Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site utastro.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!utastro!nather From: nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather) Newsgroups: net.micro Subject: Re: New ideas on software piracy... Flames welcome. Message-ID: <521@utastro.UUCP> Date: Sat, 10-Aug-85 22:05:46 EDT Article-I.D.: utastro.521 Posted: Sat Aug 10 22:05:46 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 13-Aug-85 01:25:51 EDT References: <419@gumby.UUCP> <3093@nsc.UUCP> <196@ecsvax.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX Lines: 37 > In article 3093@nsc.UUCP Chuq Von Rospach (nsc!chuqui@decwrl) writes: > > I hate to throw water on the fire, but I've read a couple of reports that > > many people are re-thinking the shareware/freeware concept in the Macintosh > > market because of rather flagrant abuses. Apple is reportedly rather upset > > ... > > It just goes to show -- when something gets popular, people start abusing > > it. If you aren't careful, it gets abused into oblivion... > > Duke University's User Services Group has passed out many, many copies > of PC-Write in our short courses introducing the IBM PC. We always urge > people to register their copies, emphasizing the high quality, low cost, > updates, etc. To my knowledge only one or two of the hundreds of copies > have been registered. It's a wonder Bob Wallace keeps improving it! > Maybe he makes it selling the manuals (a cheaper option than > registraction). How many of you have actually paid for shareware you > use? > -- > D Gary Grady My PC-Write registration number is #826, but the total is well over 2000 according to Wallace's last newsletter. I've received two "commissions" from him, for people who registered the editor with my number on it, so I have $50 back on a $75 investment so far, and I use the editor every day. I recommend it every day, too. He's not getting yacht money like Mitch Kapor is, but he's making good wages and seems happy in his work. In a recent article about the death of Andrew Flugelman, whose PC-TALK III is the best-known Freeware product, the author stated that 2 full-time people are still needed just to open mail with checks in for the program. I suggest the rumors of the death of "Shareware" are exaggerated. -- Ed Nather Astronomy Dept, U of Texas @ Austin {allegra,ihnp4}!{noao,ut-sally}!utastro!nather nather%utastro.UTEXAS@ut-sally.ARPA