🚀 go-pugleaf

One phenomenon you might wish to investigate further with respect to
using software as an advertising medium/transport is something I've
noticed in my brief 2-1/2 weeks of owning a Macintosh:

Much of the public domain and shareware software I've seen carries an
"advertisement" for a compiler/development system, or related game or
utility.  Often the code seems to have been distributed free of charge
for the sole purpose of exclaiming "Look what great things the XYZZY
development system (or whatever) can do!", or "And for an even more
fantastic experience, buy the Widget package at only $49.95"

This is probably rather more incestuous than the general
software-as-advertising scenario you posit, but bears a very strong
family resemblance to same.

Another thing I've noticed is that computers (actually the operators of
same, of course) have a voracious appetite for software; the appetite is
larger even than that of stereo equipment for program material, in terms
of the cost of satisfying that appetite.  I got my Mac on Jan 9, and I
already have a (borrowed) hard disc containing >15MB of software, of
which I'll probably wish to keep >10 Meg.  This is after less than 20
days ownership!  The cost of purchasing all this software at even a
"reasonable" price tag is probably a large percentage of the cost of the
computer. What costs the future promises, I shudder to imagine!

How can one afford this cost?  Often the answer is that one cannot.  One
must do without, steal, borrow, homebrew, or save pennies for future
gratification of the appetite.

I think a large part of the problem is the sheer cost in terms of
programming hours required to produce a halfway decent piece of code.
Once (if ever) programming of real applications becomes a mass
production task, rather than a major effort, the whole nature of the
software market will undoubtedly change drastically.  Look at what Henry
Ford did to the nature of American life.  I'd even venture that
mass-production of software (creation, not copying) could radically
change our current culture.

I hope some ideas in this overlong response were useful to you.  I think
your research topic fascinating.

Scott Bayes
bayes@hpfclw

p.s. I've been progamming commercially for >14 years now, so claim 
     some small authority.