ritzenth@bgsuvax.UUCP (Phil Ritzenthaler) (02/08/88)
In article <8255@g.ms.uky.edu>, sean@ms.uky.edu (Sean Casey) writes: > In article <1012@sask.UUCP> long@sask.UUCP (Warren Long) writes: > >> progam to help move, delete, copy, etc. files on hard disks. While the > >> program was quite good, and the request for money was small ($15), the > >> program had a 10 second delay at the beginning and the end of a run. > > >I am impressed with the method used, and am surprised at the audacity > >of the above user. > > I disagree. The author has released a product that is virtually > unusable. I would use it once or twice, get disgusted, and toss it > out on general principle. So would most of the people I work with, > and most of my friends. Sean, I'm sorry, but I think you're wrong. The author of this shareware has a most clever and a more and more often used concept used to bug you. Yes, that's the idea . . . it's ==> SUPPOSED <== to bug the HELL out of you! If you do like what the product does, you're not supposed to use it as is, you're supposed to send in your money and get the patch to get rid of the irritation. If you want to use it, but not pay the piper, you must pay the penalty . . . which in this case is TIME. Phil Ritzenthaler |USnail: University Computer Services Computer Graphics Research Consultant | 241 Math-Science Bldg. UUCP :.!cbosgd!osu-cis!bgsuvax!ritzenth | Bowling Green State University CSNET: ritzenth@bgsu.edu | Bowling Green, OH 43403-0125 ARPA : ritzenth%bgsu.edu@relay.cs.net | Phone: (419) 372-2102
gordan@maccs.UUCP (gordan) (02/11/88)
If you want to read a version of this message without all these annoying Control-L's send $ 15 by e-mail Thank you. -- One foot on a banana peel The other in the Twilight Zone
dick@slvblc.UUCP (Dick Flanagan) (02/13/88)
In article <8503@sunybcs.UUCP> ugpete@sunybcs.uucp (Peter Theobald) writes: > How many times have you read this on the net: > '...<stuff about how OTHERS don't pay for shareware>... > I, however, am sending in my money for <program x> just as > soon as <condition y>' > [...] > How many people have ACTUALLY sent money? Not Real Soon Now. PROCOMM -- $25 \ ARC -- 35 > utilities for IBM PC-types PICNIX -- 15 / The best money I have ever spent on software--bar none--period! If I use it regularly, I pay for it! Dick -- Dick Flanagan, W6OLD GEnie: FLANAGAN UUCP: ...!ucbvax!ucscc!slvblc!dick Voice: +1 408 336 3481 INTERNET: slvblc!dick@ucscc.UCSC.EDU LORAN: N037 05.5 W122 05.2 USPO: PO Box 155, Ben Lomond, CA 95005
bobmon@iuvax.UUCP (Bob...Mon) (02/13/88)
In article <1556@bgsuvax.UUCP> ritzenth@bgsuvax.UUCP (Phil Ritzenthaler) writes: >In article <8255@g.ms.uky.edu>, sean@ms.uky.edu (Sean Casey) writes: >> In article <1012@sask.UUCP> long@sask.UUCP (Warren Long) writes: [ A "shareware" disk utility has a delay built into it that makes it not-very- useful; registration removes the delay. ] {Another twopence of opinion...} Personally, I think this is a valid marketing tactic. However, I DON'T think that it is shareware. Case in point: Some years ago I sent away for and received a demo disk of a spreadsheet. It was a pretty-much complete program; the only thing it lacked was the ability to save or print anything. In other words, you could play all you wanted, but you couldn't do anything useful. If you liked, you bought. (If not, you had a free disk.) The package didn't claim to be shareware, it was purely commercial. In that light, it seems reasonable to me to show someone the features of your neat program to entice them into buying the real thing. But that isn't (wasn't) the premise of shareware. The original idea, as I understand it, was that you GOT the real thing via public distribution channels, thereby saving the author & company the cost of delivery. In return for a lower price, you were supposed to be honest and cooperative enough to send in your payment. And a program that isn't completely functional, that requires something further to be supplied upon payment, is something different. It's a higher-pitch marketing ploy. -- You TOO Can Defeat The 4-Line .signature Limit And Be Obnoxious To Your Friends And Neighbours!!!!! ...---... Charles Cabbage on the Difference Engine running SE grade 10W40 at UKnoWhere Babble@diffEQ bob,mon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu Chucky on Ada The Slide Rules!"Spaceship Earth! There IS no substitute!"
loafman@convexe.UUCP (02/15/88)
I too have sent in money for shareware. I've received good support, good products and a fair price in return. I've also spent good money on 'commercial' products for which I've been given horrendous support, flaky performance and a large tax writeoff. Would much rather have the smaller tax writeoff and something I can use, especially something I can try before I buy. BTW, the above big tax writeoffs have forced me into the mode of temporary piracy on more than one occassion. Rather than paying many hundreds of dollars for a product sight unseen, I've borrowed a copy, tried it out, and then paid for it IF I could use it, otherwise, I've trashed it immediately. I now have legitimate copies of anything I use and have no qualms about how much money was spent. I would guess that I have about 60% shareware, 30% commercial, and 10% self made. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kenneth W. Loafman @ CONVEX Computer Corp, Dallas, Texas | All opinions Voice: work: (214) 952-0829 home: (214) 964-1250 | are my own, USPSnail: 1705 Coit Rd #2101, Plano, Tx 75075 | of course. UUCP: ihnp4!convex!loafman | CompuServe: 72345,233 | ...KWL ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~