Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!ames!ucbcad!ucbvax!jade!eris!mwm From: mwm@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (Mike (My watch has windows) Meyer) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.misc Subject: Re: Shareware is a HOAX Re: Another View on Shareware Message-ID: <3517@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> Date: Sat, 9-May-87 17:22:34 EDT Article-I.D.: jade.3517 Posted: Sat May 9 17:22:34 1987 Date-Received: Sun, 10-May-87 09:35:54 EDT References: <18006@sun.uucp> <795@looking.UUCP> <765@puff.WISC.EDU> Sender: usenet@jade.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: mwm@eris.BERKELEY.EDU (Mike (My watch has windows) Meyer) Organization: Missionaria Phonibalonica Lines: 43 Xref: mnetor comp.sys.amiga:4691 comp.sys.ibm.pc:3919 comp.sys.misc:567 In article <765@puff.WISC.EDU> upl@puff.WISC.EDU (Future Unix Gurus) writes: >If you WANT to be commercial, then BE commercial! Take out ads, do the >duplication and packaging your self, and charge for copies by the copy. Well said! On the other hand: >If on the other hand, you are devloping things that for one reason or another >you don't want to market, but do want to share and would like a little >recognition, release it as SHAREWARE (note the derivation of the word, it >aint called COMMERCIALWARE! :) ) Since you said "recognition," not "dollars," you can take the route I took. Copyright the thing, and put in notices saying "you can redist so long as all copyright notices stay in place, and you give away source." Also add restrictions that bug reports and enhancements be sent back to the author, and explicit instructions on how to get them there. I did this with a text formatter for CP/M about 5 years ago. Result: A 6" stack of mail, most being short things of the form "small tex is great! Is there a new version?" from all over the world (have to check, but I think I've got mail from every continent but Antartica). Some of them are enhancements. A listing of a port to OS/9-6809. A few requests for new features. One request for permission to explicitly mention my name in an article printed with small tex, so that those who read the article know where to go to get a copy, along with a copy of the article. [High point: no bug reports! I found one minor bug, even though I used small tex steadily for three years.] And an offer of $15/copy if I do an IBM-PC port, with a projected sales of at least 1000 copies/year. Sure looks like recognition to me. And it's sure worth more than the hundred dollars or so I'd have gotten if I'd asked for money. I suspect I wouldn't have gotten most of that mail if I'd asked for money, so I think I won.