Re: Shareware on the i - Need some opinions....

Dave,

I guess the implication I was trying to make was that people assume there is little or no support with an open source or free application.

You said shareware, not "free" or "open source". They don't mean the same thing!

shareware = software distributed from person to person that you
can try, but are expected to pay for. source code
is not typically included.

freeware = like shareware, but you don't have to pay. source
is not typically included.

public domain = software given away for free with no support, etc.
source code is included, and it's yours to do with
as you wish, no strings attached.

open source = software is given away for free. support is provided
by the community, often informally. source code is
included, and you are allowed to make changes and
redistribute it, provided the original author is
given due credit. Sometimes restrictions are added
requiring your distributions to include source code,
and/or only distribute with other open source software.

Advocates say that open source protects your freedom,
because if the original author drops support, the
community has both the source code, and the legal right
to change and redistribute it. (And thus you can now
support it yourself.) So you aren't at the mercy of
the original provider.