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From: epsilon@wet.UUCP (Eric P. Scott)
Newsgroups: news.newusers.questions
Subject: Re: PD product posting etiquette
Summary: commercial postings belong in biz groups
Message-ID: <540@wet.UUCP>
Date: 13 Sep 89 18:59:36 GMT
References: <1218@clyde.Concordia.CA>
Reply-To: epsilon@wet.UUCP (Eric P. Scott)
Distribution: na
Organization: Wetware Diversions, San Francisco
Lines: 26

In article <1218@clyde.Concordia.CA> timl@maxwell.Concordia.Ca ( TIM LAPIN ) writes:
>This question has been bugging me for some time.  If you have some software
>that you wrote and wished to make money on, is it kosher to post the binary
>in the appropriate group and ask for a small fee (say $5-$10)?  Or is the
>more expensive method of conventional mail order preferred?  Or perhaps the
>announcement should consist of a product announcement plus an e-mail address
>and price?

For the nit-picky among us:  "PD" as it's commonly understood
means Public Domain--i.e. you surrender ALL rights to it.

What you're talking about goes by a couple of names (SHAREWARE
comes to mind).  It's a commercial enterprise, and therefore
belongs in the "biz" hierarchy.  (See the article on alternative
newsgroup hierarchies in news.announce.newusers for more info on
biz groups.)  I would expect the moderators to politely reject
postings that asked for money in the mainstream groups.
(Brandon?)

Basically, anything that solicits money for anything other than a
legitimate charitable cause (e.g. disaster relief) is going to
piss people off.  There are places for \individual/ for sale/
wanted stuff, but even those aren't appropriate in your case.
Take it to biz.comp.software.

					-=EPS=-