Re: Outlook Express Corrupt dbx files

From: Steve Cochran (scochran_at_oehelp.com)
Date: 07/12/04 

Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2004 07:27:48 -0400

My experience with shareware is that less than 0.01 % of people actually
pay, so I gave up on shareware. If I had $1 for every download of DBXtract,
I would never have charged for it, but an even lessor percentage of people
donated, so I had to charge for it.

Your concern about reputation is valid. I've been a MS-MVP for 6 years now
and have been posting in these NGs for 7 years. My resume is also available
online (http://chattanooga.net/~scochran/resume1.htm). I also try to work
with those who have lost their messages, as I can empathize with them.

I think if BG and SB had been forced to use OE for a week, then its problems
would have been fixed a long time ago.

cheers,

steve

"ed" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:2b59401c46788$a6a91ad0$a301280a@phx.gbl...
> Well, I guess 5 bucks ain't so bad. I just tried a few
> that wanted 39 or 49 bucks. That's a bit much for a
> (hopefully...sigh) rarely used function. Problem is, I
> think it oughtta be like the old days, when shareware was
> initially free and you paid only if:
> a. you decided you wanted to keep the program since it WAS
> useful
> b. made sure the damn thing WORKED before you pay and find
> out yours is the ONE instance in which it can't fix the
> problem.
>
> I have registered many shareware programs, like Windows
> Commander, Adaware, MIRC etc. I think most people really
> are honest, and pay when they find something that really
> helps. I hesitate to pay up front, only because I have
> paid for too many things only to find out they don't work,
> or work poorly. Then there is no way to get your money
> back, so you are just screwed, and the programmer gets
> richer. Let's face it, why should there be an
> implied "trust" with someone you don't even know? If you
> were a large bona fide company that I could go back to if
> it don't work, fine. But I have no idea who you are, or
> how ethical you are. Don't take it personal, but that's
> the fact. I do realize many cretens out there simply use
> the program and never pay, but if it is really good I bet
> they pay. Look at ProComm in the old days. Everybody had
> it, and most registered. I don't mean to impune your
> dignity, but a lot of shareware distributors out there are
> just as unscrupulous as the shitheads who steal the stuff.
> Maybe I'll try yours after all. Thanks for the reply.
>
> BTW, I was not blaming you really, but MS. They ARE the
> scum that gives us this ***. Can't wait to see Bill Gates
> in the middle of dark road on a rainy night. Ooops! I'm
> not even gonna HIT the brakes. Alas, my dream will never
> be fulfilled cause he's too rich to walk anywhere, but we
> can dream!
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >DBXtract is only $5.
> >
> >It was free for 5 years, and had over 1,000,000 downloads
> due to the
> >propensity for dbx files to become corrupted. Economic
> circumstances
> >prevented me from continuing to make it free. I'm not
> an "opportunistic
> >programmer" trying to get richer. I'm trying to survive
> the economy and be
> >able to eat.
> >
> >If you have a dispute against MS for the dbx problems,
> don't blame the
> >people who have a solution and want something back for
> it. Blame MS, which
> >has refused to do anything about the known problem for
> the last 6 years and
> >continues to refuse to do anything until the next OS
> comes out.
> >
> >steve
> >
> >"Ed" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
> message
> >news:2ad1201c46648$0f292650$a301280a@phx.gbl...
> >> Is there any way to fix a corrupted .dbx file for free?
> I
> >> am tired of being linked to sites that say they are free
> >> but only let you find out how screwed you are unless you
> >> pay them money! Why does Microsoft not provide a .dbx
> file
> >> fixer, since, like many MS products, they screw up all
> the
> >> time. Seems like if you want to use a *** format
> just
> >> so no one else has access you should provide the tools
> for
> >> when it screws up! Judging by the hundreds of messages I
> >> found across the internet about OE doing a Bill Gates
> >> (screwing up) every so often, seems a little arrogant
> and
> >> unresponsive to leave us pay ANOTHER $40 bucks or so to
> >> fix your stuff (this goes with the hundreds of dollars
> of
> >> other software we need to buy to KEEP it working).
> Stupid
> >> damn system if you ask me, since one byte can trash your
> >> whole email history and NO WAY to recover except to make
> >> some opportunistic programmer richer. Would be different
> >> if OE had some reasonable way to backup the email
> folders
> >> without using exchange. Let's see, we need Antivirus to
> >> keep your POS activeX architecture from ruining our pc,
> >> adware soft to keep your BHO strategy from driving us
> >> nuts, and various "tools" to constantly "tweak"
> and "fix"
> >> windows via coaxing into working again. Ya think someday
> >> we could get an OS that doesn't need 3 SP's BEFORE we
> use
> >> it for the FIRST TIME?? I'll settle for a utility (free)
> >> to fix the stuff you guys programmed so badly in the
> first
> >> place. We'll worry about the rest later.
> >
> >.
> >