DonationCoder.com Software > Circle Dock
Change of Licensing from Version 2 (Cancelled)
superboyac:
I really feel for the software developers who try to offer good freeware. Especially since joining this forum and getting to know developers, I really value the work you guys (and gals!) do. I have no problem happily paying for good software. I've never understood how freeware authors can sustain the development of their programs without charging for it. I'm not a programmer, but I know that it's too much work to not get paid for it. i don't understand that at all.
I wish mouser would take my money for his software that I use every single day. I wish some of you guys would charge $20 or so for your stuff. It just doesn't make any sense to me any other way. People in this world are getting paid a lot of money for doing a lot less.
I have a hard time understanding how the freeware model can sustain itself. I can't justify working that hard, putting out a quality product, giving up hours of your life that you can be getting paid for doing other work...and in the end just get by on donations. If people can get it for free, they will. There's no way around that. You have to force them to pay, even if they are like me and they will pay graciously.
I understand that you want to be charitable and offer free stuff for everyone out there, out of the goodness of your hearts. But it frustrates me because I don't want the situation being described here to happen. I don't want the developers to feel like they are not being appreciated or feel frustrated. I want you guys getting money for this work, it's good work. You need to get rewarded financially for this stuff. There's so much crappy software out there that people are paying for, you can't do it for free. I feel like those other developers are laughing at you. They do shit and get paid, you guys work hard and produce awesome software, and you only get a few little donations. Please make us pay you!
Anyway, I really feel for you all. I love software. I love these little tools that make my life so much easier. I love it a lot. The service you guys provide is something I always will appreciate.
Markham:
I think your license was more than fair, especially considering some of the other docks out there. I use a few, and many of them are licensed per year to give you an example of what some others do. The only change that I see that you could have made is to offer license to those that did donate- therefore anyone who was whinging after that would be people who utilized the software for free and didn't donate.
-wraith808 (August 04, 2010, 12:55 PM)
--- End quote ---
I agree with you regarding Circle Dock's competitors and I also agree that those who donate should be offered a free license for the commercial version and I would have taken-up your suggestion. However, as the freeware version allows running as many copies as the user desires on up to two PCs that he owns and for personal (not business) use, giving a single-user license would have been more restrictive.
Mark
Markham:
Take a step back and take some time off and give yourself time to process everything.
You have a world of possibilities that you could consider AFTER you get some perspective and distance:
* You could decide to just stop all involvement in circledock and related projects, for the sake of your sanity.
* You could decide to embrace open source, release all your source code, and do improvements on your own time scale and when you feel like it
* You could decide that it's worth spending a few weeks rewriting the core code from scratch, cleaning up the code in the process, and re-launch a similar commercial product with a new name and new license and without any of the original code.
* etc.
Look, we are all learning how to survive and make our way in this world. Think of this as a learning experience. If all your learning experiences are this cheap in terms of blood, stress, and treasure, you should consider yourself a lucky man.
-mouser (August 04, 2010, 12:39 PM)
--- End quote ---
I'm taking the first option and reserve the right to take the third as, in fact, there'd not be much to do to remove all GPL'd code from what I'm currently working with. However, there are other considerations to take into account - I've already PM'd about them.
Mark
Josh:
You could decide that it's worth spending a few weeks rewriting the core code from scratch, cleaning up the code in the process, and re-launch a similar commercial product with a new name and new license and without any of the original code.
-mouser (August 04, 2010, 12:39 PM)
--- End quote ---
I don't have a dog in this race so to speak. I've thought about looking at CD, but haven't, so take this with that in mind.
Considering all that the developers have done on CD, and if the amount of code written is as much as you say, I'd say re-brand it as something else, clean up the code and remove any references to his code, and do as you will with it. Especially as you've already consulted a lawyer on this, and I know that they are not cheap (one of the stopping points for several projects that I've considered has been legal fees).
Just my opinion. I think your license was more than fair, especially considering some of the other docks out there. I use a few, and many of them are licensed per year to give you an example of what some others do. The only change that I see that you could have made is to offer license to those that did donate- therefore anyone who was whinging after that would be people who utilized the software for free and didn't donate.
That's my .02.
-wraith808 (August 04, 2010, 12:55 PM)
--- End quote ---
+1 from me with the exact same sentiments. Many people confuse GPL/OSS with being FREE. I watch as people praise and praise OSS, regardless of license type, simply because they are led to believe that if it is open source it is free.
That said, I have not used CD, but have watched its active development and fully support the decision you have made.
scancode:
Um, you'd also have to offer sourcecode for YOUR binary build (aka latest circle dock!)
That's how it works, unfortunately. It was kind of expected, tho.
Also, weren't you aware that the project was GPL'd when you began working on it?
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version