DonationCoder.com Software > Find And Run Robot

not freeware !!!

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edyshor:
OK, i hope i got your attention .. :)
I understand the need for money .. i need it to, but make a shareware, trialware programs, do not cripple the "donation" concept please .. don't get all fired up and let me explain  ;)
i don't care about your definitions, a donation must not be forced (imposed), if it is under pressure then its something else covered behind the "donation" name .. just like our politicians use the term to cover for corruption  :(
It is your right to do what you want, i understand that, but it is not ethically right to pressure users to "donate" .. if they like your stuff and want to thank you for it they will go all the way with the hassle (completing forms, etc) to donate you, just to say "Hey, Great Job with that porgy, keep them comming, I'm with you"  :D
I find it disturbing the nag screens, the fact that i have to get and use (even a free) license key, its annoying and for that simple impediment i won't use the tools (even if they seem great) and i downloaded the drag and drop to see it in action (nice piece, usefull) .. me, not using the tool (and maybe the other, but i don't want to feel temped) is my way of protesting to your method.. probably I'm one in a million, but then again you shouldn't care about this isolated incident  8)

Just to make thing clear, I'm not telling you how to sell your software, how to persuade people into giving you money, if it should be free or shareware or crippleware, I'm objecting to the aggressive request of "donations" (i.e. missuse of the "donation" concept) .. people, u're great, if all u'r software is like drag&drop robot, you should consider bulk them up in one "suite" and selling it if your in it for money, but if you make freeware, maybe you should look up the freeware definition  ;) (from what i know, freeware is giving a software for free and not requesting anything in return - no donations, no credit, no postcards, no thanks - all this should be expected from the common sense of a user and his principles - if he has any - but should not be forced on any way)

Well this is my way of seeing things, and I'm not alone :D (the open source and freeware movement should be proof enough) Trying to get money using the good name and reputation of these comunities is just not right ethically. That is way i protest by not using your so called "freeware/donationware"  >:(

Anyway .. good luck with your business, i like what you code and I'm sure you'll have success in the software industry :)

have fun

Carol Haynes:
A donation is not forced to use completely unrestricted software from the site. All that is requested is that you consider giving a donation if you find the program useful. If you don't want to make a donation you can use it for free.

The only thing you need to do to get a free license code is to visit the site 3 times (at 6 monthly intervals over a year) and sign up to the forum. The object of this is to encourage people to become involved in a growing and active community (without being too intrusive) and not just download a copy from a third party website and never visit the homepage. There is nothing sinister about it (look around an see what other members think). The other thing to consider is the programs are updated with alarming regularity and there is great support available in the forums so it is definitely worth keeping in touch with the site.

There has been a lot of discussion on the forum on what constitutes freeware and donationware do feel free to join in with those threads and air your views.

The way I see it (personal view) is that if you can download and use software completely for free then it is freeware, if a donation would be appreciated then it is donationware. Since all the software available on the site fits into both descriptions then both terms can be legitimately applied. To me freeware does not mean that there is no license agreement (in fact you have to agree to a license agreement as part of almost all freeware - even if you don't bother to read it) - donationcoder.com just asks that as part of the license agreement that you download a free key - and even if you don't the app still works without restriction.

If you don't want to register with the site that is fine too and you can download a license key for free every couple of months without any registration. Go here: https://www.donationcoder.com/Keys/nosignup.php if that is what you want to do.

mouser:
edyshor -
first of all, thank you for a very thoughtfull post.

you are not the first person to say this but you have said it in the most reasonable and thoughtful way of anyway and that is very much appreciated.

as carol says, we have been debating both privately and publically the best way to describe what we are doing.  part of the problem is that there is no perfect term for what we are doing.. is it shareware? no.  so what is it then?  Registerware might be closest term, but i'm not sure many people understand that concept.

i do personally consider our software donationware (and i consider it freeware).  because i think our software meets the key principles of those terms.  However, I do acknowledge that there is a line and if it becomes too inconvenient for people to use the programs without doing "something" then you begin to abuse the terms.

if you get the chance check out the long article we wrote about some of these ideas:
http://articles.donationcoder.com/One/index.html

that might explain a little more about what we are trying to do; there is also a long usenet thread which has much more elaborate discussion of this issue:
https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=3651.0

what i can tell you is that we take comments like yours very seriously, and we are cogitating on the best way we can improve the communication of what we are doing without giving up our core principles.  Maybe we can find a way to make everyone happier with the way we describe our software, either by changing the terms of describing it or changing our policies.  Whatever we do, our software will remain free to use.

nudone:
i'd also like to thank edyshor for posting their comment in such a nice way.

TucknDar:
Agree, a thoughtful post.

I too was kinda sceptical of the concept at first, but with the quality of the software, the friendliness around the place and everything about the forums, I found that making a little donation was a great way of saying that "Hey, I appreciate what you're doing, give me that licence now, although I could've gotten it for free with just a few 'obstacles'". (Sorry 'bout the long sentence :p )

I have no qualms about calling the software 'freeware' btw, as it is 100% possible to use it with no nags at all for no money at all. Certainly, there are some procedures to get it all for free, but it is possible, and IMO as such it is freeware.

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