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From: bytebug@felix.UUCP (Roger L. Long)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Should demo versions of commercial programs be posted?
Message-ID: <2115@felix.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 6-Jan-87 10:29:06 EST
Article-I.D.: felix.2115
Posted: Tue Jan  6 10:29:06 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 7-Jan-87 00:36:50 EST
Sender: bytebug@felix.UUCP
Reply-To: bytebug@felix.UUCP (Roger L. Long)
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Organization: FileNet Corp., Costa Mesa, CA
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Greetings -

I'm the (normally invisible) moderator of mod.mac.{binaries,sources} and
would like to hear your opinion on the following matter:

  Should demo versions of commercial programs be posted to mod.mac.binaries?

Recently, I posted a demo version of Shanghai, a game program available from
Activision, and Design.  I just received a complaint from one reader stating
that a 10-part posting of a demo version of a program wasn't something he
wanted to see taking up space (and costing money to propagate) on the net.

My own feeling is that this *IS* a valid use of the net, since many of us
would love to play with something before we part with our money.  In my
case, I used the demo version of Shanghai, got hooked, and ended up buying
the real version.

But my feeling isn't nearly as important as yours in this matter.  I'd like
to see some discussion of this here, as well as hear your individual feelings
by mail.  The outcome will determine whether I post another multi-part
(approximately 10 parts) posting of the demo version of Jazz 1A that was
recently mentioned in the Info-Mac Digest.