ok Richard, you're technically right here; but David has a point: if you charge for software, be prepared to take a lot of grief and criticism over every bug and short-coming. much more grief than those who make a gift of their software to all users by making it free. I think David was trying to convey the idea that you (the developer) should expect to have to work a lot harder, to make your software as professional and as bug-free as possible, if you wish to charge for it; therefore, it isn't likely to be as easy as taking what you have at the moment, and simply asking people to start paying you for it. Chip
_____ From: Richard G Applegate [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, September 05, 2011 7:27 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: Selling apps. Was: new Music Menu app If I might comment on one of your statements below: ". If your app should defend a given price, the user has his right to expect it to work flawlessly, and professionally." The user has his/her right to expect the sun shines for him/her alone but that has no effect on nature. It is inevitable for software to be flawed. I don't think it a stretch to include apps within the definition of software. I don't know that I've ever heard anyone seriously proclaim any software, script based or other, to be flawless across computers and or operating systems. Microsoft, Apple, Freedom Scientific and GW-Micro have all developed and continue to develop software that performs less than perfectly. It would behoove the developer to make an effort to eliminate random features, but there is no requirement, neither implied nor explicit that the developer do so. The purchaser assumes the risk when he/she decides to purchase. On the other hand, the developer assumes the risk of receiving no return on his/her investment when he/she decides to charge for his/her app, keeping in mind that he/she is marketing to a potentially low income customer base. From: David [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, September 05, 2011 5:27 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Selling apps. Was: new Music Menu app Chip, I think you have a nice point here. Bruce, and the rest of you, I do understand the wish to have some kind of benefit from all the time, energy and other resources you might have put into an app developing project. One big thing to keep in mind, is that we already are loaded with a rather expensive screen reader. This has been a tough threshold to overcome for many a user. If now we make that one even higher to climb, by adding on more expenses for this and that app, it might just become too much for some. My point here is, long as you leave your app free of charge, chances are that far more users will be benefitting from it. More users, might result in more feedback, hence contribute to a further active development of your app. And, of course, if your app should defend a given price, the user has his right to expect it to work flawlessly, and professionally. That would mean a good chunk of testing and preparation. Back to Chip's point. We all have received much in the past. Now, if I am developing a new app. I have certain challenges, and go on the list here, asking for help. I do receive ten feedbacks, that I include in my app. The moment I sell the app. Will I REALLY be the author of that app, having all the rights? I am not trying to initiate any kind of legal cases, but only trying to focus a bit on some ethical things to keep in mind. The picture might shift a bit, when we get to apps that are directly related to certain software. May I here remind you of the last few days' discussion around SoundForge. In cases like that, where we are talking about software that is more for the specialized user, and which might need scripting, also might clearly call for a certain ecconomic compensation. Or, in cases where the app makes use of services that includes a direct relation to the use of the app. In cases like that, it would be little complicated I guess, to ask a balanced price. Though I still have a feeling, your app will need a good amount of professionality, if you want to see money. True, there is several of those apps - on SC - that clearly would be in the professional category. But ask yourself, how much would you have spend, if you were to pay for each of the apps you have on your PC - downloaded from app central - right now. Am I trying to discourage anyone from selling apps? Not at all. Just throwing some thoughts on the board, that might be useful to at least pay a certain amount of attention to. ----- Original Message ----- From: Chip <mailto:[email protected]> Orange To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, September 05, 2011 10:48 PM Subject: RE: new Music Menu app congrats to both of you on your new apps. I'm not sure I remember the comment you're mentioning Bruce, but I think a better way of thinking about things (because no one is actually selling any of the apps you may have meant by "our work") is that we're doing this in order to share with others, because at some time in our own personal pasts, others have shared things with us. Don't let me stop you from selling your apps if you feel that's what you want to do, I just wanted to bring up the issue of how much help and time we've all received from others at one time. No one is unfairly benefiting if we choose to try and "pay it forward" with some effort of our own. Chip _____ From: bb [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, September 05, 2011 12:51 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: new Music Menu app Hi Jeff, I sent you and other my python app that almost does the same thing but only did the simple queue without drawing from a list. Besides that app, if it runs I am going to compile it as a com object to be allowed to run inside the WE apps and be used on the global object list as this one is run. Maybe it will only play MP3, OGG and WAV, but it is all about learning. My attempt is to bind the Python library into WE usage and if it works, then a lot more powerful stuff can also be run. At this point I will mention a comment made weeks ago, about selling the apps. An interesting comment, which was asked when Mike was on the Chip Orange tutorial Sunday night. I did not ask the question, but it has become an interesting discussion by some, saying, "We do the work and another person sells it..." When I get my 7.5 computer back, and probably purchase a second, I will keep on developing in hopes of comments as I have mentioned don't poison the atmosphere... Sincerely Bruce Sent: Monday, September 05, 2011 12:24 AM Subject: new Music Menu app I have just posted a new app called MusicMenu This app will play files from a list and it uses the new GWAudioKit to play several file types. If the GWAudioKit is not installed, the app will still work, but it will only play .wav files, and some functions will not be available. The help text follows: Press Alt-Shift-M to play music files. Select a file from the list and press play to hear the file. Press next to hear the next selection. Pres previous to hear the previous selection. Press pause_resume to stop and resume a selection. Press repeat_song to keep playing the same song repeatedly. Press stop to stop a file or just select another file and press play. Press close to close the app. If A song is playing when you close the app, it will continue to play. Press help to go to the standard help dialog. Press up arrow and down arrow on the volume control. The volume can be adjusted from 1 to 10--the default is 5. The new volume will take effect any time a song starts playing--using play, next, previous, or pause_resume. The short-cuts for the options are listed below: Play--enter Next--n Previous--p Pause_Resume--a Repeat_Song--r Stop--s Close--escape Help--h Volume--v All of the music files that you want included in the list must be in a subfolder of the folder where the MusicMenu app resides. The subfolder which is created is called "MusicMenu" This app requires the GWAudioKit to be fully functional. If the GWAudioKit is not installed, the app will still work; however, only .wav files will be played. Also, pause_resume, repeat_song, and volume will not be available! note: when using previous or next, the keys must be pressed twice in a row to get things started--then continuing in the same direction will work as expected. Jeff Weiss
