Posted by
| Nick Gammon
Australia (23,133 posts) Bio
Forum Administrator |
Message
| I have decided to change the distribution model for MUSHclient from ShareWare, as it previously was, to FreeWare, effective immediately.
What this means is that anyone may download and use MUSHclient for no cost. However, donations to help support future development are encouraged, see separate post below.
However, reselling it is not permitted, except to the extent that a charge is made for the media it is on (eg. if supplied as part of a computer club CDROM), or where it is supplied as part of a library of FreeWare programs (eg. attached to a magazine).
FreeWare version for download
The latest version is always announced at: http://www.gammon.com.au/forum/?bbtopic_id=1
Users of existing versions are authorized to use the registration code below to register an existing copy.
Registration code for free use
Any user of an existing version of MUSHclient (previously distributed as ShareWare) may now use the following registration name / code to register their copy:
Registered name: MUSHclient User
Registration code: 0289573312-3LKI-ULFU-LLTZ-A9E8-3052949845
Is the source code available?
See this posting for the release of the source code for version 4.02:
http://www.gammon.com.au/forum/?id=7771
Why is MUSHclient now FreeWare?
- I have admired the Open Source software movement for a while now, where high quality software has been made available at no cost. This seemed worthwhile to join.
- Only a small percentage of people who download MUSHclient actually register it anyway (I estimate 1%). Thus it is not quite the huge money-spinner it might appear, even if it is widely used.
- Out of each $US 20 registration, the company that processes registrations, ShareIt, takes $3.95 as a commission. Thus I really only receive $16.05 per registration. On top of that there are bank fees for transferring the money from ShareIt into my Australian bank account.
- As more and more people register MUSHclient, and then lose their registration codes, and change email addresses, supporting the updating of the registration database is becoming more onerous. Plus, any delay in handling such requests is annoying to people who have previously registered.
- I am getting the impression that text MUD games are not exactly a growth industry. Twenty years ago a MUD game was state-of-the-art, and was about the only way people could collectively play fantasy games with other like-minded people, and/or just chat online. Now we have instant messaging, emails, and MMORPGs, including the more recent graphical ones.
I registered last week - can I get a refund?
No. Refunds will not be made, and correspondence will not be entered into.
If you have registered MUSHclient, you did it in good faith, believing you were getting value for your registration fee. You still have an excellent MUD client. Your registration is appreciated, and helps to support this web site.
At least without a formal registration process, you do not have to worry about losing your registration code, or what happens if your hard disk crashes, or you change email addresses.
If I did start offering refunds there would be various problems:
- What would the cut-off point be? Last week? Last month? Last 6 months?
- As I explained earlier, I only receive about $16 of each registration, so to refund $20 would actually put me out of pocket by $4, plus I believe there is a substantial fee to be paid for making refunds, via credit cards (or via ShareIt).
- It would be an administrative nightmare to process claims, verify them, enter them into ShareIt, and handle the queries from people who had not received their refund.
Will MUSHclient still be supported?
At this stage I am planning to continue running this forum as a support site for the client. Quite a few people are making valuable contributions, and to an extent it tends to be self-running.
Future versions may be released where necessary to address bugs.
People who want to make major changes are welcome to obtain a copy of the source and change it themselves. The source for version 4.02 is currently available, see:
http://www.gammon.com.au/forum/?id=7771
I have lost my registration code - what should I do?
You should either use the code given about for "MUSHclient User", or simply download the FreeWare version.
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- Nick Gammon
www.gammon.com.au, www.mushclient.com | Top |
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