Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!rochester!rutgers!ames!amdahl!nsc!voder!apple!dowdy From: dowdy@apple.UUCP (Tom Dowdy) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Re: Yeah! Permanent (default) GetInfo boxes on their way Message-ID: <1427@apple.UUCP> Date: Tue, 4-Aug-87 18:20:12 EDT Article-I.D.: apple.1427 Posted: Tue Aug 4 18:20:12 1987 Date-Received: Thu, 6-Aug-87 07:08:26 EDT References: <17804@amdcad.AMD.COM> <2643@husc6.UUCP> Distribution: world Organization: Apple Computer, Inc., Cupertino, USA Lines: 60 In article <2643@husc6.UUCP>, fry@huma1.HARVARD.EDU (David Fry) writes: >> [quote concerning get info being in the creator resource] > Take a look inside Red Ryder 9.4's creator resource to see > what John Q. Bussinessman will be looking at when he selects > Get Info. It's childishness like that holds back shareware. > Who (other than people who play with ResEdit) sees these resources anyway? (I will admit that I went and peeked at it just out of curiousity) Granted, it's not overly professional, but Scott Watson isn't a businessman, he's a programmer. Also, John Q. Bussinessman wouldn't buy shareware, since he'd rather spend lots of money on some mainline product because some magazine said it was easy to use. Still, it's true than if creator resources get used as the GetInfo information, many programs may need some modifications. Lots of programs DON'T use this resource to store version information. Well, I'll tell you what I think holds back shareware. People who don't pay for it. I got out of the shareware business after getting countless calls concerning support for my shareware programs from people who were not registered. Some would say the quality of the software doesn't warrent paying for it. Okay fine, then it doesn't merit using it either. And you had sure better not expect SUPPORT of it! At the time, I was still in school and for a student, money is money is money, and support over the phone can get expensive when people expect you to call them back. Now it is true, there are ALOT of honest people out there. I had a small utility net me some $15 odd dollars (which I was pleased with). More interesting to me than the money was the fact that these people had bothered to write me (and sometimes call me) from distant and interesting places to tell me what they thought of my package. (Someone once called me from Hobart Tasmania!) I really appreciate it when people call about even my public domain programs, or write nice letters telling me how I might improve it a bit. I try to make it a point to always answer them. What really burns me though is when people refer to a shareware product as "PUBLIC DOMAIN" (esp in magazines). Worse still are the lot who SELL disks with shareware on it, then the people who get them think that they have rights to the program. Well, *I* sure didn't see any money from it! Scott Watson has recently gotten out of the shareware game with red ryder 10.0. Now, I'm not going to try to defend this move on the part of one of sharewares biggest success stories, I'm sure he had his own reasons for doing what he did. But if he decided he had enough... (I will not get into a discussion of the merits of Red Ryder or other such things) Something in me just made me HAVE to get this off of my chest: Tom Dowdy CSNET: dowdy@apple.CSNET Apple Computer MS:27Y AppleLink:DOWDY1 20525 Mariani Ave UUCP: {sun,voder,amdahl,decwrl}!apple!dowdy Cupertino, CA 95014 "Plus ca change, Plus c'est la meme chose."