root@polari.UUCP (The Super User) (03/14/90)
This is a summary of the responses to the poll on shareware distribution on usenet. SUMMARY: Most respondents are against unrestricted posting of shareware on usenet. Most favor either no posting at all of shareware or posting restricted to moderated groups or to seperate groups altogether. Interesting that every site admin that identified themselves stated that they either wanted NO shareware or they wanted it in a seperate group that they could not carry. Several of ther respondents from the UK stated that they could not legally carry usenet. Several folks (2) asked if I was posting as root to impress (as one fellow put it) "fido weenies who don't have root". No, I'm posting as root because I started this when I happened to be logged in as super user, and I've continued it to be consistent. I'm "bruceki@polari.uucp" or "uw-beaver!sumax!polari!bruceki". Raw data available for the asking. ====================================================================== The poll itself was started with the following question: >In your opinion, should people be allowed to distribute shareware through >the network? Should there be any restrictions on that distribution (IE >geographic restrictions OR newsgroup restrictions)? Should there be a >seperate group for shareware or other commercial software? Since there are multiple questions here, there is some room for discussion; I've broken down the respondents into the following catagories: No, it should not be allowed: 45 Yes, it should be allowed with restrictions: 40 Yes, it should be allowed: 32 Unclear: 3 ----------------------------------------------------------- Total 120 (numbers in parenthesis are number of respondents mentioning this) Comments from NO notes: I hate binaries [said in various ways] (12) Our site [mostly UK sites] can't carry shareware legally (4) Does not fit with 'usenet culture' (2) Too much volume already, don't want more (3) Comments from Yes, with restrictions notes: Shareware should be in biz.* not in comp,misc,etc group. (23) Shareware should be in comp.sys.*.sharware (11) Shareware should have subject line stating shareware (5) Shareware sources OK, but not binary (5) No crippleware, asks for contribution not demands it (3) Moderated newsgroup for announcements of shareware + maillist (2) Shareware only in moderated groups to prevent shareware floods (1) Shareware for less than $50 OK, more expensive not ok (1) Comments from YES votes: Shareware works well with usenet (6) Shareware benefits the users (3) Shareware is a good way to distribute code for authors (2) If you wish to have a copy of the raw data, (it's 190K in length at this point) please mail me a request and I'll cut it up into 50K chunks and mail it to you. Bruce King / Seattle Online / Public Unix / (206) 328-4944 bruceki@polari =========================================================================== Respondents (thank you for taking the time to respond) Steven R Gerber <uw-beaver!rutgers!cunixd.cc.columbia.edu!srg> "Aengus Lawlor, Computer Science Dept., C.o.T. Kevin St." <uunet!dit.ie!ALAWLOR> "Gregg Townsend" <uunet!arizona!gmt> "Mike Fisher" <uw-beaver!ames!mailrus!uflorida!mlf> <uw-beaver!ames!cs.utexas.edu!execu!memqa!qfhca81> <uw-beaver!ames!hplabs!oblio!alruna!mats> <uw-beaver!ames!mailrus!sharkey!tygra!dave> <uw-beaver!att!cbnewsh!tjt> <uw-beaver!att!ll1a!markn> <uw-beaver!att!mhuxd!wald> <uw-beaver!oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu!paul> <uw-beaver!rutgers!cse.ogi.edu!daniels> <uw-beaver!rutgers!project4.computer-science.manchester.ac.uk!collinsa> <uw-beaver!rutgers!quiche.cs.mcgill.ca!utility> <uw-beaver!rutgers!uunet.uu.net!pcrat!rick> <uw-beaver!rutgers!uunet.uu.net!pcrat!rick> Andrew Wilcox <uunet!EAGLE.WESLEYAN.EDU!AWILCOX> Bert Bos <uunet!relay.EU.net!gufalet!bert> Brad Templeton <uunet!watmath!bstempleton> Christophe Muller <uunet!phoenix.src.umd.edu!muller> Craig Leres <uw-beaver!rutgers!helios.ee.lbl.gov!leres> Dan Schlitt <uunet!sci.ccny.cuny.edu!dan> Darryl Okahata <uw-beaver!hpubvwa!hplsla!hp-sde.sde.hp.com!hpnmdla!hpnmxx!darrylo> David Collier-Brown <uw-beaver!nexus.yorku.ca!davecb> Edmund Stephen-Smith <uunet!comp.vuw.ac.nz!Edmund.Stephen-Smith> Filippo Salustri <uw-beaver!rutgers!me.utoronto.ca!fil> H. Roderus <uunet!faui28.informatik.uni-erlangen.de!roderus> James Clark <uunet!relay.EU.net!jclark!jjc> Jens Tingleff <uunet!relay.EU.net!diku!jensting> John Foster <uunet!axion.bt.co.uk!jfoster> John McLendon <uw-beaver!rutgers!ecsvax.uncecs.edu!uccjcm> Liz Allen-Mitchell <uw-beaver!ames!elroy!grian!liz> Morgan Herrington <uw-beaver!harvard!ogicse!qtc!morgan> Odd Einar Aurbakken <uunet!ifi.uio.no!oea> Peter Crowther (CAG ra) <uunet!r1.cs.man.ac.uk!pjc> Peter E. Yee <uw-beaver!ames!trident.arc.nasa.gov!yee> Peter Miller <uunet!munnari!neccan.oz.au!peter> Rich Kulawiec <uw-beaver!ames!boulder.UUCP!rsk> Richard Reiner <uw-beaver!nexus.yorku.ca!rreiner> Rob Kinsler <uunet!BRL.MIL!robk> Robert F Krick <uunet!dukee.egr.duke.edu!rfk> Robert Osborne <uw-beaver!isgtec!robert> Terry Poot <uw-beaver!rutgers!mccall.com!tp> Tris Mabbs <uunet!uel.co.uk!tehm> Wayne Mccormick <uw-beaver!cpsc.UCalgary.CA!wayne> decwrl!decvax!ubbs-nh.MV.COM!noel (N. 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