🚀 go-pugleaf

Although this was sparked by the ongoing thread about shareware 
piracy, I am not speaking to or about anyone in particular.  These
are mostly opinions and are entirely mine:

I don't wonder if this discussion points out the need for shareware to
have annoyances built into the distribution version?  (Like the beeps
built into 4DOS).

Also, what incentives did you offer registered users?

Many might rightly take offencs at such a question, but as a
psychologist I firmly believe that people will act "good" *much* more
often if it is easy to do so (especially when it is often so easy to
act "bad").

Perhaps psychologists are the eternal pessimists :)

Regardless, if you list a registration for for some reasonably small
amount and a bunch of stuff (like source code) for extra (but available
only to registered users), I think you'd have a better return.

It's important to realize that it is no sin to earn money in a
capitalist society (indeed, it is no sin to win or be given money), and
software authors certainly earn their money.  

If you release your work to the world without tactfully expressing this
to the user (or without believeing it yourself), then I doubt very much
that you will receieve anything.  

A final opinion:  in the accompanying documents, I would never 1) write
anything remotely condonning this type of piracy ("...and you'll get a
warm glow for having at least registered for one of the many shareware
programs that you use."); 2) representing yourself as less than a paid
professional ("...and since I'm moonlighting, there won't be any
upgrades unless I get some support."); or 3) asking for a unspecified
donation ("...just send $5, $10, or whatever you want...").

-alan mead : amead@s.psych.uiuc.edu