piracy and oss

[Edward Glowacki]

Quoted from Marcel Kunath on Thu, Jul 26, 2001 at 11:19:49AM -0400:
> >
> > Then there's Windows Commander, a shareware file manager (for MS
> > Windows) that I used for years and finally paid $30 or whatever it
> > was to register my copy.  This is an example where I'm getting a
> > real bargain for my money.  I feel that Windows Commander is worth
> > far more than most of the games I've purchased. [1]  It's usually
> > the first piece of software I think of installing on a new Windows
> > box, before MS Office, before any games, before WinAmp, before even
> > trying to install most drivers off CD.  Ahh, if only half of the
> > money I wasted on bad games were to find its way into the hands of
> > the guy who wrote WC, I'd jump for joy knowing I'm encouraging
> > someone who actually writes good software instead of the dimwits
> > who created some of those games...
> 
> This paragraph again proves an economic concept.
> 
> When a company tries to sell a product it takes into account the cost of
> development, the willingness of users to pay for this product and sees if this
> dissolves into a profitable business. If it does not the product will not be
> funded and if it does the product will be created, sold and hopefully the
> equation resolves.
> 
> So the company of Windows Commander had a business model. They knew they had

Except I believe it's an individual, not a company, that created
Windows Commander, and I doubt it's his main source of income.
Could be wrong on both counts though, never know...

> the idea of a great product. They knew it takes man power to create and this
> man power must be funded. They knew they needed to set a price in form of
> licenses. They also knew many users do not want to purchase products up front
> without trying and decided on shareware limited to 30 days of use.  All of this
> is taken into account and we then come up with a equation if we can create this
> product, have users try it, have users buy it after 30 days and then be
> profitable.
> 
> AND NOW COMES THE FLAW. Ed, with all respect, has used this product for years
> and not just 30 days. This basically destroys any financial calculations the
> company has done prior to creating the product. It throws off the supply-demand
> relation and the revenue stream. Not only did they not get the money after the
> 30 days of use, Ed claims to have had, but they also lose the interest of $30.00
> over the years they could have had from Ed's money.

=P  But they *did* get $30 of my money, which is more than I can
say for a lot of products.  Shareware is often implemented as, "use
for 30 days, then pay or remove the program," but the concept of
shareware "try-before-you-buy" is the important part.  [1]  It
works well for consumers because they can pay whenever they decide
the program is worth it.  I did it with Windows Commander, and I
did it with donating to the MUD I used to play, and both times I
felt like the people that deserved my money for making something
good actually got that money, instead of it going to someone who
wrote a crappy game I had to buy before I could deside that it
sucked.

The problem with this system is it requires the consumer to *remember*
to pay for things after the fact, and unless there's money budgeted
for it, chances are the cash will go towards other things instead
and never make it to pay for the product.  I definately like the
thought of paying for something after using/seeing/hearing/experiencing
it, but unfortunately it doesn't always work well in the economy.

[1] Personally I think if you force people to delete the program
after 30 days if they don't pay is kinda stupid.  I've requested
evaluation licenses for VMWare half a dozen times now, each one
for 30 days, and each time I play with it for an hour or two, then
it gets pushed to the back of my mind, and by the next time I want
to play with it, I have to request another license.  It's a lot of
hassle, and I never get comfortable enough with VMWare because of
it, therefore I doubt I'll buy it anytime soon.

-- 
Edward Glowacki				glowack2@msu.edu
GLLUG Peon  				http://www.gllug.org
Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.
                -- Jules de Gaultier