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1991-03-16
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What Is Shareware?
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.
"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 try before you pay 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 qualify for your
money back if you haven't tried the product. How absurd!
Shareware is very different. With Shareware you get to try
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, over dramatizations,
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.
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. This is interesting since one of the individuals
who makes this claim, also distributes his virus detection
system as Shareware. 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
that 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.
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 the 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 virus 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 virus (few do), that 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 virus, 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. Virus 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!
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 on-line services.
It not only gives you the facts, it also provides the best
overall strategy for protecting your computer system.
Don't let fear stop you from saving money on software. Don't
let fear prevent you from trying some of the best software
available. Shareware is an important market for software.
Take advantage of it. You'll be glad you did!
The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP):
In the early days of Shareware there were no real standards.
Independent authors had no efficient way to learn from each
other or to work together to improve the overall image of
Shareware. There was no system in place to ensure that users
were treated fairly and professionally. There was no way
for users to find an address for an author who had moved.
In short, the Shareware community was disorganized and each
author did things the way he or she thought was best. It
was clear that if Shareware was ever to become a viable and
respected marketing alternative, there had to be some
standardization. There had to be some guidelines to best
serve the users.
In 1987 a handful of Shareware authors founded the
Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). In forming
this industry association, these Shareware authors had
several primary goals in mind, including:
o To inform users about Shareware programs and about
Shareware as a method of distributing and marketing
software.
o To foster a high degree of professionalism among
Shareware authors by setting programming, marketing,
and support standards for ASP members to follow.
o To encourage broader distribution of Shareware through
user groups and disk dealers who agree to identify and
explain the nature of Shareware.
o To assist members in marketing their software.
o To provide a forum through which ASP members may
communicate, share ideas, and learn from each other.
The newly formed Association of Shareware Professionals
worked together to draft a code of ethics for all present
and future members. This code of ethics included several
requirements that soon became very popular among users
(customers), including:
o A member's program (evaluation version) could not be
limited (crippled) in any way. In the true spirit of
Try-Before-You-Buy, users must be able to evaluate all
the features in a program before paying the
registration fee.
o Members must respond to every registration. At the very
least they must send a receipt for the payment.
o Members must provide technical support for their
products for at least 90 days from the date of
registration.
A new system was put in place to help ensure that users were
treated fairly and professionally. If a user was unable to
resolve a problem with a member author then the user could
contact the ASP Ombudsman with their complaint. The
Ombudsman would then try to help resolve the dispute. For
more complete details regarding the Ombudsman, please refer
to the "ASP Ombudsman Statement" below .
As of February, 1991, the ASP had over 300 author members
and almost 200 vendor members, with new members joining
every week.
Contacting ASP Members Via CompuServe:
There is an easy and convenient way to speak directly to
many ASP Members (both authors and vendors). Visit the
Shareware forum on CompuServe. Simply type "GO SHAREWARE" -
or "GO SHARE" - from any CompuServe ! prompt.
Here you will be able to talk to the authors of your
favorite Shareware programs, learn about other programs, ask
questions, make suggestions, and much more. We'd love to
meet you on-line, please come visit us today!
Author Address Changes:
People move. Forwarding orders expire. What can you do?
"I got a copy of a Shareware program written by an ASP
Member. I sent in the registration fee and the post
office returned my letter saying that it was undeliverable.
Now what do I do?"
If the author has moved then chances are very good that you
have an old version of the program. This is another
situation that the ASP can help you to resolve. ASP Members
are required to keep the ASP informed of address changes.
If you need to obtain the current address for a member,
simply write to the following address:
ASP Executive Director
545 Grover Road
Muskegon, MI 49442-9427
U.S.A.
or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe MAIL to ASP
Executive Director 72050,1433.
ASP Ombudsman Statement:
This program is produced by a member of the Association of
Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that
the Shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to
resolve a Shareware-related problem with an ASP member by
contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help.
The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem
with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support
for members' products.
Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at:
ASP Ombudsman
545 Grover Road
Muskegon, MI 49442-9427
U.S.A.
or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe MAIL to ASP
Ombudsman 70007,3536.
