🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Aug11.193753.29423@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>,
Robert.H.Gross@dartmouth.edu (Robert H. Gross) wrote:

[...]
> the user is required to fill out and send in a registration card after
> the original purchase. On that registration card is a "password"
[...]
> He/she can renew simply by calling the company
> and providing the password and serial number of his/her program. If the
> password and serial number are OK and not already renewed, the company
> would calculate a string for the user to type into a dialog box to
> refresh the expiration date of the currently running program.
[...]

I think it's a good idea, but I would do the whole thing over the phone. 
Since the user makes up the password, there's no real reason for a paper
card to be sent through the mail.  I would start with the registration
expired (with the nuisance messages you described), so the first call would
take the place of the card.

The system would need to provide you, the vendor, with some identifying
information for that particular copy of the program, like the serial number
you described.  I also would provide 800 service for the call.

I'm writing a program now for my high school classmates which has roster
information which would need to be updated from time to time.  I think this
is a good idea, and I will incorporate it into my code.  (I went to high
school right after they invented chalk.)

> PS - the above assumes that there is a valid way to check the date/time
> on the computer that cannot be fooled by just changing the clock - this
> can be done.

Have the program "remember" it's previous run time, and not run if the
clock now says something prior to that time.  Initially set the previous
run time to the date you issued that copy of the software, or some bogus
date meaningful to you as a developer.

-Chuck Hoffman

I'm not sure why we're here, but I am sure that while we're here we're
supposed to help each other.