Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:12218 comp.sys.ibm.pc:11498
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!tektronix!reed!percival!jamesd
From: jamesd@percival.UUCP (James Deibele)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Shareware:  A specific case.
Message-ID: <1078@percival.UUCP>
Date: 6 Feb 88 07:48:14 GMT
References: <94fordjm@byuvax.bitnet> <6542@ccv.bbn.COM>
Reply-To: jamesd@percival.UUCP (James Deibele)
Organization: Percy's UNIX, Portland, OR.
Lines: 22
Keywords: shareware freeware public-domain


     I find your reasoning about ARC very puzzling --- Thom Henderson of 
System Enhancement Associates writes a utility that fits a niche so 
perfectly that it quickly swept its predecessors (Library, Squeeze) aside,
and because it's now a standard, you refuse to pay for it.   Do you refuse
to pay Microsoft for your copy of DOS?  If you want to spend some time and
energy writing a program that does what ARC does, then contribute it to the
public domain, hurray for you.  SEA made no effort to flatten the competition
(Vern Buerg, Phil Katz) when they wrote ARC-compatible programs; they also
sell the source for a reasonable price.  They contributed something to the
public good (as well as all the FidoNet sysop utilities they've done as
shareware) and don't write long tirades attacking others.  Not saying that
they're perfect, but they're pretty far up there on my personal rating scale.
     It's possible to get software without using ARC --- any club or disk 
library will be glad to sell you disks at $5 each.  Or start your own BBS and
use Zoo instead of ARC.  As a "shareware author," don't be surprised when 
no money comes rolling in.  Too many people rationalize like you do . . .
-- 
James S. Deibele   jamesd@qiclab or jamesd@percival
TECHBooks: The Computer Book Specialists   (800) TECH-BKS
3646 SE Division  Portland, OR  97202      (503) 238-1005
TECHBooks One BBS (#1:105/4.0); 3/12/24    (503) 760-1473