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SHR-WARE.TXT
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W H A T I S S H A R E W A R E ?
---------------------------------------
Copyright (c) 1997 Swimming Elk Software.
All Rights Reserved.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Some Definitions .............................................. 1
The Shareware Concept ......................................... 2
The Association of Shareware Professionals .................... 2
Contacting ASP Members Online ................................. 3
Author Address Changes ........................................ 4
For More Information .......................................... 6
Some Definitions:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You've probably heard the terms "public domain", "freeware",
"shareware", "trialware", and others like them. Your favorite
download site probably has many programs described by one or
more of these words. The terms give rise to a lot of confusion,
but each actually has a specific meaning and implication.
Once you understand them, you will have a much easier time
navigating the maze of programs available to you, and
understanding what your obligations are, or aren't, with each
type of program.
Let's start with some basic definitions.
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Swimming Elk Software SHR-WARE.TXT
"Public domain" has a very specific legal meaning. It means that
the creator of a work (in this case, software), who had legal
ownership of that work, has given up ownership and dedicated the
work "to the public domain". Once something is in the public
domain, anyone can use it in any way they choose, and the author
has no control over the use and cannot demand payment for it.
If you find a program which the author has explicitly put into
the public domain, you are free to use it however you see fit
without paying for the right to use it. But take care - due to
the confusion over the meaning of the words, programs might be
described erroneously as being "public domain" when, in fact, they
are shareware or free copyrighted software. To be certain that a
program is public domain, you should look for an explicit
statement from the author to that effect.
"Copyrighted" is the opposite of public domain. A copyrighted
program is one where the author has asserted his or her legal
right to control the program's use and distribution by placing
the legally required copyright notices in the program and
documentation. The law gives copyright owners broad rights to
restrict how their work is distributed, and provides for
penalties for those who violate these restrictions. When you
find a program which is copyrighted, you must use it in
accordance with the copyright owner's restrictions regarding
distribution and payment. Usually, these are clearly stated in
the program documentation.
Maintaining a copyright does not necessarily imply charging a
fee, so it is perfectly possible and legal to have copyrighted
programs which are distributed free of charge. The fact that a
program is free, however, does not mean it is in the public
domain - though this is a common confusion.
"Shareware" is copyrighted software which is distributed by
software companies via the Internet, bulletin boards, on-line services,
CD ROM & diskette vendors, and through copies circulated among friends.
It is commercial software which you are allowed to use and evaluate
before paying for it. This makes shareware the ultimate in
money back guarantees.
Shareware is NOT demonstration software, and should never be
described as such, since it is fully (and often continuously)
functioning, allowing complete evaluation by an end user.
Demonstration software is either severely limited in function
from the start, or else will shut down after a short period
of use, leaving the user without access. The terms shareware
and demo are thus mutually exclusive.
The Shareware Concept:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Most money back guarantees work like this: You pay for the
product and then have some period of time to try it out and see
whether or not you like it. If you don't like it or find that it
doesn't do what you need, you return it (undamaged) and at some
point - which might take months - you get your money back. Some
software companies won't even let you try their products! In
order to qualify for a refund, the diskette envelope must have an
unbroken seal. With these "licensing" agreements, you only
Shareware and the ASP Page 2 of 6
Swimming Elk Software SHR-WARE.TXT
qualify for your money back if you haven't tried the product.
How absurd!
Shareware is very different. With shareware you get to use it
for a limited time, without spending a penny. You are able to
use the software on your own system(s), in your own special work
environment, with no sales people looking over your shoulder. If
you decide not to continue using it, you throw it away and forget
all about it. No paperwork, phone calls, or correspondence to
waste your valuable time. If you do continue using it, then -
and only then - do you pay for it.
Shareware is a distribution method, NOT a type of software.
Shareware is produced by accomplished programmers, just like
retail software. There is good and bad shareware, just as there
is good and bad retail software. The primary difference between
shareware and retail software is that with shareware you know if
it's good or bad BEFORE you pay for it.
