Media Share 9/MEDIASHARE_09.ISO/mag&info/hof1192.zip/README.HOF

Text File | 1992-11-07 | 13KB | 246 lines

                   ╔═══════════════════════════════╗
                   ║   THE FREEWARE HALL OF FAME   ║
                   ╚═══════════════════════════════╝

       ┌─────────┐
       WHAT IS IT?  We are a list of programs which are commonly found
       └─────────┘  on public access Bulletin Boards.  The programs on
       this list have been tested and found to work as described, and
       to be worth downloading. The list is limited to Freeware. These
       are programs and a few databases for which NO FEE is required
       for use by individuals.  The meaning of Freeware, Shareware and
       Public Domain, all frequently mis-used, are given below.

       ┌────────┐
       WHAT'S NEW  We've added three hundred new entries in this
       │IN 11/93│  edition including a large group from Finland.
       └────────┘  Among the authors to join the list is Professor
       Timo Salmi of the University of Vaasa, the most prolific
       Freeware writer in the world we know of at this time.

       We've begun to include OS/2 Freeware as we find it.  The HOF
       believes OS/2 will be around for awhile and we would hate to
       see it wall-to-wall with annoyware and beg-screens.  We're
       finding that OS/2 has LOADS of Freeware.  When you find a
       program you like, nominate it.

       ┌───┐
       NAMES  in the circle of Great Freeware Writers for their output
       └───┘  and quality are Timo Salmi of Finland, new in this
       edition with more than 20 entries;  John McNamara--the Sysop's
       friend; Raymond Kaya; Robert Vostreys; Fredrick Volking; Chris
       Dunford (CED & 6 others); HRH Ward Christensen; Keiths Graham
       and Ledbetter; Michael Mefford; Vern Buerg and so many others.

       ┌────┐
       IN ALL  this HOF edition lists 600+ entries by 500+ authors.
       └────┘

       ┌────┐
       LAYOUT  The Freeware Hall of Fame comprises three sorted ASCII
       └────┘  indexes in the file HALLFAME.TXT.  Each index contains
       the same information: Author, Program Name, a brief Description
       of the program, and the Program Category.  Index One sorts by
       Author, Index Two by Program and Index Three by Type.

       ┌──────┐
       TO PRINT  the indexes, set standard 80-col narrow-carriage
       └──────┘  printers for 12 chars per inch (Elite).  The file
       prints very nicely with appropriate page breaks on 8½ by 11
       paper, but we're really too large to print now.  If you must,
       QEDIT prints it perfectly.  Otherwise you can type
                 HALLFAME.TXT > PRN or PRINT HALLFAME.TXT
       or use any word processor. The file is prepared using
       QuattroPro 2.0 exported to formatted ASCII.

       ┌─────┐
       UPDATES  will always be named HOFmmyy.ZIP and there will never
       └─────┘  be two in one month.  HOF packets should contain
       HALLFAME.TXT, README.HOF and a SYSOP.NOTe, and may or may not
       contain a FHOF Logo and description.  These are commonly
       stripped off during uploads.

       ┌────────────┐
       WANT A HOF D/L  We are now giving the ON-LINE Freeware Hall of
       │DIRECTORY ON│  Fame to any Sysop who wants it for his callers.
       YOUR AREA BBS?  The 4.X-megs of Freeware amount to 120 or so
       └────────────┘  programs using the ZIP archive, plus an Index.
       These are the programs themselves, not merely a list.  The
       Index contains multi-line descriptions of the files.  We
       estimate there are about 100 Boards in North America and Europe
       now carrying the ON-LINE FHOF.  Ask your sysop to read the
       SYSOP.NOTe in this packet for more information.

       ┌───────┐
       JUST WANT  We give files to others also.  If you have a local
       │ FILES?│  or school computer club and would like 100+ Freeware
       └───────┘  programs, call us.  We can make available self-
       extracting versions of the programs prepared with a Freeware
       archiver so no commercial programs are needed at any step in
       the process. There's no charge.  We encourage copying these and
       circulating them to other individuals, clubs and schools.

       ┌──────┐
       WHO'S IN  Among the most prominent people in the computer
       THE HOF?  world, past and present, are those programers who
       └──────┘  allow us to use their programs at no cost. Writing
       software and distributing it via Bulletin Boards with no
       request for payment, they enable everyone to share the fruit of
       their knowledge, the benefit of their discoveries, and the
       steady advances that have typified the computer industry from
       the beginning.

       ┌───────┐
       GRATITUDE  This file is intended to honor those generous and
       └───────┘  wonderful people.  The HOF Index is not finished and
       never will be. It's a list that will grow every few months as
       we attempt to catch up with the hundreds of fine people who
       represent the hobby side of the PC world, some from the era of
       CP/M (lest we forget), some writing for DOS, and now OS/2.

       ┌────────┐
       AMONG THEM  are some of the best programmers in the profession,
       └────────┘  software experts sought after and employed by the
       most advanced government and industry employers in the world.
       The Freeware they write on their own time (cough) commonly
       reflects the highest level of concept and execution.

       ┌──────┐
       BENEFITS  This Freeware Hall of Fame is the only published
       └──────┘  guide to tested Freeware. All these programs work.
       All are free. Nearly all are commonly available on public
       access Bulletin Boards. We can recommend them as programs that
       will do the job they were intended for.

