Brad Wardell's views about technology, politics, religion, world affairs, and all sorts of politically incorrect topics.

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.


Comments (Page 1)
14 Pages1 2 3  Last
on Apr 22, 2008
I'm surprised I haven't seen more whining about charging for the expansion packs when you gave one away for free on GalCiv1... maybe I'm just not looking in the right place?

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.
on Apr 22, 2008

Let me tell the whiners a truth about life: Money is exchanged for goods and services.

I am going to make a big sign out of that quote.

 

on Apr 22, 2008
$20? Aw, I wanted a peanut...
on Apr 22, 2008

Amen, there is no problem with charging money for stuff.

Unless it gives an unfair advantage in an unregulated player pool.

on Apr 22, 2008
Hear hear!

I think it's a safe bet the hard drives of these people are full of pirated software, movies and music.
on Apr 22, 2008
The program ObjectDock is the best dock out there.


I disagree. Apple has the best dock. As far as the subject goes I think I will offer these two words: open source.
on Apr 22, 2008
I think it's a safe bet the hard drives of these people are full of pirated software, movies and music.


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.
on Apr 22, 2008
Well said Brad.  You get what you pay for, simple as that.
on Apr 22, 2008

I disagree. Apple has the best dock. As far as the subject goes I think I will offer these two words: open source.


The Apple dock isn't a "normal" program, it's part of the operating system. 


Open source = what?

on Apr 22, 2008

I disagree. Apple has the best dock. As far as the subject goes I think I will offer these two words: open source.

Oh? Have you used the Mac dock recently?

on Apr 22, 2008
Open source = what?


Meaning more programs should be open source as opposed to having to be paid for.

Oh? Have you used the Mac dock recently?


Actually I have.
on Apr 22, 2008

Meaning more programs should be open source as opposed to having to be paid for.

Kona, open source doesn't mean free. Open source is a license type. Seriously, could you wander off somewhere else.

on Apr 22, 2008
Meaning more programs should be open source as opposed to having to be paid for.
You get what you pay for, simple as that.
on Apr 22, 2008
I don't see a problem with paying for something if someone feels the need/desire to charge for it. No matter what it is, said person(s) put their time into making/doing it and as the saying goes 'time is money'. Freeware is cool.. 'basic' slimmed down programs of paid versions are cool but there really is no need to bash, flame, criticize or the like for something that you have to buy. Just don't buy it
on Apr 22, 2008
The vast bulk of such things (and I'm obviously not talking about Stardock's products here) are overpriced and not at all worth it. Consequently they've gotten a rather spectacularly bad reputation (rightly so, in my experience) as a tool used by parasitic, low-grade developers to maximize profit while minimizing game quality. Any attempt to capitalize on such a model is going to have to be that much higher quality of an investment to overcome that perception.
14 Pages1 2 3  Last