I recieved a rather interesting request in my LiveJournal not too long ago:

Need to download XRumer 5.0 for free!
Huh… I want to get software pack XRumer 5.07 PALLADIUM for free. Have you any url?
I’m so need this magic program! It’s can break captchas automatically! Activate accounts via email automatically too! Absolutely great software! Help me!
And did you hear news – price for XRumer 5.0 Palladium will grow up to $540 after 15 may 2009… And XRumer 2.9 and 3.0 – too old versions, it’s cant break modern catpchas and cant break modern anti-bot protections. But XRumer 5.0 Palladium CAN!!!!
So help me for download this great soft for free! Thanks!

Whoever that person is must have assumed that I know my way around my computer, or rather more than that and to be honest, they got it right.  However, there’s no way in hell I’ll be accommodating such a request.  First of all, I don’t officially* condone not paying for software and secondly, why the hell would I accommodate someone wanting to break a captcha?  It’s bad enough that I have to use them so my sites get spammed, so why would I go and help someone break something I have to use?  For all I know, he could eventually use it on my website!  Anyway, the fact a piece of software can break captchas automatically concerns me.  Granted, not all of them are easily broken, but if this has been proven to break them, does this mean that the spammers are catching up?  It always seems to be a game of cat and mouse with spammers to be honest.

I’m very much anti-spam because it screws up things for me, and others.  My forums get spammed a lot, as do my blogs.  Either way, I won’t be responding to him, and if he sees this, my response is a big, fat NO.

*I accept the use of not paying for software for educational purposes, only if it’s hideously expensive.  If someone intends to make a profit using the software, then they should purchase it.

A friend of mine showed this request in an IRC channel I own: http://www.getacoder.com/projects/programming_c_87390.html

For those of you reading this request, and it’s no longer there, it says (emphasis his):

Description
I need someone to program me a new OS (Operasting System) that looks different than Ms Windows XP etc. but has the same style. It does not need to run on a mac but all the other PCs. It’s supposed to have a stylish look with clear edges etc. And ITS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE JUST A REDESIGNED WINDOWS as I’m going to sell that operating system later on.
These are some important points :

It should have ALL THE FEATURES that Windows Xp Professional has.
ALL the files that run on Windows XP ust also run on the BlueOrb OS.
It must have a very user-friendly interface (like MS WINDOWS XP)
When it gets Installed, the user needs to insert a serial number.
It HAS to be HACKER SAFE!
It must be quick and good looking.

So yeah, that’s what he’s asking for. Bad spelling aside (what’s an “Operasting System”?) $100 for developing an OS, which he plans to sell though? I could think of stronger words than “what the hell?” to describe his request. Frankly, if I could program in C++, I’d be asking for a hell of a lot more than the equivelent of £75 for a product someone is going to sell and make at least 10x the amount on (most likely more!). Additionally, what is this Blueorb OS he’s on about? Someone told me it could be the Mac OS, but isn’t that an apple? I really wonder about people sometimes… they truly worry me.