Have you considered moving somewhere that's better aligned with your values? It's not something to undertake lightly, but I know that moving helped me a lot. Totally different situation for me though.

For me it was basically just moving somewhere bigger, even if I didn't get much better at making connections just knowing it was possible made a difference.

Good luck to you.

They're just pointing out that Windows does this too.

In my last couple of jobs I've found that most of the software required for work is either available as a web app or runs just fine on Linux. There have only been a handful of users needing Windows to do their jobs. It all depends on what your role is.

Again, my freedom to use and modify the code as I see fit - including selling it - is the whole point.

There's no doubt the developers deserve support for their work, but there's no requirement imposed by Free Software for this.

All criminals get away with their crimes for a time. How many companies want to be sitting on a time bomb like that though?

The ability to modify the code is a central tenet of free software. The GPL takes care of making those modifications available to others. That effectively is the payment the original devs get.

This seems misleading. If no one tipped the employer would be required to pay staff the state minimum wage, not the $2.13 that's often brought up. Tipping is really a handout to the owners, because now they don't have to pay their employees.

Or, you know, just pay people properly in the first place. If you're going to reach for legislation why target tips?