Is it really free vs. non-free?
Tuesday, December 11, 2001 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
I was thinking about something last night while going through some of my game posting archives.
The issue isn't so much about free vs. non-free. It's really an issue of time vs. no time.
Much of the arguments on both sides boil down to very different perspectives on the value of time.
When you're a kid (i.e. a teen) you have all the time in the world. You may not think you do when you're a teen but you really do. I remember even in college thinking I was "swamped" but I did, afterall, write a commercial software product that went on to bring in millions of dollars between working 3 other jobs and taking Electrical Engineering classes full time. In essence, I had time.
Now, being "old" (just turned 30), time is more important to me than money.
To use an unrelated example:
Most strategy games come with "packs" that contain extra maps and sell for $20. These packs get flamed by some people like crazy because one can find plenty of good maps for free if they dig for them.
But that is exactly the point. Someone like me is not willing to "dig". If I can get all the maps I might want for a favorite game for just $20 instantly, then I'm set.
Convenience, short for time savings, outstrips the value of saving some nominal cost.
That's where the paid skin debates come in. There are lots of excellent free skins out there. There are some excellent free suites out there as well. But for someone who's really busy and wants to have a complete, unified look, $10 is nothing and to get a complete unified suite of 20 different skins is an incredible bargain.
This extends to software as well. Sure, you can hunt for a good freeware alternative but when I need something done, I'm going ot go with whatever I find first that works well. We paid $500 for Webtrends even though there are plenty of free log analysers out there. We just didn't feel like fooling with them. Same for our mail server. We paid for one even though there are lots of free ones. This is one reason why Linux has failed as a desktop. Because the bulk of users out there aren't teens with massive time on their hands. THey just want to sit down and get the thing to work with minimum effort and time.
So I think much of the debates on "Freeware" vs "payware" is really a debate of which you value - time or money. For most adults, $10 or $20 is so nominal that it is effectively free AS LONG AS IT'S CONVENIENT TO PAY.
But when you're a teen, it's hard to imagine that change. And hence, they think that the difference is based on principle rather than lack of time.
The issue isn't so much about free vs. non-free. It's really an issue of time vs. no time.
Much of the arguments on both sides boil down to very different perspectives on the value of time.
When you're a kid (i.e. a teen) you have all the time in the world. You may not think you do when you're a teen but you really do. I remember even in college thinking I was "swamped" but I did, afterall, write a commercial software product that went on to bring in millions of dollars between working 3 other jobs and taking Electrical Engineering classes full time. In essence, I had time.
Now, being "old" (just turned 30), time is more important to me than money.
To use an unrelated example:
Most strategy games come with "packs" that contain extra maps and sell for $20. These packs get flamed by some people like crazy because one can find plenty of good maps for free if they dig for them.
But that is exactly the point. Someone like me is not willing to "dig". If I can get all the maps I might want for a favorite game for just $20 instantly, then I'm set.
Convenience, short for time savings, outstrips the value of saving some nominal cost.
That's where the paid skin debates come in. There are lots of excellent free skins out there. There are some excellent free suites out there as well. But for someone who's really busy and wants to have a complete, unified look, $10 is nothing and to get a complete unified suite of 20 different skins is an incredible bargain.
This extends to software as well. Sure, you can hunt for a good freeware alternative but when I need something done, I'm going ot go with whatever I find first that works well. We paid $500 for Webtrends even though there are plenty of free log analysers out there. We just didn't feel like fooling with them. Same for our mail server. We paid for one even though there are lots of free ones. This is one reason why Linux has failed as a desktop. Because the bulk of users out there aren't teens with massive time on their hands. THey just want to sit down and get the thing to work with minimum effort and time.
So I think much of the debates on "Freeware" vs "payware" is really a debate of which you value - time or money. For most adults, $10 or $20 is so nominal that it is effectively free AS LONG AS IT'S CONVENIENT TO PAY.
But when you're a teen, it's hard to imagine that change. And hence, they think that the difference is based on principle rather than lack of time.
