5 replies to this topic

[Sparks]

A couple people have asked what I mean by saying that Atlantis will go shareware at 1.0.0, so I figure I'll toss this out here as an explanation.

I figure that Atlantis will be freely downloadable and will use all the features for the first 30 days after install, or so. After 30 days, it will disable the MUSH Text Editor and a few other things (Perl scripting? Plugins?); if you don't need those, then it's just free. If you want those back, it'd be a $10 registration fee.

Basically, I've done a ton of freeware / open source stuff in the past, and never really gotten anything from it. I figure, this time I'll try and earn a little back. $10 doesn't seem that bad to me; it's less than Savitar charges, and will last an entire 1.x.x line. And to renew a license for a full version change (like 1.x.x to 2.x.x) will be like $4 or something. And since I don't foresee doing 1.x.x -> 2.x.x jumps very often, as opposed to 1.1.x, 1.2.x, 1.3.x, etc., I don't figure it's a huge cost.

However, I'm also committing to the fact that there will always be a free version of Atlantis as well, and if years from now I ever reach the point where I absolutely have no more time to maintain Atlantis, I'll release the source rather than let it become another forgotten / dead-in-the-water client.

Hopefully that helps clarify.

[Wixenstyx]

$10 doesn't seem that bad to me; it's less than Savitar charges, and will last an entire 1.x.x line. And to renew a license for a full version change (like 1.x.x to 2.x.x) will be like $4 or something. And since I don't foresee doing 1.x.x -> 2.x.x jumps very often, as opposed to 1.1.x, 1.2.x, 1.3.x, etc., I don't figure it's a huge cost.

Doesn't sound that bad to me either. I've only been using Atlantis for an evening (after several months of Savitar), and I'd already pay it. I can't begin to say how wonderful it is to have activity notification again! The added feature of NOT (so far, anyway) crashing out of nowhere every so often is rather nice too.

[Savanna]

Basically, I've done a ton of freeware / open source stuff in the past, and never really gotten anything from it. I figure, this time I'll try and earn a little back. $10 doesn't seem that bad to me; it's less than Savitar charges, and will last an entire 1.x.x line. And to renew a license for a full version change (like 1.x.x to 2.x.x) will be like $4 or something. And since I don't foresee doing 1.x.x -> 2.x.x jumps very often, as opposed to 1.1.x, 1.2.x, 1.3.x, etc., I don't figure it's a huge cost.

i totally agree: $10 is nothing for a great program that people use all the time. like i said in my first post: i'm buying it as soon as you launch the shareware version. you deserve it. =)

[Ipstenu]

Out of curiousity, I plan on using this on three computers. How would you handle shareware licenses like that? Assume good faith in the buyer, or purchase multiple licences?

[Sparks]

I admit I was thinking good faith in the buyer. Because it's always mildly annoyed me when I have to buy multiple copies of my antivirus software for every PC in the house, for instance. However, I hadn't really spent a ton of time thinking about it.

I suppose I could make it something like 'additional licenses are available at the upgrade license cost of $4 each' or something like that.

[Ipstenu]

Yeah, I sort of lean the same way. I mean, the only way to trackback and ensure it's one copy per computer on a LAN is to have the program ping on a port when it starts up to look for other copies...

Which you can get around on a LAN by blocking/redirecting the port (or other applescripty ways I know about).

The alternative would be make it a 'Household License.'

Single User - $10
Household (up to ten users) - $12-14?