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Paying Freeware Authors?

Is FS website owners paying freeware authors a good idea?

  • Total voters
    84
Never ever would I charge anything from my paints. I do them out of good will and just as a spare time hobby. Keeping freeware free keeps things simple, "no strings attached" kind of way.

But I know some sites that download freeware stuff from avsim, put them in their site and charge for them. I've seen some of my paint on those sites and it sucks.
 
I have seen marketing campains like this before, designed to gain interest in a site, create a flash of hits to the website, all so that the person can sell advertising and make their buck while giving very little away.

I understand that this is a res session and a "sure thing" sounds like a good deal, but I still see "marketing Campaign" written all over this.

Why pay for tutorials, when you can log on to sites like fsdeveloper, and simpaintshop, sim-outhouse and countless others and learn for free? What would make your Tutorials any better?

I think google and Yahooanswers beat you to the punch, and I am sure that googleadwords would be part of your site.

not to mention you have already been hacked once. I don't want any information of mine close to your buisness.

http://www.backtype.com/url/flightsimulatorxworld.com

http://whois.domaintools.com/flightsimulatorxworld.com
 
It just wouldn't feel honest to take money. I contribute to freeware projects and create textures just because I think it is fun.

Why would I expect money from other people when I'm just enjoying my hobby?

But, just my opinion. Perhaps other persons her have a different opinion, Nevertheless and interesting thought and an it made me think about it.

Huub
 
It always shall be kept simple. IMHO taking money for the freeware will finally kill it. Even now there are such few people in the fsx land who offer their stuff without any charge. It is very frustrating to see how much the market changed after the fsx. Payware, payware, payware... Maybe it is my little frustration because I cannot afford all those shiny birds ;)

Lucas
 
I think it would be a nice gesture for any site that generates traffic by carrying a persons freeware. If I ran a site and noticed that certain people were giving away exceptional freeware and I felt I was making significant money from there work (due to increased traffic on site) I would probably be inclined to throw a few $20s their way from time to time with a nice " good job, people love your work. 834 downloads and counting" note. :jump:

There doesn't need to be any structure or anything too it, it is freeware. Distribute it for free as intended and if you wish to give someone money just do it. No need for a poll. :applause:

If a person charges for freeware it is not freeware. It is payware and stolen if done without the creators consent. :icon29:

note: using more emoticons as suggested by other users. :wiggle:
 
Ok, thanks for the feedback, guys. Looks like this idea isn't getting off the ground. I do plan on doing yearly awards for best developer, freeware author, repaint, whatever, so maybe that will do just as well!

Again, it was just an idea I thought I'd float out there; didn't want to ruffle any feathers.

Please stop by some time, I think you'll like what you see... :)
 
pashley said:
Ok, thanks for the feedback, guys. Looks like this idea isn't getting off the ground. I do plan on doing yearly awards for best developer, freeware author, repaint, whatever, so maybe that will do just as well!

Again, it was just an idea I thought I'd float out there; didn't want to ruffle any feathers.

Please stop by some time, I think you'll like what you see... :)
Click to expand...

Not sure if other people misunderstood you or if I did. It is my understanding that I could go to your site now and download freeware without paying anything.

If this is true there is no controversy, send piglet a thankyou note with a fiddy in it.:jump:
 
Just checked out your site and voted on the poll that no money should be involved. My impressions are, you have quite a few aircraft d/ls that point to the "admin" as the "owner" instead or pointing out who the actual developer is. A large portion of the d/ls also seem to be of others models reworked by the usual suspects that claim them as their own or as FSX models when in fact they are not.

Tutorials should have free access, especially since this kind of info can be had elsewhere for free or without having to join a site.

best of luck with the site.
 
djwaglik said:
It always shall be kept simple. IMHO taking money for the freeware will finally kill it. Even now there are such few people in the fsx land who offer their stuff without any charge. It is very frustrating to see how much the market changed after the fsx. Payware, payware, payware...
Click to expand...

Truth, truth and nothing but the truth.
 
Bjoern said:
Truth, truth and nothing but the truth.
Click to expand...

Total cobblers. There's a tiny fraction of payware for FSX compared to FS9.

