the author and then read and checked | | | | 200, or the neighborhood of 2000 |
| by someone else as well. Sometimes the author | | | | Lock your digital ebook products. They must be |
| has spent hours if not weeks on writing only for | | | | locked down so they cannot become common |
| the rewards of their labor to be stolen. | | | | property even among a small family. If your |
| A programmer will spend time conceiving an idea, | | | | buyer thinks the book is so good then let them |
| researching if it is needed or there is already a | | | | print it out for the family, and let's see them have |
| suitable product and then will write the program. It | | | | some expense but not to send the electronic |
| may not seem like it sometimes but a careful | | | | copy to the family and they print 20 copies each. |
| test of the program will be carried out before the | | | | It is a sad and sorry world that we live in where |
| live release. One the product is released there will | | | | the genuinely creative people cannot get the |
| need to be 24 hour support for the new product, | | | | rewards of their labor. |
| in case someone somewhere has a different | | | | So what does the "lock it or lose it" policy mean |
| setup on their machine that the programmer has | | | | in real terms. It means that authors and |
| omitted from his or her testing. | | | | programmers must develop a "Secure digital |
| It is coming to the stage where the author and | | | | security" attitude from the moment that they |
| the programmer have the same aim in view of | | | | conceive an idea to the moment it is offered for |
| locking up their product so they will not lose the | | | | sale for the first time. It may even mean that |
| rewards of their labors. They will indeed lock up | | | | everyone who hears of the idea must sign a |
| their products or lose their pay. | | | | non-disclosure agreement before the idea is |
| Whose fault is all this security? Ours? We have | | | | discussed. Then the authors and programmers will |
| accepted shoddy ripped off goods at knock-down | | | | get the just rewards for their labor. |
| prices instead of buying the real thing. I | | | | |