From: hackett@gaul.csd.uwo.ca (Mike Hackett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Shareware Collection Service again
Date: 5 Oct 92 01:41:03 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Dept., Univ. of Western Ontario, London, Canada


To anyone who might have actually received the first post of this message
before it was cancelled, this article has a corrected email address.  It
turns out that the original nickname that I had wanted to use is already
taken.  I have cleared this new one before posting.  For now, just reply
or follow up to this message.


I'm sorry I took so long in getting this together, but I was waiting to
find out if my Visa application would come through.  As I haven't yet heard
anything, I've decided not to wait any longer and just post this first
draft proposal for the service right now.  I really want to hear your
comments, suggestions, questions, apprehensions, etc.  The "agreement"
below is pretty informal and not yet complete.  I expect that there will
be many areas that will clarified and filled in as questions are raised,
and some things may change.  Nothing is carved in stone yet.  Also, I am
by no means a lawyer, but I hope I don't have to get into that messy
stuff (unless there is someone qualified on the list who wants to volunteer
to help draw something up).

Well, I can't think of anything else to say just at the moment, so here
it is.  Hope to hear from many of you soon.


                        Some Assembly Required
                     Shareware Collection Service
                           October 3, 1992


It is my hope that, in the hopes of generating more sales, that shareware
authors will register their programs with our service.  Authors can, of
course, selectively register only some of the shareware titles, and can
unregister them at any time, though these actions will probably only lead
to confusion on the users.

Unregistered programs:

    - Since we do not have the permission of the authors to send them a
      lesser fee than they have requested, we must charge their full rate
      plus our service charge, currently 15%.  There may still be an
      advantage to the buyer in that they can register several programs
      at once with one cheque or money order, thus saving money on bank
      or postal service charges and on stamps.  Also, we accept both
      Canadian and U.S. cheques and money orders, which makes it somewhat
      easier for Canadians to pay for American programs and vice versa.
      Customers in other countries will have to obtain either a Canadian
      or U.S. money order.


Registered programs:

    - When a program is registered with us, it is assigned a unique code
      number.  This number can be used when paying for that piece of
      software, usually along with the program's name for verification.

    - We will periodically put out a list of registered shareware programs
      listing each program's assigned code number and price, given in both
      U.S. and Canadian funds.  Usually this price will be the one listed
      on the program, though the author can volutarily ask for a lower
      price to stimulate greater sales.  In this case, the listed price is
      what the customer pays - our service charge will be taken from that
      before paying the author.  (Currently this service charge is 15%.)
      If the list permits, I will post an up-to-date list periodically,
      or send it to the binaries list.  Regardless, anyone can request a
      copy directly from me through the email address listed below.

    - Authors may remove a program from the registration list at any time,
      however, that program may not be relisted for at least 6 months.


- In either case, cheques will be mailed to the authors every 1-3 months
  depending on the amount of activity on their programs.  Authors who are
  online will be notified immediately of new registrations, if they so
  desire.

- I would like to offer special group prices especially aimed at users
  groups.  This would give discounts on large purchases or on several
  registrations of the same product.  Among other possibilities, this
  could allow users groups to sell disks at the meetings and take down
  the buyer's name and then register the program for him.  This, again,
  would require the consent of the authors of the programs involved.



Note that the service charges listed here may go down in the future, should
the business do well enough.  The rate listed is higher that was originally
hoped because of higher than expected start up costs.  Once these are
covered and if it looks like the service will do well, the rate may be
lowered.

Authors and users can request a copy of the current list electronically via
the email address listed below.  You can also mail me there with any
questions you may have, or you can phone once the line is in place.  Orders
can be placed by phone or by mail.  One, as yet unresolved problem with
telephone ordering, is that being a student, I am at school most of the
day, leaving only evenings when I will consistently be able to answer the
phone personally.  The possible solutions I have been considering are an
answering machine, an answering service, or a computer controlled automatic
registration system.  Of these, the only one I really like is the last, but
I have yet to find a way to set up such a system at a reasonable cost.  I
would like to here from anyone who can help me with this solution, and I
would also like to hear peoples' opinions on the various alternatives.  The
problem is that I can't see the service generating enough business to
warrant hiring another person, but if it does turn out to be unexpectedly
successful, I will reevaluate this option, or at least quit my part-time
job to free up more time to dedicate myself to the line.

This service will obviously have to be accepted and used by both authors
and users in order to be successful.  As such, I need your feedback to help
me create a better service.  I invite any questions or comments to be sent
to my email address listed below.  I am doing this primarily to support the
authors of some of the great shareware out there and to promote the
creation of more.  I will be making very little money in this venture, so
if the service is not used, it will be scrapped.




Mailing Address:      Some Assembly Required
                      1132 Adelaide St. N.  #719
                      London, Ontario
                      N5Y 2N8
                      Canada

Phone number:         T.B.A.

email address:        shareware@uwo.ca
                      (Internet, America Online, and AppleLink)
                      (if this doesn't work - try hackett@gaul.csd.uwo.ca)


Michael Hackett
Some Assembly Required