From: nobody@REPLAY.COM (Anonymous)
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 1998 05:24:36 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Re: Deriving economic profits from writing FREE software?
In-Reply-To: <slrn6c0bra.sic.igor@manifold.algebra.com>
Message-ID: <199801210243.DAA05915@basement.replay.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Bill Stewart wrote:

> At 10:11 PM 1/16/98 -0600, Igor wrote:
> >However, aside from the psychic benefits, I would like to somehow derive
> >an economic profit from being a freeware author. So far, I feel that the
> >status of the author of a popular package does sound good on a resume, but
> >it is as far as I could get.
> >
> >Does anyone else feel the same way? Has anybody come up with a way to
> >cash in on the free programs that he writes?
> 
> There's the standard shareware model - ask for $25.
> There's the Cygnus model - charge money for support.
> There's the Netscape/McAfee/etc. model - free for personal use,
>         charge money to companies that use it.
> There's the Eudora model - basic version free, bells&whistles extra.
> There's the advertising-banner model - the software/service is free,
>         but usage hits an advertising banner in some way that
>         filters money back to you.

There's the Intel model - give away software to sell new hardware.
There's the Linus Torvalds model - people pay you to speak at conferences.
There's the w3c model - pay money if you want it now, or wait and get it for
        free next month.
There's the book model - give away the software and sell the documentation.
There's the PGP model - give it away until it becomes popular, then sell it.

...and then there's the Microsoft model - give away 'free' software and
   charge for the OS to run it...