For More Information:
If you would like to learn more about the Shareware
phenomenon, there are several excellent sources of
additional information. Two of the best books ever written
about Shareware are described below.
Announcing an Outstanding Book/Disk NEW
from Dvorak Osborne/McGraw-Hill
Dr. File Finder's Guide to Shareware
------------------------------------
by Mike Callahan and Nick Anis
Foreword by John C. Dvorak
Includes One 5 1/4" Disk with Dr. File Finder's Favorite
Shareware Programs: Qmodem 4.2, BackMail 1.10, dCOM 3.44,
and many more.
For All IBM PC & Compatibles.
"[Mike's] book distills thousands of hours of his on-line
search for the crown jewels of Shareware into one usable
guide. As such, it may be the most valuable computer book
you'll ever buy."
--Jack Rickard, Publisher, Boardwatch Magazine
"No one combines Dr. File Finder's comprehensive knowledge
of the Shareware genre with his good taste in software.
This is sure to be the definitive place to look for
insight and program information."
--Barry Simon, Former President of the Association of
Shareware Professionals, PC Magazine Columnist, and
Coauthor of Stackey, Batutil, and Ctrlalt
"GREAT! Every PC user will find something of value within
these pages. This book will save you a bundle."
--Alfred Glossbrenner
"If I were going to buy only one computer book, this would
be it."
--Tom Scott, Publisher, Telecomputing Magazine
Nobody knows Shareware like the illustrious Dr. File
Finder, known off line as Mike Callahan. Now, in Dr.
File Finder's Guide to Shareware, you can learn about
dozens of leading Shareware programs, including where and
how to get them. In the true spirit of Shareware, this
book/disk package includes a disk
Full of top programs that you can try out yourself before
registering. Send in the card at the back of the book and
you'll get two additional disks with more software.
About the Authors:
Mike Callahan, AKA Dr. File Finder, is the world's leading
authority on Shareware. He regularly accesses thousands of
bulletin board systems and has been a major force in
promoting many of the top Shareware packages. Callahan has
spent several years and thousands of hours helping people
around the world learn more about Shareware.
Nick Anis is the coauthor of several acclaimed best-sellers
in the Dvorak*Osborne imprint, including Dvorak's Guide to
PC Telecommunications, Dvorak's Guide to Desktop
Telecommunications, and Glossbrenner's Complete Hard Disk1
Handbook.
$39.95, ISBN: 0-07-881646-7, 950 pp. 7 3/8 X 9 1/4
AVAILABLE NOW AT YOUR LOCAL BOOK OR COMPUTER STORE OR CALL
TOLL-FREE 1-800-227-0900 (M-F, 8:30 - 4:30 PST)
Shareware: "Try Before You Buy" Software:
Perhaps you've read Rob Rosenberger's well known and highly
acclaimed treatise on the computer virus problem. If you
liked that article then you'll love his excellent book on
Shareware. This book is a must for anyone who is interested
in Shareware, what to look for (and look out for), and where
to find it. In this book, shareware author and writer Rob
Rosenberger delves into the very heart of Shareware, telling
you who developed the concept and why.
You'll know why these programs: * undercut the price of
retail software * helped bring down the use of copy
protection schemes * receive numerous editorial and reader
survey awards * generate more sales than retail software in
some cases * make retail OS/2 software developers so nervous
* are falsely accused of spreading computer "viruses".
Rob shows you where you can find good Shareware. You'll
learn to beware of companies that make money by abusing the
"try before you buy" concept. And you'll discover where
Shareware is heading in the near future.
"A lot of good books devote just one or two chapters to
the concept and history of Shareware. I'm pleased to say
there is finally a reference book on the subject."
--Jim Button, cofounder of the Shareware concept
"It's filled with accurate information for anyone who
wants to learn about one of the most significant sources
of high- quality software."
--Edward Mendelson, contributing editor, PC Magazine
Here's all the information you need to obtain your copy of
this outstanding book:
Shareware: "Try Before You Buy" Software
by Rob Rosenberger
Third Edition
Only $6.95!
Paradise Publishing Phone: (800) 233-2451
3111 S. Valley View Blvd.
Suite B-105
Las Vegas, NV 89102
U.S.A.