Open Source (was Don't you just wish Rev would do this?)

[Scott Kane]

From: "Shari" <shari at gypsyware.com>

> Think of the battle that authors of shareware wage against the very 
> perception of shareware being the equivalent of freeware in the minds of 
> many.  How do you convince someone to buy it, when everybody is  telling 
> your consumers that it's supposed to be free?

This is one battle we seem to have lost.  No matter what organizations like 
the ASP have done the public (and worse the so called "Computer Whizzes" - 
I'd like to choke those guys <g>) insist on this line in relation to the 
shareware marketing model.  Nothing is ever going to change that.  So - the 
only solution is to drop the term "shareware"and use the words "30 Day 
Trial" or "Commercial  Demo".  People who insist on calling (and demanding 
it to be) shareware free are not generally inclined to buy software anyway. 
A smart author knows that the trick is to sell to the people who are 
prepared to buy and thankfully there are plenty of them as Winzip, Jasc 
(Paint Shop Pro) and other big names (all shareware and ASP members BTW) 
have proven.

Cheers

Scott