bytebug@felix.UUCP (Roger L. Long) (01/06/87)
Greetings -
I'm the (normally invisible) moderator of mod.mac.{binaries,sources} and
would like to hear your opinion on the following matter:
Should demo versions of commercial programs be posted to mod.mac.binaries?
Recently, I posted a demo version of Shanghai, a game program available from
Activision, and Design. I just received a complaint from one reader stating
that a 10-part posting of a demo version of a program wasn't something he
wanted to see taking up space (and costing money to propagate) on the net.
My own feeling is that this *IS* a valid use of the net, since many of us
would love to play with something before we part with our money. In my
case, I used the demo version of Shanghai, got hooked, and ended up buying
the real version.
But my feeling isn't nearly as important as yours in this matter. I'd like
to see some discussion of this here, as well as hear your individual feelings
by mail. The outcome will determine whether I post another multi-part
(approximately 10 parts) posting of the demo version of Jazz 1A that was
recently mentioned in the Info-Mac Digest.zen@utcs.UUCP (01/07/87)
In article <2115@felix.UUCP> bytebug@felix.UUCP (Roger L. Long) writes: >Greetings - > >I'm the (normally invisible) moderator of mod.mac.{binaries,sources} and >would like to hear your opinion on the following matter: > > Should demo versions of commercial programs be posted to mod.mac.binaries? It depends on the size and the type of the demo. If the demo is severely limited and not a true representation of the program then they shouldn't be posted. The larger the demo gets then the better it has to be to justify it showing up on the net. Nick Zentena -- Nick Zentena zen@utcs {allegra,ihnp4,decvax,pyramid} I don't need no stinking signature
rick@uwmacc.UUCP (the absurdist) (01/08/87)
In article <2115@felix.UUCP> bytebug@felix.UUCP (Roger L. Long) writes: > > Should demo versions of commercial programs be posted to mod.mac.binaries? > You mention Jazz and Shanghai; I would not want demos of these posted. Lotus can market Jazz quite well, and an interested person should have no trouble getting a demo version. Shanghai is a game; no matter how much I may like it, I suspect that many site admins will object to the cost for the posting. On the other hand, I think that demos of things like "Design" are fine; this is much harder to find (small company, small advertising and marketing budget) and is certainly "work-related" for many people. I appreciate people who post, but am worried that some postings that are too large will cause too many sites to cut the group (*.binaries is a favorite target in "cut the groups" arguments.) -- "I'll do it -- I've got the GUTS. I'm the PRESIDENT." "Maybe we should take that box away from him." "Why bother?" Rick Keir -- one floor up from the Oyster Tank -- UWisc - Madison {allegra, ihnp4, seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!rick
jlc@goanna.oz (J.L Cybulski) (01/08/87)
In article <2115@felix.UUCP> bytebug@felix.UUCP (Roger L. Long) writes: >Greetings - > >I'm the (normally invisible) moderator of mod.mac.{binaries,sources} and >would like to hear your opinion on the following matter: > > Should demo versions of commercial programs be posted to mod.mac.binaries? I agree with Roger, the net provides a unique opportunity to preview software utilities before the actual purchase. It is especially important for those of the Mac users who live outside USA. Some of the software so popular in the US does not come here at all or so late it is already obsolete (ie to Australia). The choice of imported software is usually made by the computer dealers who frequently do not have a clue as to what is good or what the users would want. Lets have an option to see and demand what's good for the Mac. PS: Imagine the cost we pay to get the news here to Oz. It is still a cheaper way of trying soaftware than to order a program wait for a couple of months (non-refundable order) and then find you have never wanted it.
roman@sigma.UUCP (Bill Roman) (01/08/87)
In article <2115@felix.UUCP> bytebug@felix.UUCP (Roger L. Long) writes: >I'm the (normally invisible) moderator of mod.mac.{binaries,sources} and >would like to hear your opinion on the following matter: > > Should demo versions of commercial programs be posted to mod.mac.binaries? Please, post them. Do be sure to identify them as such so that people who aren't interested in a toy version of something don't spend a lot of time downloading it.
clubmac@runx.OZ (Sydney University Macintosh Society) (01/09/87)
There are at least two ways of looking at posting demos of commercial software
to the net :-
1) That such a posting is an easy and cheap way for a commercial developer
to advertise the product, targeting a very large number of Mac users.