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craeonics
Reply #62 Wednesday, December 12, 2001 11:38 AM
Reply #62 Wednesday, December 12, 2001 11:38 AM
craeonics grabs the bears Doreen threw and eats 'em
Firestorm
Reply #63 Wednesday, December 12, 2001 11:50 AM
Reply #63 Wednesday, December 12, 2001 11:50 AM
You're not compensating them for the "loss of the software." You're compensating them for the man-hours and expenses it takes to put together a software package. You are -say it with me, now- licensing the software. Do you gripe about paying to go see a movie? You don't get to take it home, and the theater keeps its copy.
paxx
Reply #64 Wednesday, December 12, 2001 11:50 AM
Reply #64 Wednesday, December 12, 2001 11:50 AM
Crae, just out of curiousity: some software you can buy online give you the option if you want to download the game or if you want them to ship you the CD in a cute little box. The download version is usually cheaper. Do you, or would you, choose to pay more just so you can have the physical object collecting dust in yor bookshelf?
Personnally, as I've said before, I'm a cheap bloke, so I always buy the downloaded version to save a few bucks.
Personnally, as I've said before, I'm a cheap bloke, so I always buy the downloaded version to save a few bucks.
craeonics
Reply #65 Wednesday, December 12, 2001 2:52 PM
Reply #65 Wednesday, December 12, 2001 2:52 PM
Hmm, you've got a point there with the movie thing. And Paxx, I'm an even cheaper guy. I wouldn't buy it at all. BUt if I would, I think I'd go for the cd.
Jafo
Reply #66 Wednesday, December 12, 2001 4:40 PM
Reply #66 Wednesday, December 12, 2001 4:40 PM
Well..I was about to shoot Crae down with the same 'movie' argument...but it's been done.
I bought my copy of Powerdesk Pro on-line....as I recall, downloaded from the site AND they sent me the hard copy [boxed CD]. The upgrade was a bit shabbier...just the CD and no fancy box.
Either way, if you pry open your hard-drive and look at the magnetic 'bits'....some of them will have your down-loaded proggy on them....yes, it's tangible....you just need a finer degree of 'tange'....hehe...
I bought my copy of Powerdesk Pro on-line....as I recall, downloaded from the site AND they sent me the hard copy [boxed CD]. The upgrade was a bit shabbier...just the CD and no fancy box.
Either way, if you pry open your hard-drive and look at the magnetic 'bits'....some of them will have your down-loaded proggy on them....yes, it's tangible....you just need a finer degree of 'tange'....hehe...
AJCrowley
Reply #67 Wednesday, December 12, 2001 5:36 PM
Reply #67 Wednesday, December 12, 2001 5:36 PM
Hmmm....
AJCrowley considers sneaking into the theatres tonight
AJCrowley considers sneaking into the theatres tonight
craeonics
Reply #68 Thursday, December 13, 2001 3:46 AM
Reply #68 Thursday, December 13, 2001 3:46 AM
Shot but not dead. It still doesn't nullify my theory.
craeonics goes for the bullit proof vest
craeonics goes for the bullit proof vest
Frogboy
Reply #69 Sunday, December 16, 2001 11:35 PM
Reply #69 Sunday, December 16, 2001 11:35 PM
Regardless of whether one agrees with Crae, he has the reality of percpetion nailed pretty good.
That is, intellectual property of all types will always have to work harder to justify itself as something that needs to be purchased than a material asset. It's not just warez people that poo poo intellectual property. Try getting a bank loan on intellectual property. If I had to take out a loan and I have two things I can offer as collateral - source code to an important product or a truck, guess which one the bank's going to prefer?
Intellectual property requires a significant level of cohersion to get people to pay for it. Most people won't pay for intellectual property voluntarily.
That is, intellectual property of all types will always have to work harder to justify itself as something that needs to be purchased than a material asset. It's not just warez people that poo poo intellectual property. Try getting a bank loan on intellectual property. If I had to take out a loan and I have two things I can offer as collateral - source code to an important product or a truck, guess which one the bank's going to prefer?
Intellectual property requires a significant level of cohersion to get people to pay for it. Most people won't pay for intellectual property voluntarily.
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Reply #61 Wednesday, December 12, 2001 11:36 AM
Again, in the physical plain, there is the exchange of goods, some physical product in return for money. In the virtual plain there is no such exchange. To use the electricity example, the power company looses the electricity to me and in return I give them money. An online software company (or skinner for that matter) will not loose anything (no, don't throw in hardware and bandwidth costs) he will still have the software and I will have a copy. He does not loose the software, so I do not need to compensate him for his losses.