Xref: utzoo news.groups:17132 comp.sources.d:4674
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt!tmsoft!nebulus!telly!evan
From: evan@telly.on.ca (Evan Leibovitch)
Newsgroups: news.groups,comp.sources.d
Subject: Re: Proposed New Newsgroup - comp.sources.shareware
Message-ID: <25C718D5.6F1A@telly.on.ca>
Date: 31 Jan 90 16:56:51 GMT
References: <139@sneezy.tcom.stc.co.uk> <1181@utoday.UUCP> <1990Jan27.024348.10572@tvcent.uucp> <1492@krafla.rhi.hi.is> <1186@utoday.UUCP>
Organization: Public Access Usenet, Brampton, Ontario
Lines: 47

In article <1186@utoday.UUCP> greenber@utoday.UUCP (Ross M. Greenberg) writes:

>frisk@rhi.hi.is (Fridrik Skulason) writes:

>>"Pay if you use it" shareware and crippled demo software has no place on
>>Usenet at all.

>Hi Fridrik!  YOne thing you should note:  some of the best shareware available
>is by members of the Association of Shareware Professionals.

And some of the best publicly-distributed software around isn't charged
for at all - so what?

>In order to
>qualify as a member, you must pass their rather stringent rules.  One of
>those rules is that you can;t ask for a donation, but rather must indicate
>that the software, if used *must* be paid for.

As Fridrik said, software supplied by anyone conforming to this
ASP 'code', has no place on Usenet.

But since there's no absolute legal need to do what the author says with
unsolicited software, the matter is moot. Authors can demand whatever
they want. If it doesn't affect the use of the program, I can choose
to ignore it. If it affects the operation of the program, it's crippleware
and deserves the bit bucket.

The "professionalism" of a software author is mainly reflected in the
quality of his/her product, and no ad-hoc organization will change that.
I wouldn't give a damn if the author of a shareware package considers
him/herself "professional" - if the package is worthwhile, I will reward
that by following the author's wishes. Voluntarily.

But why do we bother with this at all? Why plunge Usenet into paying for
a resource which is already handled well by local BBS services? It's
totally redundant with what PC-SIG, Canada Remote Systems, and thousands
of BBSs are already doing.

For someone to get a program from SIMTEL or a local BBS, they have to
specifically ask for it. This puts the author making demands on somewhat
firmer moral ground, than with the site owner who got the program but
didn't ask for it.
-- 
The Northwest Territories:  | Evan Leibovitch, Sound Software
Where men are men, women    | Located in beautiful Brampton, Ontario
are scarce, and caribou are | evan@telly.on.ca / uunet!attcan!telly!evan
very careful how they walk. | (416) 452-0504