*Always* doesn't seem too long a time span:

www.imediaman.com/about
| Originally, I planned on going commercial in version 1.0 in August, 2004.
| But according to user feedbacks, this edition is still not good enough
| to charge for the price in my mind. And therefore I decided to improve
| it.
|
| During this process, I discovered that it's possible to run a business
| model where giving out a commercial version and keep a freeware version
| at the same time. This is intended to attract more attentions. Therefore
| I claimed the freeware version will be always free.
|
| However, after another half year of development in the commercial
| version. I discovered that he freeware version is too powerful so that
| it will be difficult to persuade people to upgrade to the commercial
| version. I made a difficult decision in early August, 2005 to
| discontinue the freeware version and provide the commercial version
| only.

Sad.
Especially for those who filled the database with lots of effort...

BeAr
--
===========================================================================
= What do you mean with: "Perfection is always an illusion"? =
===============================================================--(Oops!)===

I am thinking of doing the opposite - providing a free limited functionality
version of my program, RegmagiK (currently shareware). Here are my
questions:

Would it be of any value to have a free registry viewer like RegmagiK, but
without Registry editing capabilities?

Boris
------------------------
RegmagiK: powerful Registry editor for software developers, sysadmins, and
power-users (written by Boris)
visit www.RegmagiK.com for free download

For limited time ACF readers can e-mail me and get one free activation code
for full version of RegmagiK v.4.7.5
Download trial version first - you'll need to get a serial number (displayed
on the About RegmagiK dialog)
E-mail me the serial number and mention this post to get one free activation
code.


"B. R. 'BeAr' Ederson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message news:12ckh6idsn8xg$.(E-Mail Removed)...
> *Always* doesn't seem too long a time span:
>
> www.imediaman.com/about
> | Originally, I planned on going commercial in version 1.0 in August,
> 2004.
> | But according to user feedbacks, this edition is still not good enough
> | to charge for the price in my mind. And therefore I decided to improve
> | it.
> |
> | During this process, I discovered that it's possible to run a business
> | model where giving out a commercial version and keep a freeware version
> | at the same time. This is intended to attract more attentions. Therefore
> | I claimed the freeware version will be always free.
> |
> | However, after another half year of development in the commercial
> | version. I discovered that he freeware version is too powerful so that
> | it will be difficult to persuade people to upgrade to the commercial
> | version. I made a difficult decision in early August, 2005 to
> | discontinue the freeware version and provide the commercial version
> | only.
>
> Sad.
> Especially for those who filled the database with lots of effort...
>
> BeAr
> --
> ===========================================================================
> = What do you mean with: "Perfection is always an illusion"?
> =
> ===============================================================--(Oops!)===

On Tue, 4 Oct 2005 19:25:17 -0400, Boris wrote:

[iMediaMan went shareware]
> I am thinking of doing the opposite - providing a free limited functionality
> version of my program, RegmagiK (currently shareware).

And previously free. It's your decision, entirely. But constant changes
in the license model don't look too professional, IMHO.

> Here are my questions:
>
> Would it be of any value to have a free registry viewer like RegmagiK, but
> without Registry editing capabilities?

There might be some people who'd like an advanced viewer. It shouldn't
be too hard for you to cripple your current code using compile time
switches. If you provide a viewer, you'll see from download counts and
responses, whether people like it or not.

> For limited time ACF readers can e-mail me and get one free activation code
> for full version of RegmagiK v.4.7.5

Personally, I'm not interested. Thanks. But your whole posting seems
to suggest that you over-estimated the count of users willing to pay
for a registry editor out of the popularity of the former *free*
version of RegmagiK. To give away free registration codes for only
*a limited user group* and *one selected version* combined with the
thoughts of a 'Lite' version seems like some desperate advertising
campaign.

Maybe you re-think your license model as a whole. If you lessen the
efforts put into programming (less frequent updates, stability set
before new functionality, and so on), you might get enough pay-off
from donation requests and from some advertising on your homepage.
At least the user base will rise again. And so will the counts of
visit to your homepage. (Just a thought...)

BeAr
--
===========================================================================
= What do you mean with: "Perfection is always an illusion"? =
===============================================================--(Oops!)===

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You are right to some extent, I do want
more people to know about RegmagiK. And you have every right to look at my
post as a "desperate advertising campaign". At the same time, I was sharing
my thoughts with this *limited group* and added "free activation code" note
was my way to offer some value to the readers of this group in exchange for
promotion that Pricelessware provides for RegmagiK. I like this newsgroup
and it was great news for me when RegmagiK was nominated here.

Boris
------------------------
RegmagiK: powerful Registry editor for software developers, sysadmins, and
power-users (written by Boris)
visit www.RegmagiK.com for free download

"B. R. 'BeAr' Ederson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message news:8jycfgoeknh1$.(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Tue, 4 Oct 2005 19:25:17 -0400, Boris wrote:
>
> [iMediaMan went shareware]
>> I am thinking of doing the opposite - providing a free limited
>> functionality
>> version of my program, RegmagiK (currently shareware).
>
> And previously free. It's your decision, entirely. But constant changes
> in the license model don't look too professional, IMHO.
>
> version of RegmagiK. To give away free registration codes for only
> *a limited user group* and *one selected version* combined with the
> thoughts of a 'Lite' version seems like some desperate advertising
> campaign.
>
> Maybe you re-think your license model as a whole. If you lessen the
> efforts put into programming (less frequent updates, stability set
> before new functionality, and so on), you might get enough pay-off
> from donation requests and from some advertising on your homepage.
> At least the user base will rise again. And so will the counts of
> visit to your homepage. (Just a thought...)
>
> BeAr
> --
> ===========================================================================
> = What do you mean with: "Perfection is always an illusion"?
> =
> ===============================================================--(Oops!)===

On Wed, 5 Oct 2005 16:24:56 -0400, Boris wrote:

> Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You are right to some extent, I do want
> more people to know about RegmagiK. And you have every right to look at my
> post as a "desperate advertising campaign". At the same time, I was sharing
> my thoughts with this *limited group* and added "free activation code" note
> was my way to offer some value to the readers of this group in exchange for
> promotion that Pricelessware provides for RegmagiK. I like this newsgroup
> and it was great news for me when RegmagiK was nominated here.

