Monster Media 1993 #2

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Text File | 1993-07-28 | 16KB | 312 lines

W H A T I S S H A R E W A R E ? --------------------------------------- W H A T I S T H E A S P ? ------------------------------------ _______ ____|__ | (R) --| | |------------------- | ____|__ | Association of | | |_| Shareware |__| o | Professionals -----| | |--------------------- |___|___| MEMBER Copyright (c) 1990,1991 by Falk Data Systems. All Rights Reserved. ----------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------------------------------------------------------- Some Definitions .............................................. 1 The Shareware Concept ......................................... 2 The Virus Problem ............................................. 3 The Association of Shareware Professionals .................... 6 Contacting ASP Members Via CompuServe ......................... 7 Author Address Changes ........................................ 8 ASP Ombudsman Statement ....................................... 8 For More Information .......................................... 8 Some Definitions: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You've probably heard the terms "public domain", "freeware", "shareware", and others like them. Your favorite BBS or disk vendor probably has many programs described by one or more of these words. There's a lot of confusion about and between these terms, but they actually have specific meanings and implications. Once you understand them, you will have a much easier time navigating the maze of programs available to you, and understanding what your obligations are, or aren't, with each type of program. Let's start with some basic definitions. Shareware and the ASP Page 1 of 10 Falk Data Systems SHR-WARE.DOC "Public domain" has a very specific legal meaning. It means that the creator of a work (in this case, software), who had legal ownership of that work, has given up ownership and dedicated the work "to the public domain". Once something is in the public domain, anyone can use it in any way they choose, and the author has no control over the use and cannot demand payment for it. If you find a program which the author has explicitly put into the public domain, you are free to use it however you see fit without paying for the right to use it. But use care - due to the confusion over the meaning of the words, programs are often described by authors as being "public domain" when, in fact, they are shareware or free, copyrighted software. To be sure a program is public domain, you should look for an explicit statement from the author to that effect. "Copyrighted" is the opposite of public domain. A copyrighted program is one where the author has asserted his or her legal right to control the program's use and distribution by placing the legally required copyright notices in the program and documentation. The law gives copyright owners broad rights to restrict how their work is distributed, and provides for penalties for those who violate these restrictions. When you find a program which is copyrighted, you must use it in accordance with the copyright owner's restrictions regarding distribution and payment. Usually, these are clearly stated in the program documentation. Maintaining a copyright does not necessarily imply charging a fee, so it is perfectly possible and legal to have copyrighted programs which are distributed free of charge. The fact that a program is free, however, does not mean it is in the public domain - though this is a common confusion. "Shareware" is copyrighted software which is distributed by authors through bulletin boards, on-line services, disk vendors, and copies passed among friends. It is commercial software which you are allowed to use and evaluate before paying for it. This makes shareware the ultimate in money back guarantees. The Shareware Concept: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Most money back guarantees work like this: You pay for the product and then have some period of time to try it out and see whether or not you like it. If you don't like it or find that it doesn't do what you need, you return it (undamaged) and at some point - which might take months - you get your money back. Some software companies won't even let you try their product! In order to qualify for a refund, the diskette envelope must have an unbroken seal. With these "licensing" agreements, you only Shareware and the ASP Page 2 of 10 Falk Data Systems SHR-WARE.DOC qualify for your money back if you haven't tried the product. How absurd! Shareware is very different. With shareware you get to use it for a limited time, without spending a penny. You are able to use the software on your own system(s), in your own special work environment, with no sales people looking over your shoulder. If you decide not to continue using it, you throw it away and forget all about it. No paperwork, phone calls, or correspondence to waste your valuable time. If you do continue using it, then - and only then - do you pay for it. Shareware is a distribution method, NOT a type of software. Shareware is produced by accomplished programmers, just like retail software. There is good and bad shareware, just as there is good and bad retail software. The primary difference between shareware and retail software is that with shareware you know if it's good or bad BEFORE you pay for it. As a software user, you benefit because you get to use the software to determine whether it meets your needs before you pay for it, and authors benefit because they are able to get their products into your hands without the hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses it takes to launch a traditional retail software product. There are many programs on the market today which would never have become available without the shareware marketing method. The shareware system and the continued availability of quality shareware products depend on your willingness to register and pay for the shareware you use. It's the registration fees you pay which allow us to support and continue to develop our products. Please show your support for shareware by registering those programs you actually use and by passing them on to others. Shareware is kept alive by YOUR support! The Virus