 The purpose of this article is not in any way intended to be 
slanderous or to intentionally exploit any software author or 
programmer, but to refresh conscience minds on the share ware 
concept.
 Day after day I see big colorful graphic screens reminding one
that the software that he is using is distributed as a Good  
Faith or SHARE WARE program, some costs and donations ranging
anywhere from $3 up to $200 and more. Most authors and programmers
write their share ware versions as CRIPPLE WARE. Cripple, meaning 
that the program is crippled on one way or another such as long
annoying pauses, beeps, constant reminder screens telling you to
register your share ware or the program is limited in functions 
until you send the monies to the author or distributor and receive 
the registered version.
 I call the share ware concept TRY BEFORE YOU BUY. If you like it
register it. If one does not like the program he is most likely to
discard it. It is a great way to advertise and sell quality software
and it usually most affordable even to the people with a very tight
budget.
 Many BBS System Operators rely on share ware products such as the 
BBS software itself, BBS doors and other utilities that are out there
to help aid in making their BBS more enjoyable to it's users. Mind you
that System Operators are also constantly reminded to register their
GOOD FAITH program.
 Now let's look at the GOOD FAITH concept from the other side of the
tracks. A BBS System Operator such as myself could have as many as 50
online door games or more and a handful of other utilities which he 
uses to run his BBS. An average registration fee for doors and the
utilities usually range from $10 to $20 each. Not expensive at all,
but like myself, who has the monies to register all of them at one 
time. Some doors have expiration keys which stop running the game 
after so many days in play, another way to encourage one to register
the program, so your users like the door and you decide to send the 20
bucks and get the registered version so that your users may continue
to enjoy playing the game, but what happens to the GOOD FAITH when you
send the registration fee and after months of waiting you receive no
response. There are a vast amount of doors where the author puts in 
screens encouraging the users to help the Sysop out by adopting the 
door and send him the $20 to get it registered. What is a Sysop expected
to tell his adopting door user after 3 or 4 months and there still is
no registered version of the door. Well... at first an explanation of
the situation, an apology and a thank you for the donation may
keep the user off his back for about a week or two. In that time, the
Sysop is making attempts to contact the author via data, voice and even
as a last resort... US Postal Service.  Still no response.
  Now the user is getting really ticked off and he is thinking that you
just spent his $20 on a case of Budweiser, a pack of smokes and a box
of breath mints. His calls have been less frequent lately, and you even
catch rumors on other BBS's about what a jerk you are as a sysop and 
your BBS is being bad mouthed.
 At this point you are really steamed! You are now going through many 
changes. You remember back, you recall seeing a file on some hack BBS 
that you called many months ago. You download Door Date, a file that 
will set you computer's date back one year when the BBS door is accessed
and WALA!... you can play that door who's key had expired about 6 months
ago! Why register it now? It works fine (unless you run multi nodes).
Well.. In my case it basically is unfair to the author who wrote that 
door because I did register one of his other games and I got a prompt
and courteous response, and it still does not solve the problem with
the author that burned you.
 What is one to do now? Maybe take a coarse in C++ programming and you
can write your own doors (Basic sux). I'm sure that many of you sysops 
have plenty of time and money to go to school, program doors, run your
BBS, work a 9 to 5 job and take care of a family, right? NOT. 
 Dig this...how 'bout if the sysop requests the registered version of
a door or other program and pays the author when he feels like it if
at all?  OOOOHHHH, now the table is turned. That is unheard of! He
is assuming for some stupid reason that you have plenty of money and
you are in no hurry to receive the door so you must send him the $$$$
first and wait to receive it, IF AT ALL.
 Ok.. enough on that subject, it is starting to get stale and I am 
starting to feel like I am metamorphically changing because I am so
pissed. Let's talk now about the author that releases a BBS door game
for distribution nation wide, plasters all over the game "Tell your
sysop to register this game, it is only $3". Well.. that made me feel
like a cheap skate. I said "What the hell, I'll smoke less cigarettes
today and I'll send the $3 that that I saved to the author of that 
door and get it registered, even though it is a pretty lame game.
After over 2 months of waiting, I receive a letter in my mailbox marked
RUSH. I looked at the return address (yes he has one) and was trying to 
recall where I had seen it before... then it dawned on me. "COOL! that
registration FINALLY came!", but to the insult of my dim whited
intelligence, the envelope contained advertising of other BBS doors 
that are available from the author. I was desperately combing the contents
of the envelope looking for a piece of paper with the registration
number on, but all I found was about $5 dollars worth of literature,
advertising and oh yeah, an invoice stating that my $3 for registration
was received and it is credited to the new balance that I now owe him.
Yes every body, I now owe the idiot $9 more dollars because since he
released the door that I was encouraged to register he had raised the
price to $6 + $3 shipping and handling. I looked through the doc's once
again and I found nothing stating that there was a shipping charge or
notice of price subject to change with out notice. I even looked on other
BBS's for a newer release of the door, but found none. Can this be
considered false advertising? Am I a victim of fraud? Did the guy really
have to send me all of that costly literature and advertising? Does he 
really think that I am going to send him the $9 and then pay more to 
register other doors of his? Homey don't play that and I don't either!
Get this.... now if and when I send the fool his $9, I will then have 
to wait anywhere from 8 to 52 weeks to receive my registration unless
I send additional monies to cover RUSH delivery! $1 will get it to you 
so many days faster, up to $5 for him to get it to you within 48 hours
in event of an emergency. EMERGENCY? What kind of emergency could result
in the case of a BBS door game? (A lame one I might add). Ok.. I have an
emergency, the door got corrupt and I just have to get it back online or
I might lose alot of users, so I'll send the extra 5 bucks, waste the 
$3 for the long distance phone call to California (I'm in Chicago) and
get it back online right away! What kind of fool does this guy play us
for. Sounds like he is just really hard up and no one is registering his
doors because they are so lame and he ain't payin' the rent. Well, then
all I can say to him is GET A JOB!
 His fancy literature went on giving information about how to be a Beta
test site for his programs. You pay an initiation fee of $25 and so much
more for each game that you download when you call his BBS to get them.
You try the lame-ass game on your BBS to test it and if it corrupts your
hard drive and you lose all your precious data and files, you are to 
call him and tell him about the problem with the door so that he can 
make changes to it so that it won't corrupt his hard drive if he decides
to put the game on his BBS :)

