Re: tlug: Re: Many Faces on Linux

[Scott Stone <sstone@example.com>]

On Fri, 25 Sep 1998, Andrew S. Howell wrote:

> >>>>> "Scott" == Scott Stone <sstone@example.com> writes:
> 
>     Scott> On Tue, 22 Sep 1998, Jonathan Byrne wrote:
>     >> On Mon, 21 Sep 1998, Rex Walters wrote:
>     >> 
>     >> > If making money simply from selling cd's, documentation, and
>     >> support > isn't appealing, consider letting others do the gui
>     >> work for you.  If
>     >> 
>     >> What do you think of this idea: source-included shareware.  The
>     >> license agreement would work basically the same way that other
>     >> shareware does:
>     >> 
>     >> What do the rest of you think?  Would you be support Open
>     >> Source shareware and/or "donation-ware" software for Linux?
> 
>     Scott> I like this idea.  It'd probably give RMS a heart attack,
>     Scott> though, but that's probably a good selling point, IMHO :) I
>     Scott> think a lot of people that are currently developing
>     Scott> shareware are kind of leery of Linux for the same reason
>     Scott> that ManyFaces's author is - they fear that they can't make
>     Scott> money with a Linux port.  This idea would help to change
>     Scott> that, I think.
> 
> I like the idea as well. I question the practicality though. The
> problem is making payment painless. There is lots of stuff out there
> for a nominal fee, say $10-20. Unless I can pay via the web, I'm
> probably not going to bother. If I have to do a bank transfer, money
> order, whatever, it become a) too expensive, b) to much of a
> pain. That may sound kind of lame, but I'd be wiling to bet that that
> is what happens to a lot of authors potential income.

well, in the USA, you can usually register on the web, or over the phone
by credit card.  Even mailing a personal check is no big deal in the USA.

The Japanese seem to still be in the stone age as far as
consumer commerce is concerned ("Grog-san take cash-only, or
wire-[snort]-transfer.  And no returns"), or something like that :)

However, most of the world is located outside of Japan, therefore the
theory is, IMHO, still sound.  The Japanese will catch up eventually.

--------------------------------------------------
Scott M. Stone <sstone@example.com, sstone@example.com>
               <sstone@example.com>
Head of TurboLinux Development/Systems Administrator
Pacific HiTech, Inc (USA) / Pacific HiTech, KK (Japan)
http://www.pht.com		http://armadillo.pht.co.jp
http://www.pht.co.jp	        http://www.turbolinux.com


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