Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!rutgers!dayton!ems!nis!stag!trb
From: trb@stag.UUCP ( Todd Burkey )
Newsgroups: comp.sources.d
Subject: Re: Posting shareware to the Usenet
Message-ID: <295@stag.UUCP>
Date: 30 Dec 87 19:12:17 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> <1009@ubc-vision.UUCP>
Reply-To: trb@stag.UUCP ( Todd Burkey )
Organization: Mindtools ST Access Group, Plymouth, MN
Lines: 34

In article <1009@ubc-vision.UUCP> majka@ubc-vision.UUCP (Marc Majka) writes:
>In article <2377@dasys1.UUCP> samperi@dasys1.UUCP (Dominick Samperi) writes:
>>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?
>
>Answer 1: The programmer is a student, and developed the software on
>university hardware.  Regulations forbid it being sold.
>
>Answer 2: The programmer doesn't believe in fleecing people.
>
Answer 3: The programmer knows that if it is marketted, only 1% of the
people out there will actually get to use it.

I am getting ready to release a product called HDSCAN to
comp.sources.misc as shareware. This is a product that I have out for
the Atari ST which I ported over to my Symmetrics (BSD) box out of
simple necessity. Basically, HDSCAN is a directory tree peruser,
with some of the best features of programs like XTREE, 1DIR, SWEEP,
and other PC programs. I treat it as a tool for cleaning up
directories, re-organizing my hard disk, performing incremental
backups, performing operations on groups of files scattered across
partitions, etc.

Actually, there is one other nice feature of shareware that I have
found pleasing on the Atari ST...you get lots of nice letters from
people thanking you for the program. Positive feedback is probably the
best reward to shareware. I do have to agree with a previous poster,
however, in that the days of making a living from a shareware program
are pretty much gone.

Oh yes...hdscan will also run on SysVr2 and SysVr3.

  -Todd Burkey
   trb@stag.UUCP