Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!unisoft!gethen!farren
From: farren@gethen.UUCP (Michael J. Farren)
Newsgroups: comp.sources.d
Subject: Re: Posting shareware to the Usenet
Message-ID: <494@gethen.UUCP>
Date: 30 Dec 87 22:33:19 GMT
References: <417@ddsw1.UUCP> <262@papaya.bbn.com> <4309@bellcore.bellcore.com> <2377@dasys1.UUCP> <2610@killer.UUCP>
Reply-To: farren@gethen.UUCP (Michael J. Farren)
Organization: There's Unix there in Oakland
Lines: 22

In article <2610@killer.UUCP> jfh@killer.UUCP (The Beach Bum) writes:
>Consider a package we have here which is `Shareware'.  The author expects
>$35 if you like it.  Well, I don't think the damned thing is worth $35.
>Ten or fifteen dollars maybe, but not thirtyfive.

So send the guy ten or fifteen dollars, with a note explaining that you
only thought it was worth that much, and why.  He'll be grateful (believe
me!) for the money, or ANY money for that matter, and just might try and
make improvements based on your suggestion.  If the $35 was to register
the software, and get fancy manuals, you might not get them, but you
will have registered your opinion in the best way I can think of - by way
of the pocketbook.

Most of the shareware I've seen has the line "Suggested Donation" in 
there somewhere.  I take this to mean that I'm not required to give
them that much if I don't think the package was worth it.

-- 
Michael J. Farren             | "INVESTIGATE your point of view, don't just 
{ucbvax, uunet, hoptoad}!     | dogmatize it!  Reflect on it and re-evaluate
        unisoft!gethen!farren | it.  You may want to change your mind someday."
gethen!farren@lll-winken.llnl.gov ----- Tom Reingold, from alt.flame