As a software user, you benefit because you get to use the
software to determine whether it meets your needs before you pay
for it, and authors benefit because they are able to get their
products into your hands without the hundreds of thousands of
dollars in expenses it takes to launch a traditional retail
software product. There are many programs on the market today
which would never have become available without the shareware
marketing method.
The shareware system and the continued availability of quality
shareware packages depend on your willingness to purchase
the shareware you use. It's your ordering of our software
which allows us to continue to develop our products.
Please show your support for shareware distribution by purchasing
the programs you actually use, and by encouraging others to try them.
Often nowadays, a fully registered copy is little more than a phone
call or e-mail away. Internet registration is becoming the norm.
Shareware can only survive through YOUR active support!
AND AT THIS PERIOD IN ITS SHORT HISTORY IT IS VERY DEFINITELY
AN ENDANGERED SPECIES.
The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the early days of shareware there were no real standards.
Independent authors had no efficient way to learn from each other
or to work together to improve the overall image of shareware.
There was no system in place to ensure that users were treated
fairly and professionally. There was no way for users to find an
address for an author who had moved. In short, the shareware
community was disorganized and each author did things the way he
or she thought was best. It was clear that if shareware was ever
to become a viable and respected marketing alternative, there had
to be some standardization. There had to be some guidelines to
best serve the users.
In 1987 a handful of shareware authors founded the Association of
Shareware Professionals (ASP). In forming this industry
association, these shareware authors had several primary goals in
mind, including:
o To inform users about shareware programs and about
shareware as a method of distributing and marketing
software.
o To foster a high degree of professionalism among shareware
authors by setting programming, marketing, and support
standards for ASP members to follow.
o To encourage broader distribution of shareware through
user groups and disk dealers who agree to identify and
explain the nature of shareware.
o To assist members in marketing their software.
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Swimming Elk Software SHR-WARE.TXT
o To provide a forum through which ASP members may
communicate, share ideas, and learn from each other.
The newly formed Association of Shareware Professionals worked
together to draft a code of ethics for all present and future
members. This code of ethics included several requirements that
soon became very popular among users (customers), including:
o A member's program (evaluation version) could not be
limited (crippled) in any way.* In the true spirit of
Try-Before-You-Buy, users must be able to evaluate all the
features in a program before paying the registration fee.
o Members must respond to every registration. At the very
least they must send a receipt for the payment.
o Members must provide technical support for their products
for at least 90 days from the date of registration.
* The rules have now changed in regard to 'crippling', largely
through widespread abuses by users.
A new system was put in place to help ensure that users were
treated fairly and professionally. If a user was unable to
resolve a problem with a member author then the user could
contact the ASP Ombudsman with their complaint. The Ombudsman
would then try to help resolve the dispute. For more complete
details regarding the Ombudsman, please refer to the "ASP
Ombudsman Statement" below (page 8).
In 1991, the ASP had over 300 author members and almost 200 vendor
members, with new members joining every week. Today these numbers have
more than quadrupled.
Contacting ASP Members Online:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First it was Compuserve...
There is still an easy and convenient way to speak directly to many ASP
Members (both authors and vendors). Visit the shareware forum on
CompuServe. Simply type "GO SHAREWARE", "GO SHARE", or "GO
ASPFORUM" from any CompuServe ! prompt.
But AOL now has its own ASP and shareware areas. So has MSN. So has
the World Wide Web: just navigate to
http://www.asp-shareware.org
You will be able to talk to the authors of your favorite
shareware programs, learn about other programs, ask questions,
make suggestions, and much more. We'd love to meet you online,
please come visit us today!
Shareware and the ASP Page 4 of 6
Swimming Elk Software SHR-WARE.TXT
Author Address Changes:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
People move. Forwarding orders expire. What can you do?
"I got a copy of a shareware program written by an ASP Member.
I sent in the registration fee and the post office returned my
letter saying that it was undeliverable. Now what do I do?"
If the author has moved then chances are very good that you have
an old version of the program. This is another situation that
the ASP can help you to resolve. ASP Members are required to
keep the ASP informed of address changes. If you need to obtain
the current address for a member, simply write to the following
address:
ASP Executive Director
545 Grover Road
Muskegon, MI 49442-9427
U.S.A.
or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe MAIL to ASP Executive
Director 72050,1433. You may also FAX your request to the ASP
Executive Director at 616-788-2765.
