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Text File | 1992-04-18 | 14.8 KB | 324 lines

┌─────────────────────────┐ │┌────────────────────────┴┐ ││ SDN International (sm) ├────────────────────────────────────────── ││ Shareware Author Kit └──────────────────────────────────────────── ││ ││ Simple Guidelines for Shareware Authors to participate in SDNet ││ Author Direct and international file distribution inside FidoNet ││ ││ Published from The SDN Project, April 1992 │ This document is (C) Copyright The SDN Project 1992 and the property of Ray L. Kaliss as The SDN Project. This document may not be copied in whole or in part without the express permission of The SDN Project. This document is not public domain. It is intended as an informational document for Shareware authors considering program distribution via SDNet Distribution sites. This document may be copied in whole for that intend only. Official SDN International policy is formulated by The SDN Project and published at The SDN Project BBS in Meriden Connecticut, U.S.A. 203-634-0370. Policy online at The SDN Project supersedes policy in circulating form or of earlier date. CONTENTS ════════ 1. SDN International(sm) and The IFDC.......... 2. User Osmosis................................ 3. SDN Members................................. 4. Author Support of SDN....................... 5. Submitting Your Programs - The SDA.......... 6. Shareware Success........................... ╒══════════════════════╕ │ 1. INTERNATIONAL SDN └──────────────────────────────────────────────────── SDN International is the "Shareware Distribution Network" and international in reach. Shareware programs are distributed directly to hundreds of participating BBS sysops in FidoNet Technical Standards networks world wide. There they are posted for downloading by other sysops and BBS users. Shareware authors, because of their contribution to BBS'ing as a hobby, deserved some recognition, a mature forum to present their programs from. Sysops who participate in the SDN activity encourage user registration of shareware and present shareware in a safe, clean and mature manner. Software which can be distributed via SDN is shareware, of good quaility, fully functional productive applications and utilities that are of interest to general computer users. Software must be MSDOS compatible. Other distribution services exist for specialty items such as DesQview related, FidoNet sysop related, WINDOWS related, Lan related and so forth. SDN takes all software and will try to place your software into the proper distribution network. SDN is a member of The Inetrnational File Distribution Cooperative of Fidonet (IFDC). If SDN can not place it, SDN will distribute it. A listing of categories distributed by SDN: ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ SDN_BUSI SDN_COMM SDN_DATA SDN_GRAP SDN_GAME │ │ SDN_UTIL SDN_WORD SDN_MISC SDN_OTHR SDN_TEXT │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ╒═════════════════╕ │ 2. USER OSMOSIS └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This method is done by everyday BBS users. Shareware programs, new versions and old versions of the same program are downloaded from BBS's and online services and then uploaded to another BBS or online service. As a method of distribution for your program.. this is weakest, most open to risk and results in spotty distribution. Once your files become corrupted by some novice, careless or malicious user.. your program is then uploaded and sent on it's way to be multiplied in this form over and over and every time it is downloaded and uploaded somewhere else. If the user has recompressed it after running it - files may be missing, configurations options may have been set, information edited and in the worst case it may have been hacked and sent to do it's virus or trojan damage connected to your name and present shareware in a safe, clean and mature manner. ╒══════════════════╕ │ 3. SDNET MEMBERS └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────── SDN presently has it's own registered member sysops who are publicly dedicated to the shareware concept, shareware registration and SDN's own concept of author, sysop and user cooperation in shareware. Downloadable shareware files released trough SDN's own registered member distribution network are posted at these BBS's in their special file areas and are verifiably author direct, with contents and condition the authors themselves desire for their distribution. The full flavor and concept of SDN's cooperation with shareware authors is available from these participating sites. Among these sites the ASP Echo E-mail conference is recommended and the SDN_SYSOP E-mail conference is required for efficient aid in managing authors files. Through SDN distribution, we offer seeding of your programs to our own managed distribution sites, within a short time after release through us, it is posted at hundreds of hobby BBS sites across North America, Europe, Puerto Rico, Australia, Sweden, Germany and many more countries. Wide distribution should do its part to increase your registration rate. Its simple. Increase the number of people who can download and try your program and registrations should increase in proportion. Increase the odds that your programs get to users in complete and uncorrupted form, and registration should increase also. No one can guarantee registrations, but SDN can help you reach your potential. Your program reaches users in a timely manner, before months have passed. It is sent to distribution points with the greatest care possible to assure your programs are complete and free from corruption - the downloader need not be frustrated by old versions or corrupted files. Sysops and users value SDN author direct distributions. ╒═══════════════════╕ │ 4. AUTHOR SUPPORT └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Because of the extra margin of care SDNet and all its SDN sysops agree to take, our security compression and our good reputation in the online world, SDNet distributed programs become popular and sought after, not only by users, but other sysops, even disk vendors. In Europe where the modem population is less than in North America, SDN has licensed at no fee, one of the largest computer users groups (PCC) to distribute disks of shareware by an at-cost and