Ah, bribery during the Pricelessware process! That's even worse! ;-)

BeAr
--
===========================================================================
= What do you mean with: "Perfection is always an illusion"? =
===============================================================--(Oops!)===

"B. R. 'BeAr' Ederson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Ah, bribery during the Pricelessware process! That's even worse! ;-)

Certainly puts me off....... but what do I know \

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

"Boris" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:FuydnRWHeY8Fq9neRVn-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You are right to some extent, I do want
> more people to know about RegmagiK. And you have every right to look at my
> post as a "desperate advertising campaign". At the same time, I was
sharing
> my thoughts with this *limited group* and added "free activation code"
note
> was my way to offer some value to the readers of this group in exchange
for
> promotion that Pricelessware provides for RegmagiK. I like this newsgroup
> and it was great news for me when RegmagiK was nominated here.

I mean no offence but, by offering what you have, you've done two things;

1. Given yourself less chance of profiting from the program (which I am
assuming is what you intended in the long run by the promotion here?)
2. Left yourself and your promotion tactics open to confusion

As far as this newsgroup goes, the former is obviously a good thing as it
isn't free if the author profits, but the latter is not a good thing as it
now leaves the question of whether or not the program is actually worth the
cost you are charging in the first place (i.e. if it was worth the cost, it
would be getting purchased which in turn, would leave no reason for your
promoting it here, given the reasons you've mentioned).

Hope this makes sense ...

--
Regards

Steven Burn
Ur I.T. Mate Group
www.it-mate.co.uk

Keeping it FREE!

On Tue, 4 Oct 2005 19:25:17 -0400, "Boris"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

< snip >

>RegmagiK: powerful Registry editor for software developers, sysadmins, and
>power-users (written by Boris)
>visit www.RegmagiK.com for free download

>For limited time ACF readers can e-mail me and get one free activation code
>for full version of RegmagiK v.4.7.5
>Download trial version first - you'll need to get a serial number (displayed
>on the About RegmagiK dialog)
>E-mail me the serial number and mention this post to get one free activation
>code.

I did the above some time ago. When I put in the activation code
however I was simply sent to your online page to pay for a copy. :-(

Regards, John.
--
****************************************************
,-._|\ (A.C.F FAQ) http://clients.net2000.com.au/~johnf/faq.html
/ Oz \ John Fitzsimons - Melbourne, Australia.
\_,--.x/ http://www.vicnet.net.au/~johnf/welcome.htm
v http://clients.net2000.com.au/~johnf/

There was a bug in the early activation method and it did not take the
correct activation code and sent user to online page to pay. I know how bad
it looks and I apologize to all who had this version. Later this bug was
fixed and people were able to use the program.
Boris
------------------------
RegmagiK: powerful Registry editor for software developers, sysadmins, and
power-users (written by Boris)
visit www.RegmagiK.com for free download

"John Fitzsimons" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Tue, 4 Oct 2005 19:25:17 -0400, "Boris"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> < snip >
>
>>RegmagiK: powerful Registry editor for software developers, sysadmins, and
>>power-users (written by Boris)
>>visit www.RegmagiK.com for free download
>
>>For limited time ACF readers can e-mail me and get one free activation
>>code
>>for full version of RegmagiK v.4.7.5
>>Download trial version first - you'll need to get a serial number
>>(displayed
>>on the About RegmagiK dialog)
>>E-mail me the serial number and mention this post to get one free
>>activation
>>code.
>
> I did the above some time ago. When I put in the activation code
> however I was simply sent to your online page to pay for a copy. :-(
>
> Regards, John.
> --
> ****************************************************
> ,-._|\ (A.C.F FAQ) http://clients.net2000.com.au/~johnf/faq.html
> / Oz \ John Fitzsimons - Melbourne, Australia.
> \_,--.x/ http://www.vicnet.net.au/~johnf/welcome.htm
> v http://clients.net2000.com.au/~johnf/

BeAr, you misunderstood me, I hope. There was no bribery - RegmagiK was
nominated long before "free activation" was offered, it was nominated before
RegmagiK became shareware. Last freeware version of RegmagiK can still be
found on the web.
Boris
------------------------
RegmagiK: powerful Registry editor for software developers, sysadmins, and
power-users (written by Boris)
visit www.RegmagiK.com for free download

"B. R. 'BeAr' Ederson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Wed, 5 Oct 2005 16:24:56 -0400, Boris wrote:
>
>> Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You are right to some extent, I do want
>> more people to know about RegmagiK. And you have every right to look at
>> my
>> post as a "desperate advertising campaign". At the same time, I was
>> sharing
>> my thoughts with this *limited group* and added "free activation code"
>> note
>> was my way to offer some value to the readers of this group in exchange
>> for
>> promotion that Pricelessware provides for RegmagiK. I like this newsgroup
>> and it was great news for me when RegmagiK was nominated here.
>
> Ah, bribery during the Pricelessware process! That's even worse! ;-)
>
> BeAr
> --
> ===========================================================================
> = What do you mean with: "Perfection is always an illusion"?
> =
> ===============================================================--(Oops!)===