For More Information:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you would like to learn more about the shareware phenomenon,
there are several excellent sources of additional information.
Two of the best books ever written about shareware are described
below.
Shareware and the ASP Page 5 of 6
Swimming Elk Software SHR-WARE.TXT
Dr. File Finder's Guide to Shareware:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Mike Callahan and Nick Anis. Foreword by John C. Dvorak.
"[Mike's] book distills thousands of hours of his online
search for the crown jewels of Shareware into one usable
guide. As such, it may be the most valuable computer book
you'll ever buy."
--Jack Rickard, Publisher, Boardwatch Magazine
"No one combines Dr. File Finder's comprehensive knowledge of
the Shareware genre with his good taste in software. This is
sure to be the definitive place to look for insight and
program information."
--Barry Simon, Former President of the Association of
Shareware Professionals, PC Magazine Columnist, and
Coauthor of Stackey, Batutil, and Ctrlalt
"GREAT! Every PC user will find something of value within
these pages. This book will save you a bundle."
--Alfred Glossbrenner
"If I were going to buy only one computer book, this would be
it."
--Tom Scott, Publisher, Telecomputing Magazine
Nobody knows Shareware like the illustrious Dr. File Finder,
known off line as Mike Callahan. Now, in Dr. File Finder's
Guide to Shareware, you can learn about dozens of leading
Shareware programs, including where and how to get them. In the
true spirit of Shareware, this book/disk package includes a disk
full of top programs that you can try out yourself before
registering. Send in the card at the back of the book and you'll
get two additional disks with more software.
Mike Callahan, AKA Dr. File Finder, is the world's leading
authority on Shareware. He regularly accesses thousands of
bulletin board systems and has been a major force in promoting
many of the top Shareware packages. Callahan has spent several
years and thousands of hours helping people around the world
learn more about Shareware.
Nick Anis is the coauthor of several acclaimed best-sellers in
the Dvorak*Osborne imprint, including Dvorak's Guide to PC
Telecommunications, Dvorak's Guide to Desktop Telecommunications,
and Glossbrenner's Complete Hard Disk Handbook.
$39.95, ISBN: 0-07-881646-7, 950 pp. 7 3/8 X 9 1/4. AVAILABLE
NOW AT YOUR LOCAL BOOK OR COMPUTER STORE OR CALL TOLL-FREE
1-800-227-0900 (M-F, 8:30 - 4:30 PST)
Shareware and the ASP Page 6 of 6
Swimming Elk Software SHR-WARE.TXT
Shareware: "Try Before You Buy" Software:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perhaps you've read Rob Rosenberger's well known and highly
acclaimed treatise on the computer virus problem. If you liked
that article then you'll love his excellent book on Shareware.
This book is a must for anyone who is interested in Shareware,
what to look for (and look out for), and where to find it. In
this book, shareware author and writer Rob Rosenberger delves
into the very heart of Shareware, telling you who developed the
concept and why.
You'll know why these programs: * undercut the price of retail
software * helped bring down the use of copy protection schemes *
receive numerous editorial and reader survey awards * generate
more sales than retail software in some cases * make retail OS/2
software developers so nervous * are falsely accused of spreading
computer "viruses".
Rob shows you where you can find good Shareware. You'll learn to
beware of companies that make money by abusing the "try before
you buy" concept. And you'll discover where Shareware is heading
in the near future.
"A lot of good books devote just one or two chapters to the
concept and history of Shareware. I'm pleased to say there is
finally a reference book on the subject."
--Jim Button, cofounder of the Shareware concept
"It's filled with accurate information for anyone who wants to
learn about one of the most significant sources of high-
quality software."
--Edward Mendelson, contributing editor, PC Magazine
Here's all the information you need to obtain your copy of this
outstanding book:
Shareware: "Try Before You Buy" Software. By Rob Rosenberger.
Third Edition. Only $6.95!
Paradise Publishing Phone: (800) 233-2451
3111 S. Valley View Blvd., Suite B-105
Las Vegas, NV 89102 U.S.A.
