Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!phri!dasys1!manes
From: manes@dasys1.UUCP (Steve Manes)
Newsgroups: comp.sources.d
Subject: Re: Posting shareware to the Usenet
Message-ID: <2388@dasys1.UUCP>
Date: 28 Dec 87 10:58:38 GMT
References: <417@ddsw1.UUCP> <262@papaya.bbn.com> <4309@bellcore.bellcore.com> <233@academ.UUCP> <3669@hoptoad.uucp> <470@gethen.UUCP> <2377@dasys1.UUCP>
Reply-To: manes@dasys1.UUCP (Steve Manes)
Organization: Datamerica Systems, NYC
Lines: 32

In article <2377@dasys1.UUCP> samperi@dasys1.UUCP (Dominick Samperi) writes:
>Perhaps the original developer of the shareware/freeware concept made a
>killing because he did it at the right time. I do not think that it works
>anymore. 

I agree.  The moniker "Freeware" is usually associated with the granddaddy
of such program offerings, PC-Talk.  I'm curious if Fluegelman's concept
really was as profitable as all that given that (the last I heard) PC-Talk
dumped Freeware and went commercial.

>Question: What motivates a programmer to develop a large complex software
>system, perhaps requiring many weeks (or even years) of development effort,
>which is then posted for the world to use, for free?

What motivates me is lack of resources to even consider marketing Magpie
commercially.  Five years ago, you could stick a floppy disk and a few
sheets of offset-printed literature in a baggy and call it a commercial
program.  That was back when, except for a few heavy guns, most
software was sold with about the same level of sophistication as your
neighborhood dope dealer.  I'll be releasing Magpie Shareware very soon
(maybe January) but without any tricky internal counters or lockouts.  I
don't plan on making bus fare from it.  However, enhancements are already
planned and those will go into a commercial version.  By then, I hope
there's enough name recognition and appreciation for the program that
people will "upgrade" for the sake of a more heavily-featured version.  If
not, no reprisals (the unconscionable swine).

-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+ Steve Manes         Roxy Recorders, Inc.                 NYC
+ decvax!philabs!cmcl2!hombre!magpie!manes       Magpie BBS: 212-420-0527
+ uunet!iuvax!bsu-cs!zoo-hq!magpie!manes              300/1200/2400