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From: kds@physics (Kevin Stokes)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Shareware is junk
Message-ID: <22231@duke.cs.duke.edu>
Date: 2 May 91 18:16:12 GMT
References: <1991Apr30.174659.9082@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu> <5101.281dc791@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu> <1991May1.163820.15665@amc.com>
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Reply-To: kds@physics.phy.duke.edu (Kevin Stokes)
Organization: Duke University Physics Dept.; Durham, N.C.
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>
>Personally, I neither cripple nor put reminders in the shareware I write.
>And I get no registrations, either. Has anybody else out there had the
>experience of an unregistered user writing email like "Your stuff is great,
>I use it all the time. Do you suppose you could add feature X?"
>

  I am shareware author, and I have a tried a system which is neither
crippleware, or hassle-ware.   My program requires the user to answer 
some configuration setup questions, and then installs itself while storing
the date by modifying the .EXE.  The user is informed that he/she can use
the program for a week to decide whether or not the program is good.
  The program then behaves like a fully registered version until the week
is up.  When this occurs the user must reinstall the program.  When they 
register, I send a command line option with a unique code which registers
their copy, and then of course the program no longer keeps track of date,
etc.  (IE I don't sent out a floppy, I just return the code in a SASE)
  I left out alot of details in the above, but the method is safeguarded
against easy tricks like modifying the system date, copying yesterday's exe,
etc.  Of course a real hacker could hack it in an hour, but I don't think
any hacker would be interested, since my registration fee is only $5.00.
  Anyway, I'm very pleased with the response so far;  I've received about
250 registrations.
  Of course, I still get letters from unregistered users "I will only
register your program if you make the following changes:
  1.) Remove the copyright notice:      ( Actual requests )
  2.) Add flying toasters with wings:
  3.) Make it run under Windows 3.0  ( Would require a entirely new program)
  4.) And so on..."
  It amazes me how people think I would work day and night implementing
their ideas so that I could get their five bucks.

  I just remembered another good one:  "I am in the habit of registering
shareware products which I find useful.  Your program is NOT useful."
Why did that guy bother to write me?

-Kevin Stokes

--
	Kevin Stokes
	Duke University Dept. of Physics	kds@phy.duke.edu
	Durham, N.C.      27706