On donating money to software/service efforts Oct29 '05
There seems to be two types of software, or services: those who charge for their product, and those who don’t charge, but request donations.
I’ve utilized my "fair share" of both.
And, along the way, I’ve realized that neither approach is better than the other.
Paying up-front
If the price is right, I have no problem paying up-front for a product or service. Especially since many software applications provide a "trial period," where the software can be used for a certain amount of time, or with limited features.
Donating
On the flip side, I’ve also donated money (or goods) to "free" software/services that I feel are "worth it."
The key to understanding if free software is worth a donation - just try think what your life would be like without it. That should give you a good idea, of whether or not to donate.
Podcasts
With the recent boom of podcasts (which are kind of like audio blogs), many podcast creators are realizing that it’s quite a bit of work to consistently release episodes of their particular show. It takes time, research, and a definite desire. Many podcast creators ask for donations, to help support their podcast efforts.
With so many podcasts out there - I couldn’t possibly donate to them all, but I still feel somewhat obligated to, considering the time and effort they put forth - in order to bring me news and information.
So, I have think to myself - which podcasts would I really miss, if I didn’t have them? That usually gives me a good starting point.
Categories: Audio Recording 
, Services , Software
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