Ben, that's fine. I <b>do</b> regard what many Mac developers do as "shareware", and if you develop and distribute applications as described above then I believe you're a shareware developer too. Of course, that has nothing to do with how you see yourself, and I don't feel demeaned to be a shareware developer. It doesn't keep me up at night. (Being a "sanitation engineer" might though.)
More importantly, I believe most people still regard the download/serial mechanism as shareware even if they don't know its history or are even old enough to remember completely free software that nagged the customer.
In this sense, fighting a term like shareware is a bit like science fiction fans going on about "SF" instead of "sci-fi". All very well, and I'm sure it's comforting and validating to collectors of "graphic novels" and speculative movies involving the X-Men everywhere, but it's preaching to the converted -- the rest of the world is going to call it "sci-fi".
Scott, things change. Shareware generally came to mean more than donationware a long, long time ago. And yeah, I've done both, and have no problems with the terms. Does the label change me, or change what I do? No. Do I get a sense of validation from the description of what I do? No.
Do I include the words "shareware" in my PR? No. But that's PR. Your municipal council doesn't offer the services of "ratcatcher" either...
<i>The term "shareware developer" just doesn't fit what Panic, Delicious, and Macromates/TextMate do.</i>
Oh well, we'll just have to disagree. I think it fits it better than any other common term.
by David — Jan 16
More importantly, I believe most people still regard the download/serial mechanism as shareware even if they don't know its history or are even old enough to remember completely free software that nagged the customer.
In this sense, fighting a term like shareware is a bit like science fiction fans going on about "SF" instead of "sci-fi". All very well, and I'm sure it's comforting and validating to collectors of "graphic novels" and speculative movies involving the X-Men everywhere, but it's preaching to the converted -- the rest of the world is going to call it "sci-fi".
Scott, things change. Shareware generally came to mean more than donationware a long, long time ago. And yeah, I've done both, and have no problems with the terms. Does the label change me, or change what I do? No. Do I get a sense of validation from the description of what I do? No.
Do I include the words "shareware" in my PR? No. But that's PR. Your municipal council doesn't offer the services of "ratcatcher" either...
<i>The term "shareware developer" just doesn't fit what Panic, Delicious, and Macromates/TextMate do.</i>
Oh well, we'll just have to disagree. I think it fits it better than any other common term.