not for profit agreement. For this license SDN receives not remuneration of any kind except assurance that care will be taken and no profits made by PCC. For us to accomplish this step forward in distribution requires many phone calls, long distance direct, linking distribution sites. The SDN Project and participating sysops pay the costs for these links out of a dedication to the hobby spirit and for the benefit of all. SDN is a voluntary cooperation. Our policy is to be gratis, a service provided for at no charge. There is no fee, charge or commission to anyone for SDN's distribution services. We remain a hobby, non-commercial and not-for-profit adventure. Authors have expressed a willingness to pay a fee for a service like this, for them to duplicate our free coverage might cost them hundreds of dollars in long distance uploading time. SDN can not accept payment for services.. but we do accept occasional freewill help from authors who stand to financially benefit from SDN distribution. We also accept support in the form of software and hardware. The suggested voluntary support is a donation of $35.00 - Authors who use SDNet for distribution can forward to The SDN Project $35.00 - this, in most cases, is equal to or less than one registration which distribution on SDN should provide for authors a few times over. Do not feel you need to donate each time. Support received pays for a portion of our mailing costs, long distance phone bills, hardware, software and expenses to manage an international network. To those authors who have supported us in the past and made growth possible, thank you, you are what "share" is all about - user support. Authors who have used us for distribution but have not yet supported us at all, please consider it next time. Support should be in check made payable to: Ray Kaliss, The SDN Project For donation or evaluation of software or hardware call Ray Kaliss 203-238-7446 in Meriden, CT. USA. ╒════════════════════════════╕ │ 5. SUBMITTING YOUR PROGRAM └─────────────────────────────────────────────── The best way to get into SDN distribution is just to mail me your program disks. Disks should be mailed with a processionally printed label if available. Do not compress. Programs are compressed here at The Project with PAK and a special security applied. Each program must be accompanied by a program form (PROGRAM.FRM). Submissions should not be crippled, demos or other non-productive items. SDN reccomends you to follow the guidelines set forth by the Association of Shareware Professionals but will consider all submitions. At The SDN Project your program is scanned for any virus that might have sneaked by you and all your program files are compressed into one downloadable file. If your program takes up more than one disk, then send all disks to the set and each is compressed and named as a downloadable set. A special compression security envelope is appended each downloadable file, a tamper proof seal that can be verified by receiving sysops and users. Your program files then receive the respected .SDN extension. On the first disk of your program, the disk you send for us to process, you must include a short description file called an SDA. The SDA is not compressed with your program but sent along with your program as a separate description file. It is a companion to your SDN file and together the .SDN program files and the .SDA description file are a set. Mostly, the SDA will be read online by users who are deciding what to download. The first few lines of the SDA are formated for a variety of uses. The FIRST line has your program name and version, the authors name and the registration amount. The SECOND line shows what category to find your program in, its distribution month and keywords that may be used by some search programs. BUSI - Tax preparations, point of sale, calandar, ledger etc. COMM - Terminal programs, protocols, communications related. DATA - Databases, spreadsheets and related items GRAP - CAD, drawing, graphics piture makers and viewers GAME - Entertainment and games UTIL - DOS based utilities and menus WORD - Wordprocessors, edits, templates, macros and printer utilities MISC - Unique programs of interest OTHR - The best of Public domain or freeware. TEXT - Books, reading, hypertext reference, informational text The THIRD line tells how many downloadable files your program consists of and what their names are. (We reserve the right to name the final compressed and downloadable file according to BBS standards.) The rest of the SDA is a description of your program and it's features, similar to most authors introduction in their documentation. Please see EXAMPLE.SDA for an example. After making your SDA and giving it the .SDA extension, copy it to the first disk of your program set. It will be picked out from your disk at processing and not included in the finished compressed file. Print out the PROGRAM.FRM, fill it in, slip it into a disk mailer along with your disk (are you sure you included the SDA?) and mail all to the SDN Project address given below. After your first mailing you may be validated for uploading at high speeds directly to The SDN Project BBS for processing. Please enclose a self addressed, stamped envelope if you desire online validation for uploading, you can then option to continue mailing updates and new releases or to upload them to me directly. If you option to upload after you receive back your upload validation, be sure to include the SDA description file inside each program archive. If your program has more than one archive to a set, include the SDA in the first archive of the set only. ┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ ┌───────┐ ║ │ │///////│ ║ │ └───────┘ ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ The SDN Project ║ │ 13 Douglas Drive ║ │ Meriden, CT. USA ║ │ 06450 ║ │ ║ │ ║ │ MAGNETIC MEDIA! ║ └════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ╒══════════════════════╕ │ 6. SHAREWARE SUCCESS └───────────────────────────────────────────────────── You, as an author of shareware or user-supported programs, loose NOTHING by joining our efforts. Sysops, users, SDN and you, can only gain. Your only loss would be not to consider joining this international cooperative effort. The big names of shareware use SDN, and because it's free, you should too!