If I'm not mistaken, this could be interpreted as a breach of net rules.
2) The posting helps the Mac users amongst the net to see new products
first hand. The program may very well be exactly what people are after,
and so the posting has assisted users of the net in getting their work
done.
My opinion is that 2) is a better way of looking at such a posting.
*HOWEVER*, if the posting of such a large demo program (like Design
and Jazz) is in direct competition with Public Domain software, then
I would oppose such.
I see a *LOT* of interesting program descriptions in the digests posted
to mod.mac, but a lot never get to mod.mac.{binaries,sources}. The question
for Roger Long is whether he is moderating these programs out in favour
of the huge demos.
Finally, I'd like to publicly praise Roger for the good work he is doing
as moderator. Thanks Roger!
Jason Haines
Club Mac - The Sydney University Macintosh Society
Snail: Box 213, Holme Building, Sydney University, NSW, 2006, Australia
ACSnet: clubmac@runx ARPA: clubmac%runx.oz@seismo.css.gov
UUCP: {enea,hplabs,mcvax,prlb2,seismo,ubc-vision,ukc}!munnari!runx.oz!clubmaclarson@sri-unix.ARPA (Alan Larson) (01/09/87)
In article <2115@felix.UUCP>, bytebug@felix.UUCP (Roger L. Long) writes: > Should demo versions of commercial programs be posted to mod.mac.binaries? I would say no. The propigation of demo versions of software is, in my opinion, advertising. It seems inappropriate to advertise ones products here. If they were very small, perhaps, but they rarely are. (Shareware even seems to be pushing it a bit, since we all pay for one person to profit from the 'free' distribution service.) Alan
jmvm@oakhill.UUCP (John VanMunster) (01/12/87)
In article <583@runx.OZ> clubmac@runx.oz writes: > I see a *LOT* of interesting program descriptions in the digests posted > to mod.mac, but a lot never get to mod.mac.{binaries,sources}. Yeah, I'ld sure like to see more of these make it here too! > Finally, I'd like to publicly praise Roger for the good work he is doing > as moderator. Thanks Roger! > Jason Haines I disagree about about Roger's "good" work. I think he's doing FANTASTIC work! How he finds the time to do all the spliting/concatenating/sorting etc. etc. is beyond me. Whatever he decides about posting demo's is fine with me!!! -- terrorist cryptography DES drugs cipher secret decode NSA CIA NRO IRS coke crack pot LSD russian missile atom nuclear assassinate libyan RSA The above is food for the NSA line eater. Add it to your .signature and you too can help overflow the NSA's ability to scan all traffic going in or out of the USA looking for "significant" words. (This is not a joke, sadly.) John VanMunster, Motorola Inc., OakHill, Tx...!ut-sally!oakhill!jmvm (uucp) Disclaimer: The views contained herein are my own, not those of my employer or the administration of any computer sytem which I may be currently using.
wimp@sphinx.UUCP (01/19/87)
Yes, absolutely.
I've been hooked by DESIGN. I downloaded the demo version, and I think it's
fantastic, and I am going to get the real thing, all because the demo happened
to be posted.
Perhaps we need a new newgroup, like mod.mac.binary.sources.commercial.demos...
QUESTION---> I thought I saw somewhere that a patch for the demo version
upgrading it to the real thing would cost $40. Now I can't
seem to find any such message. Am I hallucinating?
It would be nice, since the latest issue of MacWorld has Design
going for $200, which seems to reinforce my hallucination
suspicion.
--
Jeff Haferman Usenet: ...!ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!wimp
Bitnet: wimp%sphinx@UChicago