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- Path: raffles.technet.sg!usenet
- From: Eugene Tan <insights@pobox.org.sg>
- Newsgroups: comp.sys.newton.misc,comp.sys.amiga.applications
- Subject: Re: Users are selfish Was Re: crippled software
- Date: Tue, 19 Mar 1996 00:12:59 +0800
- Organization: INSIGHTS Innovatively Integrated
- Message-ID: <314D8B8B.2097@pobox.org.sg>
- References: <150773@cup.portal.com> <4lCkP4eSMV1ZEHpSJ2@transarc.com> <ud4ts37sru.fsf@random.pc-labor.uni-bremen.de> <4hllsv$gc8@cantua.canterbury.ac.nz> <4hmvq7$5qm@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU> <5r68cgwjsj.fsf_-_@ritz.mordor.com> <badger.826246592@phylo.life.uiuc.edu> <4htpsr$1rj@alterdial.UU.NET>
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- CC: insights@pobox.org.sg
-
- Bryan Nystrom wrote:
- >
- > badger@phylo.life.uiuc.edu (Jonathan Badger) wrote:
- >
- > >The real question is *why* people insist on writing shareware.
- >
- > To cut costs to the end user, increase profit margins to the
- > developer, and to allow the computing community to "try-before-you
- > buy".
-
- Thank you.
-
- > >Shareware is a blight upon humanity
- >
- > No, people who misuse shareware or pirate software because they
- > believe that all software should be "free" are the real "blight" to
- > the rest of us.
-
- Agree!
-
- > >by definition, shareware authors are amateur programers who program for fun, and not
- > >to put food on their table.
-
- By _whose_ definition? Why couldn't MS-Word be released as a shareware? Against the
- law, there is an industry wide agreement on software standards? I'll bet it's probably
- just coz Microsoft finds it doesn't make economic sense.
-
- > >Why not write freeware yourself? Are you really saying
- > >that your Mahjongg program was harder to write than emacs?
- > >If not, why do you demand money for it while no money is required for emacs?
-
- Another way to look at it is, how much for the programming and how much for the
- idea, the design. Look at logos, say NeXT's logo (by Frog Design I think).
- How much effort went into it, and how would you value it?
-
- > >You have already discovered that shareware isn't very profitable
-
- Coz lots of people dont pay the fees (though sometimes, the transac cost might
- be more than the fee ;-) But seriously, as long as the shareware has been
- well thoughtout, done, I prefer it than to pay for the bells and whistles that
- are sitting on my HD and RAM, which either I use only once in a while or
- otherwise get in my way...kinda reminds me of a small office with a big nice
- meeting room. It's either wasted on the rent or people just try to have mtgs
- coz it's there (who's working?)
-
- my 2 รณ
- Eugene Tan
-