Mail Archives: djgpp/1997/06/30/02:32:50
On Mon, 23 Jun 1997 01:00:00 +0000, kay AT edition DOT bonbit DOT org (Kay Hayen)
wrote:
>
>Give fair users a chance to be fair. E.g. insert a "i have paid" checkbox
>that makes a nagscreen go away. This brings you more, because most people
>won't lie.
>
What planet do you live on? I and everyone I know would cheerfully
check off that box without even thinking and nary a twang of guilt
would result. I think the only reason why cracked versions of programs
arent used by EVERYBODY is because its a virus Russian Roulette, and
people are rightfully scared.
The best way is offer an unregistered nagscreen and/or time-crippled
version and a separate registered version which will be sent to them
upon request. However, dont do stuff like one program did :"Type the
words "I am unregistered", check off the checkbox and click "OK"" each
time the program starts up, since no one will want to try out the
program for any length of time that way.
If it is a low cost program, then dont go overboard; the effort to
implement high level protection is not worth the cost. But, if you are
offering something you put a large amount of blood and sweat into and
require income from to support yourself and a family, then make sure
the chance of a cracked version being made is minimized (its just a
matter of time if its a high demand program). Go on the web, search
under "hacking" or "cracking" or whatever, and try to get your hands
on "How to Crack" by +Orc; you will then see what you are up against
and why software piracy is such a massive epidemic (he even covers
self-modifying code).
--
John Pavlakis
johnp3 AT idt DOT net
"You can lead a yak to water, but you can't teach an old dog to make a silk purse out of a pig in a poke." -- Opus Penguin
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