Problem: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We've all heard the horror stories about computer viruses. Unfortunately, we have also heard lots of conflicting statistics and opinions. When it comes to the virus problem there is a lot of confusion among users and even developers. The sad truth is that some unscrupulous publishers of anti-virus products are using half-truths, overdramatizations, and outright fabrication to promote sales of their products. They delight in manipulating statistics to support their marketing efforts. While not illegal, these snake-oil tactics are certainly not ethical. Shareware and the ASP Page 3 of 10 Falk Data Systems SHR-WARE.DOC To make matters worse, the media has frequently promoted the misinformation promulgated by these unscrupulous individuals rather than the straight facts. While the misinformation may be more interesting than the actual facts, the media is not doing the computer industry any favors by spreading inaccurate information. To be fair, many newspapers, magazines, and news networks are beginning to realize which "virus experts" are reliable and which "experts" say whatever is in their own best interest. One of the most interesting myths that has been promulgated by these snake-oil salesmen is that BBSs (Bulletin Board Systems) and shareware programs are a major source of virus infections. Some corporations are now afraid of shareware and BBS activity because of this misinformation. In the October 11, 1988 issue of PC Magazine, publisher Bill Machrone's editorial was entitled "Shareware or Scareware?". In his article, Bill Machrone points out "The truth is that all major viruses to date were transmitted by commercial [retail] packages and private mail systems." That sounds a little different than the claims being made by less knowledgeable journalists. Let's consider for a moment, the distribution differences between retail software and shareware software. Company XYZ releases a new version of its retail software product. At the same time company XYZ ships tens of thousands of copies to its retail distribution channels, it also ships 30,000 updates to loyal users. Most of those loyal users will receive the update within a few days of each other. This can be a big problem if the update happened to be infected with a virus. "Not likely", you say? It has already happened! Several times! There have been seventeen (17) major incidents of virus and trojan horse problems in retail software. Some of these incidents affected tens of thousands of users. What about shareware? To date there has been one case of a shareware author shipping an infected product. The virus was detected by the disk vendors and the problem was corrected immediately. No users were infected. "But it makes sense that programs which are passed around have a greater chance of virus infections, doesn't it?" Think about it. Who has the most to lose if viruses were spread by BBSs and shareware programs? The BBS operators, shareware disk vendors and the shareware authors, of course. Because of this, reputable BBS operators, disk vendors and shareware authors are very careful with the programs they handle. Shareware and the ASP Page 4 of 10 Falk Data Systems SHR-WARE.DOC Think about it. Hundreds (even thousands) of BBS operators and disk vendors are carefully examining the programs they receive and distribute. Their business depends on it. This means that any given shareware program can go through hundreds (even thousands) of checkpoints where the program is carefully examined. If a problem is found, word spreads incredibly fast. News travels "on the wires" even faster than the proverbial small town gossip. Programs have disappeared almost overnight as a result of this highly efficient communication network. If a shareware program has been around for a few months, it has been checked for virii and trojan horses many more times than any retail software could hope to be checked. Retail distributors don't check the disks they sell. Even if the publisher checks their masters for virii (few do), this is still far less than the scrutiny to which shareware programs are subjected. There's something else to consider. Most retail distributors have a return policy. What do they do with packages that are returned? They shrink-wrap them and resell them, of course. How can you be sure that you are the first person to purchase the package you just bought at your friendly neighborhood computer store? You can't. On the other hand, most shareware authors erase, reformat, and reduplicate the disks that are returned to them. Which do you think is safer? Bill Machrone's article in PC Magazine goes on to say "It's time to recognize that there's nothing to fear in shareware. As a distribution medium, it saves you money and helps you try out new genres of software with minimum risk." Does this mean that we should all start buying shareware instead of retail software? Not at all (although few shareware authors would object). Let's face it, more data has been lost to power failures and spilled cups of coffee than all virii, trojan horses, and worms combined! An even bigger threat is plain old human error, a mistake, a wrong key press, turning off the power while files are open, and so forth. Accurate information and common sense (regular backups) are the best defenses against lost data. Sure, the virus problem is real. Virii exist. But shunning shareware is not the answer. Shareware and BBSs are, quite simply, NOT a major source of virus infections. Some corporations have even banned shareware entirely because of fear of infections. This is not only unreasonable, it is also expensive. Think how much they could save in software costs if they would only try software before they buy it! Shareware and the ASP Page 5 of 10 Falk Data Systems SHR-WARE.DOC Is there anything you can do to help protect yourself from virus infections? Absolutely! Fortunately, the best preventive measures are also the least expensive! If you need informative, accurate and practical information, please read the treatise on "Computer Virus Myths" written by Rob Rosenberger and Ross M. Greenberg. This treatise is available as a text file on many BBSs and online services. It not only gives you the facts, it also provides the best overall strategy for protecting your computer system.