WAREINFO II
Written by Michael Perry
(c) 1989, Progressive Computer Services - "Freeware"
Please feel free to reprint or redistribute this article in whatever form
appropriate. The only consideration being that the document(s) should not be
modified in any way, and that the author (Michael Perry) receive credit.
"Ware" Information - Software Distribution Mediums
This is an instructional article dedicated to clearing up any misconceptions
regarding the various methods of receiving and transmitting software packages.
By this time, most of you should be very familiar with the term "Shareware",
being perhaps one of the most significant contributions (pun intended) to the
PC industry.
Since the introduction of Shareware (which will be further defined later), the
direction and structure of the entire personal computer industry has changed.
The wide availability of quality Shareware applications has forced the
commercial software market to re-think it's pricing structure. Who would
imagine several years ago, that an entire accounting package could be purchased
at a computer store for under $100, or that the leading Pascal compiler would
retail for $99. The Shareware revolution is undoubtedly a movement created by
computer users and most beneficial to the users themselves. The commercial
software companies who have lowered their prices may claim to be doing so
because of "their commitment to the user" but we all know in reality, they must
do so to remain competitive with equally-useful Shareware products. The
companies who are content to sell packages with a several-hundred-dollar price
tag are either involved in a market with little or no competition, or have
accepted the fact that some percentage of their potential sales will be lost to
Shareware products.
A few years ago when I originally wrote WAREINFO, my purpose was to clear-up
any misconceptions the PC community had about publicly available software:
* What remuneration (if any) is expected, and in what form?
* What are the conditions (if any) under which the product can be received,
evaluated, or redistributed?
* What identifies software as being "Shareware"?
* Why register? What are the advantages?
In addition to answering the above questions, I also identified the various
types of Shareware, and urged for a standardization of the terms associated
with Shareware. The purpose of which was to help the user understand the terms
and rights available when dealing with these software packages. Additionally,
I stressed in my first release of WAREINFO the importance of supporting the
authors and understanding the circumstances involved in distributing a
Shareware product.
Now more than ever, it is vitally important for users and authors alike to
understand how the Shareware concept works. While the movement seems as strong
as ever, Shareware is being threatened out of its very existence. The
seemingly inevitable decline of Shareware products and popularity is due to two
things:
1. The increasing number of subversive software programs (trojans, hacked
files, worms, and vires - (the proper plural of virus by the way, is
"vires")) as well as the public's awareness and fear of such files.
The Shareware medium is the primary distribution method of such
programs. Public concern and caution is deteriorating the credibility
of Shareware products to the point now that many major companies
forbid the use of such software on their computer equipment.
2. The lack of support and small percentage of Shareware users who
actually abide by the terms asked of the authors of the software they
use.
Contrary to what the public might believe, being a Shareware author is rarely a
financially beneficial endeavor. The major motivation of most Shareware
authors is the satisfaction of making a contribution to the PC community. It
takes a substantial amount of time and resources to develop a Shareware
product, and in most cases, the authors ask for a donation or "registration
fee" to help them cover their costs. More importantly however, such
remuneration is the "pat on the back" that tells them their efforts are
appreciated - which is a very rewarding experience.
I estimate that less than 2% of Shareware users actually take the time to
register themselves with the author. This is one reason why many authors now
shun the Shareware medium and opt to commercially market their products. In
fact, Shareware authors are now developing different tactics which entice users
into registering (by such they can receive a newer version, fully-functional
copy, or printed manual, etc.). I have been creating and distributing
Shareware for seven years now, and 90% of my software registrations come from
large corporations and government institutions (which have very strict policies
regarding the accountability of software). Rarely does a day go by when I
don't get a call from some user of my software asking for help - an un-
registered user who got the software from a computer dealer, which in the case
of my product EZ-Menu, is a violation of the licensing agreement.
Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to enforce such licenses - hence the
loser in this case is the Shareware author. Now on the scene are hundreds of
companies who specialize in selling Shareware disks. Even though the more
prominent companies state that in many cases, the customer may also have to pay
a registration fee to the software's author, it is seldom that an individual
welcomes the opportunity to pay twice for a software package. However,
probably the most frightening fact is that very few of these companies even
take the time to register the copies they distribute for profit. Their source
for software they ultimately redistribute is the network of BBS's around the
country and NOT from the author of the program - under these circumstances, the
integrity of the software on the $4 disk they are selling you is in question.
The program could be infected with a virus, or parts may be missing or modified
without the author's knowledge.
WHAT IS "SHAREWARE"?
"Shareware" is commonly referred to as "User Supported Software". Generally
speaking, Shareware packages may be freely distributed via a variety means,
most commonly by modem. As a computer user, you have the opportunity to
examine a Shareware package on a trial basis (the period varies from package to
package). If you opt to continue using the software (which means you have
found it to be a useful addition to your software library), you should adhere
to the requests made by the software's author. In most cases a small
"donation" is asked for, which usually goes towards covering the expenses
involved in development and encouraging the author to update the software. It
is interesting to note that in most cases, the recipients of these "donations"
are rarely non-profit organizations. I guess a "donation", while not
completely accurate, is an appropriate term considering the small monetary
amount asked for (Most of the Shareware authors I know are pretty "needy"
anyway.).
Most Shareware authors are programmers who initially developed software for a
particular purpose (quite often to help their own efforts) and thereafter
realized that the program(s) address a need and could possibly be marketable.
Unfortunately, the author lacked the available resources to successfully launch
a commercial version, and with limited resources (limited resources=No Money),
Shareware distribution seemed like a reasonable alternative. Of course, there
are other reasons for putting a product into Shareware - perhaps the product
itself doesn't address a market wide enough to justify the expenses involved in
advertising. I would estimate that most authors release Shareware as a service
- where the motivation behind doing so is in hopes of obtaining a favorable
response. To me, the Shareware market's real value is in providing a forum
where you can gauge a product's usefulness, or promote a commercial product (or
a service for that matter). Many companies are now releasing Shareware demo
versions of their commercial products. The advantages are obvious - virtually
no money is involved (aside from phone or computer system tolls) and the
distribution area is worldwide. Prior to this year, I spent less than $200
attempting to disseminate my software around the country via BBS's, and in that
time I have received hundreds of responses from all over the world including
South Africa, Canada, England, Australia, Japan and even Alaska. How my
software got there, I'm not sure - proof positive that a good product will
definitely circulate itself exponentially across the globe in a short period of
time. It should be noted that at the same time, a poorly-designed Shareware
product will undoubtedly be limited in the extent of its distribution as well
as its acceptance in the PC community. Many times the response to a product is
simply not known until it is in the hands of users - by releasing a product in
Shareware, the author does not risk very much in the process. The only
drawback being that it is extremely difficult to take a product out of
Shareware and attempt to commercially market it.
Hopefully now you have a solid idea of how the Shareware concept works. In the
next document, I will further elaborate on the various types of Shareware that
you may have come across in your travels, and possibly a few items that will be
new to you.