Unfortunately, the percentage of payware compared to freeware has changed dramatically. The reason for that is the lack of FSX native freeware - not the amount of FSX payware. Many (the majority of?) freeware developers have either stayed with FS9 or quit the hobby. I know a number who have done both. I don't need a piece of paper to count the number of people who have done high or even average quality freeware aircraft releases for FSX. Indeed I'd say that if I took two particular members of this very site and counted their releases, it would cover the majority of native FSX freeware aircraft out there!

That's off topic, however, so this is all I'll say on the subject.
 
I have been involved in a lot of projects, mostly free or donationware and like the collegial atmosphere. Those have been the most fun!

Cheers: T.
 
fliger747 said:
I have been involved in a lot of projects, mostly free or donationware and like the collegial atmosphere. Those have been the most fun!

Cheers: T.
Click to expand...
but we dont even get free beer:icon_lol:
personally i love to do free stuff
then no one can complain
also love doing donationware
gotta have standards
im in no way wealthy but $20.00
would not change my lifestyle
H:kilroy:
 
I'm certainly not a developer or a painter, but as far as I'm concerned its called freeware because its free. I've got no problems purchasing software, but the whole concept of pay-for-freeware kinda bugs me too. Payware is payware - you should just call it that.
 
As a freeware photoreal scenery developer, NO to payment of any kind.

Well, actually, payment comes to all of us by using someone else's freeware.
 
Mongo said:
I'm certainly not a developer or a painter, but as far as I'm concerned its called freeware because its free. I've got no problems purchasing software, but the whole concept of pay-for-freeware kinda bugs me too. Payware is payware - you should just call it that.
Click to expand...

It still would be Free for everyone involved. The OP was talking about giving a gratuity to the creators from time to time if him providing their work through a Free download brought traffic to his site.

Free is free, why would I care if somebody got a donation/gratuity from someone else? What buisness of mine would it be? A free download is a free download to me no matter what, it can't get no freer. :ernae:
 
pashley said:
Hi Guys,


The money would not come from users downloading your product; rather, it would come from the site owner. And no, they don't have to pay any extra for download speeds. I don't do that at FlightSimulatorXWorld.com. My money comes from tutorial subscriptions. All else, including file downloads is unfettered and free.

Again, this is just a thought I had to help keep the freeware side of FS going strong, given the lead time with makeing FSX product.
Click to expand...

:isadizzy: Why do so many people on this site have such a problem with somebody else getting some money for their work when it has not a damn thing to do with them???? It is still FREE! It is the same thing people are already doing, but site owners would volunteerally throw the dog a bone once in a while for traffic generated by providing their work for FREE.

I hope the guys providing me with all the great free downloads all win the lottery, I appreciate what they are doing and would be tickled if it got them some extra money once in a while. :applause:
 
Major Spittle, try and see a bigger picture, there are lots of ways this "can" affect you in the long run. I doubt anyone here wants to begrudge any developer any compensation for their work. If the admin of the site wants to pay authors for submitting their work for his site, that is great, BUT what are the motivations behind this? Will site users eventually have to pay to d/l files because he has to make up the cost? What if this site model pans out and all sites pick up on it, how will users be affected then? how does the admin decide who gets paid and who doesn't? What are the expectations since they are now getting money for their work, etc. etc.

IMHPO it just sounds like another way for someone to set up a plan to make a dollar from this community (paying to access tutorials makes me think this). Running a site, especially with high bandwidth due to d/ls has some high costs and the money has to come from somewhere.

M.S., you ever think that if the guys providing you with the great freeware d/ls you enjoy wanted to make money, then they would have found a find a way to sell their work?
 
MCDesigns said:
M.S., you ever think that if the guys providing you with the great freeware d/ls you enjoy wanted to make money, then they would have found a find a way to sell their work?
Click to expand...

This kind of negates the worries expressed in your post. If some site owner really started paying them enough to make them go into bussiness, kudos to them and good luck. :ernae:

Honestly I think it would possibly give the developers some resources to continue their hobby and perhaps some friendly competition for beer money. Something we all could use right now. :icon29:

I guess I just see things differently than most.
 
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