Re: Where's the list of still-to-be-written software?
- From: "nrford" <nrfordmsvb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 7 Dec 2005 18:30:56 -0600
"DanS" <t.h.i.s.n.t.h.a.t@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Xns972584AEAE4AFidispcom@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> MM <kylix_is@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
> news:lf0ep1lidgd4b8hpptajmjpu32n5qh6o22@
> 4ax.com:
> <snip>
> IMO, most people only use their PC for internet.
>
> You have to keep in mind that 10 years ago, 'most' PC users referred to
> people using PC's at work, and PC's used at home were used to do that same
> stuff that they do at work.
>
> Nowadays, the PC users are much more broad, from small children to grandma
> and grandpa, so the percentage of 'power' users is much lower than it was.
> Out of those 'other' user's, a lot of them ONLY do web browsing and
> e-mail.
> When someone I know wants to buy their first computer and asks me for
> advice on a price, or if it's a decent machine, my first question is 'what
> do you want to do with it, other than go online ?' The usual answer, other
> than games, is 'I don't know, what else can I do with it ?'
Good analysis of the situation.
> Also, in the last ten years, a ton of shareware software has already been
> written, so why even bother writing something yourself ?
>
> The only time I write something is when I can't find something to do
> EXACTLY what I want to accomplish. And if the s/w is so specific, who are
> you going to sell it to ?
>
> For instance, I wrote a piece of s/w to do Binary Usenet, for one specific
> group only, a karaoke group. Each d/l is a zip file that contains one mp3
> and one .cdg file. The zip file is supposed to be in a certain name
> format,
> according to group rules. So my app connects, d/l's headers, picks out
> .zip
> file posts, through a complex set of rules it (usually) figures out the
> artist and song from the zip filename/header, if it is named
> semi-properly.
> It then looks into an Access db to see if the song is already there. If it
> is, it moves onto the next header. If it's not, it will d/l the file, open
> the zip file, extract the mp3 and cdg to a specific directory while making
> sure the names are formatted properly, then add it to the database and
> continuee on.
>
> (phew!)
>
> When I mentioned this piece in that specific group, NOONE was interested
> in
> it, even being free to them. 'I've already got a newsreader I use'.....or
> 'I've already got mine cataloged'....or some other reason.
>
> Pretty amazing that I can't even give away this tool.
>
> I can see the shareware market space dwindling because of piracy as well.
> What incentive is there to spend a lot of time and effort developing a
> really cool piece of s/w, when if it truly is good, it won't be long
> before
> there's a crack or keygen available for it.
I think that historically, shareware authors have
written programs because they enjoy writing
them. If, by happenstance, something worthwhile
comes of it which people want, then they make
some money off of it, but counting on getting
payback like that for the endless hours you put
in on a program is like putting a buck on the lottery -
great if you get rich, but not likely.
Personally, I have spent over 10 years, off and
on, working on a program which I may never
finish, and if I do finish it, I doubt I'll ever make
any money off of it. I do it because I enjoy it.
And if I finish it, it's going to be pretty cool.
Prior to that, I wrote some programs which
I made shareware. They never made a ton of
money, but they have made modest amounts
over a long period of time, so it adds up. And
I haven't really done anything to them for at
least 10 years.
.
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