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Text File | 1991-03-16 | 26KB | 507 lines

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.