🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <31415062.5EC2@netcom.ca>, Aristophanes <scribe@netcom.ca> wrote:
(Edited)
> Dan Parvaz wrote:
> > |                            Why not be a freeware programmer instead?
> > 
> > I'm afriad that's our business, not yours.  Fact is, a lot of shareware
> > programmers *do* release freeware.   But that really has to be our
> > decision, not  to be dictated at the whim at someone who seems to glory in
> > his petty larceny.

> I'd like to know if crippled shareware is more profitable than freeware with 
> an asked for donation. Anyone?

Yes, shareware is more profitable than freeware. My Calendar Marker (not
crippled, but $10) yeilded 20 registrations (and 400+ downloads from AOL
alone). I also released two freeware hacks (quick-all names and notes and
another one who's name escapes me) that I received $0 for ;)

I've found it is more profitable to write words about programming the
Newton then it is to program shareware. Sad but true. My usualy PDA
Developers article includes an app (with source) that is about 70% of a
"real" application. I get paid more to write the article and give away the
source than I ever would releasing it as shareware. (Actually, Calendar
Marker began life as a PDA Developers article on "hacking".)

> 
> I'd also like to point out that some of the best "shareware" stuff I've seen 
> are hacks and cracks.

Guilty.

> And, finally, I think that the real people who proit from shareware are those 
> who pay the authors next-to-nothing for putting the stuff on CD-ROM's in 
> gobs, and then charge a fortune via mail-order. That's a classic case of the 
> middleman defeating the origins of the shareware concept.

Not really. After AMUG put out their CDROM with my CM on it, I got another
5 or 6 registrations. That's about par for the course.

> Sigh. I like much of the shareware I see. But the ONLY time I sent ayone any 
> money.......it was returned due to change of address.

Try again ;) Catamont and Stand-alone are good companies, as are a lot of
other individual shareware authors.
 ==--
John Schettino
HomePage: http://members.aol.com/pdcjohns