Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!caen!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!symcom!chappell From: chappell@symcom (Glenn Chappell) Newsgroups: comp.misc Subject: Re: For fun or money? Re: ALED goes to the wastebasket here in Iceland Message-ID: <1991Jun18.213430.27811@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> Date: 18 Jun 91 21:34:30 GMT References: <1991Jun15.172306.19724@uwasa.fi> <1991Jun15.222200.26041@cbfsb.att.com> Sender: usenet@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (News) Reply-To: chappell@math.uiuc.edu (Glenn Chappell) Organization: Math Dept., University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign Lines: 26 In article nelson@clutx.clarkson.edu (aka NELSON@CLUTX.BITNET) writes: >In article <1991Jun15.222200.26041@cbfsb.att.com> mbb@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (martin.brilliant) writes: > > Very often the authors of shareware are doing it for fun, and they > like to hear comments and suggestions, and like to be helpful. > >If they're not in it for the money, why are they asking for money? >Shareware is NO different from commercial, proprietary software -- it >just uses a different marketing scheme. I think they're both right: NELSON appears to be talking about obligations. When you buy something from someone, they have certain legal & moral obligations, regardless of how the product is marketed. However you buy your software, the seller is obligated to let you use it legally and generally to provide some sort of support. In a more vague, ethical sense they are obligated to make sure the product is worth the price. On the other hand, mbb is talking about attitudes. Even the largest corporation can be founded just for the fun of it, but they tend not to be. On the other hand, shareware operations are commonly done for fun. Further, it is true that shareware authors are more likely to enjoy receiving comments and suggestions and helping their customers out. GGC <><