Xref: utzoo comp.sys.amiga:14804 comp.sys.misc:1213 comp.sys.ibm.pc:12248 comp.sys.mac:13028 comp.sys.atari.st:7726
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!pyramid!voder!kontron!optilink!cramer
From: cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: enforcement of Sharewar
Message-ID: <1939@optilink.UUCP>
Date: 22 Feb 88 18:11:17 GMT
References: <8055@g.ms.uky.edu> <174@piring.cwi.nl> <39450@sun.uucp> <8255@g.ms.uky.edu> <1398@puff.cs.wisc.edu> <1924@optilink.UUCP> <278@brambo.UUCP>
Organization: Optilink Corporation, Petaluma, CA
Lines: 35

> In article <1924@optilink.UUCP> cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) writes:
> >My two cents about shareware:  I originally distributed my Epson MX-80
> >to PostScript translator (in a very early form) as shareware.  Total
> >amount received: $0.
> 
> So why was it that you wrote the thing?  For your own benefit, right?
> Total extra effort on your part, 0; total monetary benefit to you, 0.
> Sounds about right to me.  Had you gone and added all of the stuff that
> people asked for and still not gotten any contributions, then you
> would have something to complain about.

Wrong.  To get something ready for use by others involves:

    1. Writing a manual.
    2. Making a serious attempt to verify that everything works -- not
       just what you used.

I put substantial effort into it before distributing it as shareware --
easily 20-40 hours.  (Verifying all the funny combinations of Epson
control codes is not trivial).

> If you had to fix your program up to sell it commercially, then it
> really wasn't worth anything in the first place, was it?
> 
I added features, and fixed a couple of bugs.  Not at all the same thing.
You are really a nasty person.  Sure you don't live in New York City?

> >Clayton E. Cramer
> 
> -- 
> Morgan Jones - Bramalea Software Inc.       ...!utgpu!telly \ !brambo!morgan
>                ...!{uunet!mnetor, watmath!utai}!lsuc!ncrcan /
> "These might not even be my opinions, let alone anyone else's."

Clayton E. Cramer