The True Meaning of Freeware

The vast majority of us will have, at some point, had freeware games or applications installed on our systems. If you've played an online Java or Flash based game, you've used freeware. In a very real way the Internet itself is freeware, a massive collections of scripts, information, tools and resources that are, for the most part, totally free. But what is it that motivates so many people to put so much work into a project, and then release it totally free of charge? There are a few misconceptions about freeware that I would like to clear up.

1.) "Freeware programs are loaded with spy ware and Trojan horses" ? not true. While it is true that some programs contain these types of malicious software, they are a vanishingly small percentage of the whole. The type of people who release programs like this are identical to spam mailers ? criminal and beneath contempt. If you are worried about this then I suggest you only download software from large, well known freeware sites. These almost always check to ensure their programs are free of any malicious code.

2.) "Freeware only works for X amount of days, or is crippled in some way". Again, not true. Programs that work in this way are classified as Shareware, and are designed so that if you like the programs function you can pay the author for a full version. Freeware is never crippled in any way, and comes with no charge whatsoever ? although donations are always appreciated!

3.) "The only reason this is freeware is because no-one in their right mind would pay money for it". This, unfortunately, is often a valid point. There are some truly abysmal programs out there. And even if the program is a good, helpful little tool, it doesn't mean you would be prepared to spend £10 on it in a shop. However there are some absolute gems out there, like 7-zip for example. All I can say is, again, look for the big directories where the submissions are ranked. Look especially for the sites where users can leave their own feedback on a product, for example www.gamehippo.com is a superb site for freeware games.

So what is the reason people make programs for free? The points above could explain it, to some extent. But that is not what freeware is really about. Freeware is about programmers wanting to share what they've created with the world at large, be it a useful tool, a kick-ass game or even a simple script. People who write freeware like to share what they've made, and maybe get some credit from the wider community for making something useful. So next time you find a useful piece of free software why not look through the about box to find out who made it. If they have a site then go visit, maybe leave a note in the guest book to encourage them to keep up the good work, to create more superb software. And you never know, the site may even contain that perfect piece of software you've been looking for.

Daniel Robson runs http://www.shock-therapy.co.nr where he offers his own freeware, as well hosting freeware for Symbian UIQ 7.0 phones, especially the Sony Ericsson Px00 series.

---

The Secret of the Layer Styles Dialogue

When you double-click a layer in the Layer Palette, you... Read More

Think Of This

Think of this, first we had the HAM Radio, then... Read More

Microsoft Navision Customization and Reporting ? Tips For Programmer/IT Specialist

C/SIDE (Client/Server Integrated Development Environment) - The core of... Read More

What is Preventive Maintenance Software?

Preventive Maintenance (PM) is defined as scheduled work done on... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Inventory Control ? Overview For Consultant

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is marketed for mid-size companies... Read More

SQL scripts for Project Accounting: Microsoft Great Plains series ? overview for developer

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has Project Accounting module where... Read More

Crystal Reports - Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server is the leader for inexpensive and middle... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Reporting ? Overview for Developer

Looks like Microsoft Great Plains becomes more and more... Read More

Software Companies: Generate New Revenue Streams and Decrease Costs with Custom e-Learning Content

It's no secret that software companies operate in a very... Read More

Spyware - The Internet Devil Of Our Times!

Spyware and Adware infest over 90 percent of computers in... Read More

Upgrading Great Plains Dexterity Customization ? switching to new technologies: SQL, Crystal, eConne

1. Replace Dexterity cursor with SQL Stored Procedure Dexterity... Read More

eCommerce development for Microsoft Great Plains: tools and highlights for programmer

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, former Great Plains Software Dynamics... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Implementation for Midsize & Large Corporation: Lockbox Processing

Microsoft Great Plains is now targeting large and midsize businesses... Read More

Microsoft Business Solutions Customization Options - Overview for Programmer

Several years ago Microsoft purchased Great Plains Software, then Navision... Read More

Is Your Family Protected?

When you think... Read More

Basic Steps To Optimize Your Internet Security

After seeing many people complain about their weak Internet security... Read More

Snort for Network IDS

What is Snort?Snort is an open source network intrusion detection... Read More

Software Upgrades Arent Always the Best Move

When my daughter was getting into AOL instant messaging (AIM)... Read More

Cross-Platform Custom Software Development & Integration ? IT Strategy for Large Corporation

Microsoft Business Solutions products: Great Plains, MS CRM, Navision, Axapta,... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains GL: General Ledger ? Overview For Consultant

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is marketed for mid-size companies... Read More

Microsoft Business Solutions - Navision Customization: C/SIDE, C/ODBC, C/FRONT, XBRL

Microsoft bought Navision, Denmark based software development company, along with... Read More

Linux Secrets

The first thing that you will notice about Linux Red... Read More

Linux Vs. Windows

This article will not attempt to advocate the use of... Read More

netstat - Linux Command to Display Networking Information

In linux, one of great commands for finding out information... Read More

MSN Messenger Is A Sweet Way To Communicate

MSN messenger is a pretty cool invention. I mean I'm... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Partner Selection: Overview

Microsoft Great Plains, Navision, Solomon and Axapta are Microsoft Business... Read More

What is Fleet Maintenance Software?

Simply put, fleet maintenance allows companies to monitor and maintain... Read More

Microsoft CRM ? Typical Customizations

Microsoft CRM was designed to be easily customizable. Microsoft CRM... Read More

Seven Reasons Why a Hosted Inventory Management Solution Might Be Right For Your Organization

Upgrading. Downtime. Maintenance. Hardware obsolescence. Implementation issues. The litany of... Read More

Five Tips For A Great Software Demo

Whether you need to close a sale, gather end-user feedback,... Read More

IT Strategy for Midsize Business: Microsoft vs. Java, Great Plains & CRM

Midsize business or non-profit organization should decide if one-vendor solution... Read More

Backing Up And Restoring Your MySQL Database

If you've been using MySQL database to store your important... Read More

Microsoft CRM or Siebel

Siebel is traditional CRM market leader, however and mostly due... Read More