Xref: utzoo comp.sys.amiga:13566 comp.sys.misc:1032 comp.sys.ibm.pc:11013 comp.sys.mac:11537 comp.sys.atari.st:7115 Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!ukma!david From: david@ms.uky.edu (David Herron -- Resident E-mail Hack) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: Shareware & Honesty (Was: Software (and other kinds of) copying) Message-ID: <8149@e.ms.uky.edu> Date: 29 Jan 88 03:18:20 GMT References: <8055@g.ms.uky.edu> <174@piring.cwi.nl> <39450@sun.uucp> <6649@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <39910@sun.uucp> <6718@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <1348@looking.UUCP> Reply-To: david@ms.uky.edu (David Herron -- Resident E-mail Hack) Organization: U of Kentucky, Mathematical Sciences Lines: 42 In article <1348@looking.UUCP> brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) writes: >Why all this discussion of a moot issue like shareware? I did a survey last >year which pretty much proved to me that shareware is a hoax. It doesn't >work. The number of shareware success stories can be counted on your fingers, >and they all have something going for them other than the shareware concept. > >It's a hoax. Well, when I started this thread (amazing how conversations grow sometimes) I ended with a comment about shareware being a good idea in some ways -- Mainly because it took advantage of the fact that software is so easily copyable. But as with any product. In order to get money out of the public you have to provide some good product. Either (as in the case of disposable razors) the cheapest form of the product, or a good quality product. Bad shareware doesn't get money. Good shareware will get money. Mediocre shareware will get some money. It's not exactly a hoax and neither is it moot. A different system of distributing software needs to be developed ... one that will allow authors reasonable returns ... one that will allow people to make backup copies of software, give copies to friends, whatever ... maybe it's the holy grail. BUT IT REALLY GRIPES ME THAT I'VE GOT THIS MULTI-TASKING MACHINE (Amiga), AND A LOT OF THE SOFTWARE WON'T MULTI-TASK BECAUSE OF SOME SORT OF COPY PROTECTION SCHEME THAT! ahem seriously ... I'd like to bring up Little Computer People ... play with it awhile ... put it in the background ... come back to it later ... etc. that's an example of the stupid things that happen because companies have to copy-protect their software ... there are many other stories -- <---- David Herron -- The E-Mail guy <---- or: {rutgers,uunet,cbosgd}!ukma!david, david@UKMA.BITNET <---- <---- It takes more than a good memory to have good memories.