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From: tcs@mailer.jhuapl.edu (Carl Schelin)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.programmer
Subject: Re: Cracking games
Message-ID: <1991Mar19.202508.2154@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu>
Date: 19 Mar 91 20:25:08 GMT
References: <27442@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU> <31600014@hpcvra.cv.hp.com.> <1991Mar18.223533.646@welch.jhu.edu> <1991Mar19.172138.4340@Solbourne <7808@uceng.UC.EDU>
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In article <7808@uceng.UC.EDU>, dmocsny@minerva.che.uc.edu (Daniel Mocsny) says:
>
>In article <1991Mar19.172138.4340@Solbourne.COM> imp@Solbourne.COM (Warner Losh) writes:
>>By distributing your software via shareware, you are accepting the
>>risk that people will not pay you for programs they really use.
>
>This is true if you distribute your software. Shareware distribution
>merely exposes the author to somewhat more more risk.
>
>However, we could also argue that the shareware author enjoys
>higher total revenues, despite the (somewhat) higher rate of
>piracy. If this were not true, then shareware authors would have
>all gone shrinkwrap by now.
>

Huh? I have a few shareware products out there and have received
a total of 250 bucks over the last 4 years. 150 of that was for a 
crippleware product. But then again, I guess that anything is better
that what I expected which was nothing. 

>...

>The shareware pirate who acts as an unpaid consultant could well be
>generating a lot of indirect revenue for the shareware author (s)he is
>"ripping off". However, I have not seen a shareware license that
>attempts to compensate a shareware user for advertising the product.
>The shareware author earns higher profits by replacing, in part,
>for-profit dealers with volunteer consultants. Is that fair?
>

My shareware license does state that I will send 5 bucks back to you
if a person who registered it gives me your name. It has for the past
two years.

>
>Every shareware registration form should include a field for 
>identifying the registered user who influenced the new registrant's
>decision. Then the shareware author should send a kickback to
>that person. This would motivate the unpaid-consultant-pirates to
>register, as well as give *them* an incentive to pressure their
>clients to register.
>

Sorry, I don't have a field with the person's name on it, but I do
have a serial number. You send in the serial number and I send
the money to the person who registered it. No one's ever done it
though.

Carl Schelin
tcs@mailer.jhuapl.edu