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What does it mean when I say "successful freeware"?

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Paul Keith:
user arrives on a web page -> they read the headlines, look at images -> they decide that the software may solve their problem -> they download the tool -> they use the tool -> they are amazed -> they keep using it and being amazed long enough -> they donate
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This is true but a little bit deceptive. (and it quickly skips to the donate part)

Often times what happens instead is:

user finds an article about the software (usually through a blog) -> they head to the download link -> if it's a confusing software, they read the FAQ -> they try the software -> they stick with the software -> Over time they become so invested to the software that sometimes they'll treat donations as a thank you note -> they then start reading more about the software including checking out the site -> if they read that the developer has financial troubles, it's only then that they go en masse to donate -> author thanks them -> everything goes back to normal -> if author doesn't have a blog, author rarely ever raises that amount of interest in donations again -> author ends up leaving that software alone to move on to greener pastures or an alternative software -> cycle re-repeats itself

I think you're missing the point there.

My reasoning starts from a "blank slate" and assumes that there needs to be some motivation to take action. In this case, the action is opening things up.

If you're not doing anything bad, why would this ever occur to you other than as I stated, purely for interest sake. I was explicit about that:
--- End quote ---

I have NEVER opened anything up for any other reason. (See below.)

And I absolutely do not have any motivation to be less transparent. Go ahead and download all my software, scan it, and see that there is nothing malicious there.
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No, not really. My statement can also start from a "blank state". Part of the confusion probably stems from you trying to reply to 40hz and since we (40hz and I) don't hold the same views, it can seem like I'm missing the point.

But another problem here is the merging gap between open source and freeware. Which is why even though I already know open source does not equal freeware before 40hz replied to my post, I mentioned it. Sure it's transparency but part of the clue lies in your reactive statement:

I have NEVER opened anything up for any other reason
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This is as blurry as thinking honesty is not a default standard to be followed even if you're an evil marketing bastard of a developer and it becomes blurrier if you treat the discussion of transparency as some sort of key rather than a standard for success.

Which is even blurrier because we all haven't agreed what success is.

Which becomes a hole Alice can fall in because there's a good chance some of us are thinking in the context of freeware as business. (which would make it no different than how to sell professional software - which is not always true)

Then it swerves into a large door of virtues, morality and necessity. 40hz speaks more from morality. mouser's comment about a key speaks more towards the ideal effects of virtue. I write more from a perspective of necessity regardless of morality. Your comments speaks more towards the right to do something including the right to NOT do something.

Renegade:
@Paul -- Good points.

And yes -- I think I blurred a few people's posts. Maybe I was drinking...  :o

40hz speaks more from morality. mouser's comment about a key speaks more towards the ideal effects of virtue. I write more from a perspective of necessity regardless of morality. Your comments speaks more towards the right to do something including the right to NOT do something.
--- End quote ---

Nothing like a good red herring to get the conversation moving~! :D


Back to success...

Which is even blurrier because we all haven't agreed what success is.
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I think that there are different aspects to success, and we need to figure out what those are. We seem to have been talking about a few different things.


A token list of possible measures of success:

* Financial
* Reputation
* User base
* Community
* Self-satisfaction

I'm sure that could be added to or refined.

Perhaps it would be best to define those as priorities. e.g. I might rank Financial and Self-satisfaction as the top 2, while someone else might rank Community as the top.

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