 Some of you guys are probably laughing at me... "HAHAHA what a moron!"
because I got burned. Some of you are probably saying "Shit, that guy 
got me too, and I am not the only one!". I did not write this article
to bad mouth anyone or to discourage anyone from registering their 
share ware. As I stated above, not all authors work in this devious manor.
Trust should be looked at in a more careful way. Get some information
about the author such as his home address, data and voice phone numbers
and get some references from other sysops and bbs'ers that have registered
some of the doors and other programs released by an author before you
you throw away your hard earned casholios. Learn from my experience, 
NEVER send cash! For some strange unexplainable reason cash seems to 
physically disappear while in the mail, almost like in the Twilight 
Zone. Money Order or checks can be traced as to who, when and where they
were cashed or deposited, and remember, If it sounds too good to be true,
FIGHT BACK!
 I have kept the names and addresses from the above authors anonymous
I am thinking of forming a Black List for authors and software co's
of the above stated nature and ones who seem to change mailing 
address's quite often. If you would like the names and addresses of 
these authors for one reason or another, would like to inform people
of other such incidents or would like to just give feed back to this
article you may contact me vie e-mail at MetalNET in the sysop conference,
WME in the Door conference or call directly to my BBS.

                                Marshall Sydlowski
                                    (Victim)
                           
                           Metal Alternative Music BBS
                                 (312) 463-8535

                                Or Write To Me At

                                  The Metal Shop
                            Metal Alternative Music BBS
                                  P.O. Box 268594
                                Chicago, Il   60626

BTW, I have had the same P.O. Box number for over 6 years now! :)


