The existence of for-pay stuff doesn't hurt you
Tuesday, April 22, 2008 by Draginol | Discussion: Personal Computing
I read a news announcement about a new freeware program that does some cool stuff. I check it out and it is vastly superior to an existing freeware program. Yet when I read the comments, the new, superior freeware program is being flamed. Why? Because the guy making it also offers a for-pay version that has more features.
I check out the forums of a game I enjoy playing. Normally people are singing the praises of this game. Now, the forum is full of flaming and angst. Why? Because the developer started offering optional premium content for players if they want.
Let me tell those complainers a truth about life: Money is exchanged for goods and services.
Before the current generation of l33t-speaking complainers became the norm on the net, we had a concept called shareware. Someone would make something cool and offer a version of it to try. This version might time out or it might have fewer features or it might just work on the honor system. If users liked it, they bought it. End of story.
Nowadays, we have it better. People make free stuff and release it. No nags. No missing features when compared to other "free" competitors. No time outs. But the developers will also release an even better version. And the complainers get vocal.
What annoys me is that the whiners are attempting to bully people from making stuff that many people like me want. I don't live with my mom in her basement. I don't begrudge paying a few dollars to someone who made something I want. I recognize that I already pay $80 a month for my cell phone and $60 a month for cable so bitching about paying $9 to $20 for something I want is pretty ridiculous.
And I certainly recognize that the mere existence of premium stuff doesn't hurt me. If I want it, I'll pay for it. If I don't, I won't.
Let me give you two examples:
The program ObjectDock is the best dock out there. We make it so I'm biased but it has far more features than any dock out there. It's also free. You want a cool dock on Windows, this is what you get. But there is also ObjectDock Plus. It's $20 but adds a ton of features like tabbed docks. And so what do people say? They'll say that ObjectDock is "payware" or "crippleware". Why? Because a non-free improved version exists.
Similarly, I love Team Fortress 2. It is a great game. And you know what? If Valve created a new character I could play as for say $10 I'd buy it in an instant. I want more characters in TF2 to play as. But you know the reaction they'd get. They'd probably get flamed because the parasite-class would argue that they should get that for free because buying something once to them means that the developers are perpetual slaves to them after.
I understand that we all want to keep from getting nickled and dimed but one assumes that we can make our own judgments as to whether something is worth it or not and allow others to make the same judgment.
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Reply #2 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 4:58 PM
I am going to make a big sign out of that quote.
Reply #4 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 5:26 PM
Amen, there is no problem with charging money for stuff.
Unless it gives an unfair advantage in an unregulated player pool.
Reply #5 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 5:59 PM
I think it's a safe bet the hard drives of these people are full of pirated software, movies and music.
Reply #6 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 6:09 PM
I disagree. Apple has the best dock. As far as the subject goes I think I will offer these two words: open source.
Reply #7 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 6:11 PM
And I refuse to believe that there isn't anyone among us that hasn't downloaded something they should not have. They can deny it all they like but I know better.
Reply #8 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 6:36 PM
Reply #9 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 6:59 PM
The Apple dock isn't a "normal" program, it's part of the operating system. 
Open source = what?
Reply #10 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 7:09 PM
Oh? Have you used the Mac dock recently?
Reply #11 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 7:13 PM
Meaning more programs should be open source as opposed to having to be paid for.
Actually I have.
Reply #12 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:04 PM
Kona, open source doesn't mean free. Open source is a license type. Seriously, could you wander off somewhere else.
Reply #13 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:11 PM
Reply #14 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:21 PM
Reply #15 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:29 PM
Reply #16 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:36 PM
The current rumor is that, in GTA4, the add-on's are going to be ENTIRE CITIES!!! Talk about getting your moneys worth 
Not really per-topic, but cool non-the-less.
Reply #17 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:59 PM
Reply #18 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 10:20 PM
Oh wah. Please do not ever buy anything from us again. How is that?
If I had a nickel for every time some guy came onto the forum and said that something I said offended them or predicted that my posts would drive the company out of business I'd be insanely rich.
Reply #19 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 10:25 PM
He's actually the CEO.
Reply #20 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 11:14 PM
BTW, you forgot something.
PEOPLE, although there are some who spend their own time and money to release everything they do for free, to better the world, 99.99% OF EVERY PRODUCT, PROGRAM, OR ADVANCE WAS MOTIVATED BY MONEY.
Most of these free programs wouldn't exist except, to be blunt, to be suckers to draw you in to buy the full version. Sorry,
but society does not owe you a living, games, and your life's desires. It doesn't work like that.
Love it.
Had to say it again.
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Reply #1 Tuesday, April 22, 2008 4:50 PM
If a free program will do what I want, then why whine about it just because there's a better version? I'll just take the free one, and if I need extra features, upgrade. But I'll try to live without them, because free stuff is easier to pay for.