Info-IBMPC%USC-ISIB@sri-unix.UUCP (11/23/83)
From: Info-IBMPC Digest <Info-IBMPC@USC-ISIB>
We just got our copy of RF Starr's "free" utility program. A few
points:
1. It is not "free", but rather "freeware" -- he asks for a contribution.
2. It does not come with source code.
3. It's not very good anyway. Basically it provides a sorted DIR
listing, which you can get in DOS 2 with the command DIR | SORT
anyway. It is in no way comparable to the Norton Utilities, for
example.
I'm not putting this in the Info-IBMPC free program library. While
the freeware concept seems like friendly way to market software, it is
still a method of merchandising software for profit. It is certainly
wrong to use the Arpanet as an advertising medium and I apologise for
letting this one slip through.
Our policy for accepting programs for the library are:
1. The program must be truly free, with no fee or contribution of
any kind required or requested.
2. The program must be in source code form.
3. There must be no restrictions on its use, i.e. it must be
in the public domain.
There are some very exciting packages that will be placed in the
library soon, tho we don't to publicise them until they are actually
available. The following message contained a list of freeware that
has been edited down to the one package that claimed to be truly free.
I don't know if that is so or simply an oversight; if anyone gets a
copy, let us know.
Dick Gillmann
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