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Living Room / Re: Internet Explorer 7 Beta 3 - nothing but problems
« Last post by Josh on July 30, 2006, 06:53 PM »Do those of you suffering from "CTFMON" Anxiety have office installed as well?
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How can I add support for 7z archives to my application?
One way is to use the 7za.dll (available from sf.net for download). The 7za.dll works via COM interfaces. It, however, doesn't use standard COM interfaces for creating objects. You can find a small example in the source code. A full example is 7-Zip itself, since 7-Zip works via this dll also. There are other applications that use 7za.dll such as WinRAR, PowerArchiver and others.
The other way is to call the command line version: 7za.exe.-7zip.org
Basic Info
App Name Name of app reviewed App URL Link to the app's homepage App Version Reviewed Version being reviewed Test System Specs Specs of the test system here done in a quote block Supported OSes OSes the product supports Support Methods List methods of obtaining product support here (i.e., forum, email, phone, etc) Upgrade Policy Policy for upgrades. If pay per upgrade, put price here for upgrades Trial Version Available? List if a trial version of the app is available. If so, list its limitations Pricing Scheme List the price of any different versions of the applications (Pro, Enterprise, Standard, etc) Author Donation Link If a DC member, include their link to donate to them. If a third party site which supports donations, include the link here. If not applicable, leave out
If this is a dc member, post the donation link in the format similar to thisDonate to App103, the Author
Screencast Video URL If there is a demo or screencast of the app somewhere, post the url here. If there is a DC Screencast, post the link here.
SCREENSHOT OF APP INTERFACE HERE
Intro:
Introduction to the app, what does it do, history, etc
Who is this app designed for:
List here who the app would be intended to be used by including what it can help you do better or do easier, etc.
The Good
Insert your praises of the app here including the features you find useful.
The needs improvement section
What is wrong with the app in its current state (the version being reviewed). Include bugs that might deter would-be users, any annoyances, etc.
Why I think you should use this product
Exactly that, explain why you think the product is useful and why the average user should use it. Remember, this is subjective to the reviewer and other opinions will be displayed regarding your opinion after the test is complete.
How does it compare to similar apps
Self-explanatory. How does it compare to other apps in this category.
Conclusions
A brief summary of the app being reviewed. Any sort of rating you wish to give the app and a general view of the app.
Links to other reviews of this application
Just that, list links to other reviews of this app found on other websites.
Still, you're slipping into nagware, even with a survey. The survey is a good idea for everyone, especially if it is short and offers at least one open-ended response. But I'd only employ surveys after major versions are released. You'll just have to filter for the expected sarcastic response of why you did not donate: "Because I don't like being told to do something."
I think your goal is a noble one — defining what constitutes and separates donationware from everything else. The software industry needs a working definition. But in the end it must be kept simple; something that can be written in one line, such as:
— Shareware — Software that you can try before you buy.
— Freeware - Software on the web that is freely available (but retains a copyright).
— Open Source - A program in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge.
— Donationware - Distributed as freeware, donationware encourages (but does not require) the user to donate in order to register and support the software.-zridling (July 27, 2006, 03:56 PM)
users must either:
1) make a donation (of any amount)
2) submit some email or private form saying why they can't or won't, as an exception to this rule.-mouser (July 27, 2006, 02:28 PM)
i go for a donating is mandatory - it's in the title after all - but there is no limit to how small (or large) a donation can be. it is the act of donating that is important, even if it's as low as 1 cent/pence/yourcurrencyhere.-nudone (July 27, 2006, 02:13 PM)
if someone really cannot make a donation they can show their appreciation by composing an email stating why they can't - this would take longer than making an actual donation and would require a greater involvement from the person making the request so that seems like a fair trade off to me.
let the software (or whatever it is) be obtainable for free, but only for a limited time period. let the software prompt them towards the end of the 'free' period that they will be required to make a donation within a few days/weeks for the software to continue working and then no one can complain about being conned.
In an attempt to be more specific about this term, the following activities would be considered overly annoying and prohibitive:
1) showing a nag which is removed only on donating.
2) requiring a donation to unlock certain features.
3) showing ads inside the software which are removed only on donating.-mouser (July 27, 2006, 01:48 PM)
However, such software may reasonably do the following:
1) Require the person to sign up to receive the full version, or a license key or download (no email collected may be used for spamming purposes!)
2) Require the person to declare that they have considered donating and decided not to.
3) Require the person to return to download a new version or license key occasionally (no more frequently than once every 6 months)-mouser
Other issues worth considering:
Should donationware2.0 specify that an author should make all of their software available as a bundle when a user donates?
Should it say that the author can charge for commercial/non-personal/home use? (i would favor this i think)
Should it be able to say that a donation is mandatory, but user can choose the amount, or else indicate that they cannot donate for some real reason?-mouser