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From: sean@ms.uky.edu (Sean Casey)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Finkware
Message-ID: <8468@g.ms.uky.edu>
Date: 27 Feb 88 05:49:44 GMT
References: <8055@g.ms.uky.edu> <174@piring.cwi.nl> <39450@sun.uucp> <8255@g.ms.uky.edu> <182@wsccs.UUCP>
Reply-To: sean@ms.uky.edu (Sean Casey)
Organization: The Leaning Tower of Patterson Office @ The Univ. of KY
Lines: 60

In article <182@wsccs.UUCP> terry@wsccs.UUCP (terry) writes:
>> [me]
>> Shareware is a noble but stupid idea. It's based on a flawed view of
>> users. It's almost never worked, and I'm pretty certain that it
>> never will.
>
>        I recently (well, last comdex) met the guy who wrote PC-WRITE...
>he's making gobs of money, so I don't believe the above statement to be true.
>He said "I don't sell software... software's all up here [picture hand waving
>in a circular motion, just above the head]  ...I sell manuals and support".
>Works for him.  He had 8 people in shipping, last I heard.

PC-WRITE and PC-FILE are major exceptions to the rule (as a matter of
fact, a company I consult for bought a copy of PC-FILE). The fact is,
most shareware authors get no contributions at all. I would like to
see every fine program rewarded with lots of money and praise, but it
just doesn't happen in the real world.

I think the PC-FILE and PC-WRITE programs succeed so well exactly
because of the reasons stated. The programs have just enough docs to
show how useful they are without giving you full control. A
registered copy gives you very good printed docs and very good
support.

>> [me]
>> If I had a product that I wanted to sell, I'd try to market it
>> through one of the major vendors, or I'd buy 2x3" ad in Amazing
>> Computing or Amigaworld and take my chances.
>
>        You would be.  From experience, it takes 6 months in a row for an ad
>to provide a reasonable amount of draw.  You have to wait for the user to want
>or need the service/product you offer.  He will go back to the magazine he saw
>your ad in and look through it.  If it isn't in the first one he picked up, you
>are instantly a fly-by-night company and he goes elsewhere.

Is there a better way? In any case, a reasonable draw is better than
none. If there's a method consistently better than the one I outlined,
please let us all know.

>> If I wanted people to have the program for free, I'd copyright it and
>> provide for free redistribution. No point in pretending that users are
>> something they are not, and no point in looking forward to money that
>> I'm not going to get.
>
>        I don't agree with your sentiment, but I welcome any software you
>want to send me free (o|-).

I'm working on what I hope to be the best publically distributable
version of Empire that anyone has ever seen. Boy oh boy I can tell
you right now it's going to take a long time before something really
playable is done, and even longer before I'm happy enough with it to
give it to the public. Look for it in mid 1989.

Sean

-- 
***  Sean Casey               sean@ms.uky.edu,  sean@ukma.bitnet
***  The Empire Maniac        {rutgers,uunet,cbosgd}!ukma!sean
***  University of Kentucky / Lexington Kentucky / USA
***  "Ludo... FRIEND!"