u-dmfloy%ug.utah.edu@wasatch.UUCP (Daniel M Floyd) (03/29/89)
Paul Neubauer, Art Dederick, Wm. E. Davidsen Jr, and many more have been writing about the problems and benefits of commercial software postings. Most of the discussion focusses on shareware postings. I believe everyone would object to a company (like say MicroSoft, or IBM) routinely posting advertisements to the net without paying for it. From those who read the advertisements, I would expect mixed reactions - the same for any advertising campaign. Shareware, however, is different; not only does it advertise the product, it distributes it as well. For the user, it is a chance to review software before financial commitment; it allows many to simply get more free software. Let's face it. Thousands of users don't ever send a dime. That happens to commercial software too. Witness copy protection against pirates. As more than one of you has pointed out, the network is not homogenious. It is made up of thousands of entities. Each entity with various funding capabilites, directives, and ... you know. Therefore, I recommend each site make their own rules about commercialware/shareware. Some rules that might be usefull: 1. Append a message to shareware dissallowing payment because it came through a public site. This would apply mostly to Universities and similar sites that are bound by legislative process. 2. Before posting shareware, send a contract to the shareware author containing terms of royalties, the phone bill attributable to the post, and other related items. No contract. No post. This would allow sites to dissallow 'freeloaders' while at the same time allowing distribution of shareware. It might drive up the price of shareware to the user, but that is part of economics. Notice I wrote *price* not *cost*. The cost is the same. This rule would just change who is paying for it. 3. Forget it and send everything through. 4. Forget it and send nothing through. Obviously there are as many ways to handle this as there are sites. How convenient! Everyone can do it their own way. We can argue about what's best. That some rule will restrict information flow. But this is a cooperative network. If a site refuses to cooperate, then that is part of network life. Dan 8<D= Dan Floyd 8<D=