This product is Support-ware. I believe in shareware, but I know that most people never get around to paying the fee, so I am going to make this easy. Most people don’t seem to have a problem with paying $200 for a commercial program, but when a shareware program asks for $20 they gag. So far, I have released everything so far as freeware, because I wanted everyone to be able to use my products without guilt. In retrospect, I have thought long and hard about have decided to soften my position. I have a great resource here and I think it can be put to better use to help others, so I’ve decided that I will charge a nominal fee on some of my more involved products. This fee will be used to help kids in the schools. You see, with the current budget restrictions and limitations, Oregon schools are dying and great institutions and wonderful resources are disappearing. As a undergraduate student, who plans to become a teacher, I am very concerned and bothered by the situation. At my former high school, the student-run newspaper, The Milwaukian, has been cut from the budget. This group of journalists go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that there will always be a student newspaper available at MHS by selling ads and fund raising. They go to extraordinary lengths to publish each month because they have a passion and a desire to survive. Beyond that, The Milwaukian is a member of the National Journalism Education Society’s hall of fame. That is a honor and an important distinction, because it means that this student publication is one of the best in the nation. Above all of this, the journalism program at the high school teaches these future wordsmiths the importance of integrity and the need for competent reporters. So I am asking you to show your appreciation for this product by paying the fee.
Because keeping shareware customer databases is a pain and I do not have time for it, I will have to rely on everyone’s sense of honor and have faith that users will pay the fee. All I am asking for is $5 for a good cause. Please send your check or money order to: Milwaukie High School•11300 S.E. 23rd•Milwaukie, OR 97222. Yes that is “ie,” not “ee.” Please mark in the memo box that this is a donation for The Milwaukian and Maroon. Every 5 dollars collected will make a big difference.