       ┌───────┐
       WHERE YOU  The file is indexed to make these programs easier to
       FIND THEM  find, but locating them on a Bulletin Board can
       └───────┘  require a search. The Board's ZIP, ARC or LZE/LHA
       packets commonly are named with an abbreviation of a program's
       full name, often adding a version number to that. You might
       have to hunt and peek unless the Sysop has set up a Freeware
       Hall of Fame Directory all to itself.

       ┌─────┐
       PCBOARD  Some of the programs for running a BBS such as PCBoard
       └─────┘  make the search easier. On a PCBoard, entering
                             Z filename A
       should reveal every version of <filename> the BBS has available
       for download. For example, you will not find DIRX, Kaya's file
       management program for compressed files, listed in a BBS file
       index. The index name for the program is DRXxxx where xxx is
       the version number, and that changes every few months. The Z
       command in PCBoard is a -text search- command and it will find
       the word DIRX in the file -description- since it can't be found
       in the file index.

       ┌──────┐
       FREEWARE  Freeware refers to programs or databases that an
       DEFINED│  individual may use without payment of money to the
       └──────┘  author. Commonly the author will copyright his work
       as a way of legally insisting that no one re-write it prior to
       getting his approval. The copyright has nothing to do with a
       user fee, aside from giving the author a legal right to require
       one. Freeware authors don't exercise that right, though in some
       cases a program will be Freeware for an individual but require
       a site license if used by a business. The HOF includes these.

       ┌────┐
       PUBLIC  Other Freeware is in the Public Domain, which means the
       DOMAIN  author donated his work to the public and retains no
       └────┘  ownership rights. No fee can be required for the use of
       these programs, though a polite and sometimes humorous request
       for author support might drift into the Docs.

       ┌────────┐
       WHAT'S NOT  Shareware is not here.  Shareware refers to a way
       │ HERE?  │  of marketing programs on the "try before you buy"
       └────────┘  plan.  Because you must buy it, it isn't Freeware.
       As Shareware, many superb programs are made available at
       reasonable cost and on a far fairer plan than purchasing
       "commercial" software you must buy before knowing if a program
       will do what you need. Most Shareware is a delight to use. Some
       is not.

       ┌───────┐
       SHAREWARE  always asks for a fee to use the program and the
       └───────┘  author says so, usually in a professional way. A few
       authors aren't professional when discussing payment. They
       presume you're not going to pay and in their Docs they insult
       you.  A few authors are...strange. We discovered one Shareware
       author offering a $100 reward for information about anyone
       using his $10 program without registering it.

       ┌──────┐
       CRIPPLED  Some Shareware comes crippled. You get only a
       └──────┘  limited version of the program until you buy it.
       Shareware might have annoying delays and payment dunnings built
       into the program which only go away when you purchase a
       registration number. Some Shareware quits working if you don't
       buy a code number within a few weeks.  Some shareware requires
       that you download a key from the author's board which will
       expire if you don't buy a permanent key.

       ┌──────┐
       FREEWARE  does none of these things. The author might
       └──────┘  ask as one did that you take him to dinner (he called
       his method Dinnerware), and another suggests you take your
       spouse out to atone for the time you spend at the computer.
       One German author wants you to send him picture postcards.
       Freeware authors often show a sense of humor. They also
       frequently provide the source code.

       ┌───────────┐
       WHO GOT HERE?  To gain entry to the Freeware Hall of Fame,
       └───────────┘  a program can be discovered by the FHOF compiler
       or nominated by someone.  Anyone may nominate a program and we
       encourage Freeware authors to nominate their own programs. The
       only requirement is that the file nominated be a PC program or
       database available for use at no cost. Every program gets a
       1-line listing. Ward Christensen gets one line for his CP/M
       communications programs--perhaps the most influential Freeware
       of all time--and you'll get a one-line entry for your program.

       ┌─────────┐
       NOMINATIONS  are made to the compiler of this list and we need
       └─────────┘  to know 4 things:
       (1) Author name
       (2) Software name
       (3) Brief description of what the program does
       (4) Your certainty the program is Freeware.

       ┌───────────┐
       CALL THE HALL  We can be contacted three ways: via the ILink
       └───────────┘  computer network; through our FHOF BBS; and on
       Usenet as [e-mail]

       ┌───┐
       ILINK  Hundreds of BBS's around the world are members of the
       └───┘  ILink network and many North American cities have an
       Ilink affiliate or two. The network is a collection of hundreds
       of topic conferences which are provided to member Bulletin
       Boards for the use of their callers. The HOF monitors the
       Shareware and Sysops conferences for mail addressed to Rey
       Barry. The monitoring is automated so watch the spelling. All
       Ilink messages are public.

       ┌────┐
       │FHOF│  Our BBS operates 24 hrs a day using PCBoard software
       │ BBS│  and a USRobotics Dual Standard modem.  The FHOF
       └────┘  conference is #3.  Enter J 3 at the main menu.
       804-293-4710.  1st time callers have 45 minutes and have batch
       download privileges up to 99 files. We invite nominations for
       the Freeware index.

       ┌───────┐
       COPYRIGHT  This file, the accompanying files HALLFAME.TXT and
       └───────┘  SYSOP.NOT, and the name "Freeware Hall of Fame" are
       Copyright 1989-92 by Rey Barry. HALLFAME.TXT is a Freeware
       database offered for the use of all to accord Freeware authors
       the recognition their contributions have made to the PC hobby.

                                   Charlottesville, VA, USA  11/92
                                   FHOF BBS -- 804-293-4710
                                   [e-mail]