forum.vdsworld.com

X-Tools · Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2004 2:24 pm Post subject:

Hi again,

I understand you all and I think about this the same, but I also think stopping the dlls will hit the wrong people.

There are maybe one or two "bad" guys hacking and cracking the hard work of others, but there are many more people doing good stuff - freeware and shareware - based on vds.

Stopping all the excellent dlls makes many good stuff unavailable and many tools impossible. All this because one or two guys are so stupid ?

Why not realease an update with new serials and give all customers the new keys ?

PGWARE · **Web Host** Joined: 29 Dec 2001 Posts: 1562

As noted the cracks/keygens were the tipping point, not the major reason I will pull the dll's.

Boo · Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2004 4:21 pm Post subject:

Hi Guys,

Please do not give in. Maybe this is a bad analogy, but we cannot "give in" to terrorists, so why should you give in to hackers? If you stop everything, then they have won.

On another note, if you DO remove your DLLs, I recommend that you push your services for custom DLL development. I know, for a fact, that you will make decent money this way. Give it a shot.

Cheers,

- Boo

jules · Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2004 4:51 pm Post subject:

There are cracks for my World Clock app, which costs $12 to register. What's new?

Years back I released a shareware component for Delphi, which arguably has many times more users than VDS. It never had enough registrations to be worth the trouble. I don't think it is possible for shareware developer tools to be profitable. By their nature, they have a small market, and the customers tend to want a lot of support.

I think the people using cracks for VDS DLLs are not serious users. I can't imagine any developer employed by a company or developing software for commercial release who is going to do this using unlicensed software. The cost is so small relative to the value of the development time that no professional developer is going to do this. I guess the real problem for VDS is probably that there aren't that many serious users of it...

I use VDSPOPUP in most of the VDS apps on my site. I am disappointed that it will not continue to be supported, although if it works now, hopefully it will contunie to do so. I would be happy to take it over and maintain it, simply to ensure its continued viability for my own use. None of my shareware makes any money, it's more of a paying hobby or labour of love anyway, so one more thing won't make a difference. I wish it were otherwise, but that's life.

Boo · Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2004 5:00 pm Post subject:

Hi Jules,

You wrote:

jules · Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2004 5:19 pm Post subject:

I agree it's possible to make money writing specialised applications. But you need knowledge of a specialist area before you can develop software for it...

I'm just a Windows techie with a good knowledge of Internet protocols, so I tend to write software that exploits the things I know.

FreezingFire · **Admin Team** Joined: 23 Jun 2002 Posts: 3508

It doesn't have to be like this.

Having software to sell has a complete set of things that happen. The good
thing is that you will make sales; the bad is that your software will be cracked.
It's inevitable that your software will be cracked. Does that stop me from
working on my software? Absolutely not. I just like to give people
who crack my software and people who use the cracks a nice little surprise. Smile

If developers always saying how you can't make a living off dlls, don't
expect to: if you don't get a lot of sales, don't complain about it, but
certainly don't take your hard work off the site and not let anybody else
buy it.

I have to compliment Tommy, as he is the only one who has not given in
to crackers and he still makes sales, and also not raised the prices to
50+ dollars.

A very smart person told me that even if your software is cracked, the
good people will always buy it instead of using a crack. The bad people
will use it illegally no matter what. As long as there is no free serial in the
package, most users won't search for a crack for a dll, especially because
the number of shareware dlls are so few.

Developers, please don't let this offend you, but it's all truth.

Mac · Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2004 1:22 am Post subject:

FreezingFire · **Admin Team** Joined: 23 Jun 2002 Posts: 3508

Mac, I mean basically piracy reports are generated and sent to their ISP, nothing
dangerous.

I wouldn't ever put anything in a program to intentionally damage or harm
someone's computer in any way. Smile

vdsalchemist · Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2004 3:01 am Post subject:

Hi All,
I have been silent about this thread but I have to say that I don't blame PK for what he is doing. If a product is no longer making sales and he has others that make sales then I say drop the dead weight. I personally would not take the DLL's offline. So what if they don't make any money just stop supportting them or make them freeware. Well as far as Tommy and his DLL's IMHO the reason Tommy is not so concerned about his DLL's being cracked is because he is still in school and is not living completly off of the sales of his DLL. That is also why he sales it at such a low price.
One thing that Jules said speaks to me and that is this

FreezingFire · **Admin Team** Joined: 23 Jun 2002 Posts: 3508

I also don't blame the authors who remove their files - I'm not sure exatly
which side to take... I support both sides I guess Confused

jwfv · Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2004 4:09 am Post subject:

I hope that everyone on this board continues to be involved in developing .dlls and .dsus as well as continuing to be involved in the VDS community. It really is a great program, and has benefitted me greatly in my business.

I know that I test out just about every new .dll that comes out, and have bought a few. My next purchases were going to be the VDSPOPUP and VDSGUI dlls because they fit well with my next project.

Don't leave!

LiquidCode · Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2004 4:16 am Post subject:

Just to give my 2 cents. I am going to continue to develop apps/DSUs. It is a hobby and not a job for me, but, I still cannot let this ruin what I love doing. It is sad that so many GREAT dlls are going to be pulled and authors are giving up on VDS. Crying

LOBO · Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2004 4:36 am Post subject:

Edit: Removed by author

PGWARE · **Web Host** Joined: 29 Dec 2001 Posts: 1562

Hello all,
As noted the cracks/keygens/decompilers were not the main reason for me deciding to stop supporting VDS. Lack of sales is the major factor, needing to focus more on the main business and finally cracks/keygens being the nail in the coffin.

As I noted I will support current customers up to 6 months, after that any support will be optional. I more then likely will still offer some support but nothing like what was offered before. I have not made any decision on whether to remove the dll's altogether or not.

To be more straight forward as noted in the license - 'THE SOFTWARE AND ANY SUPPORT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND'. I've never 'guaranteed' support but it was always offered.

Lobo and to others I very much appreciate the devotion you have had with vds and the vds developers who have helped support this community.

Folks it's quite difficult to focus on VDS when the return on profits is not worth it. Having products which do 600x the number of sales of the extensions obviously must be focused on more and have that side of the business developed rather then focus on products which have less and less sales each month. I receive more support requests for vds dll's then my other products, vds dll's do maybe a total of 1 sale a month while my other software does 600+ copies a month.

It's about economics, until someone can find a way to change the world and the requirements for money it's common sense to focus on viable products then end up in bankruptcy. I don't care about the loosers who are hackers or crackers, all of my other apps have been cracked and have keygens but with online checks they are stopped. Adding online checks into a dll is just not acceptible since those dll's are used by other programs.

For those of you that think I'm some sort of greedy capitalist pig that is far from the truth. This site (vdsworld) was started by me, funded by me and ran by me for several years before it was given to Tommy. I built several FREE dll's (well over 20 compared to 3 shareware dll's) and have contributed to vds in every possible way. It's time to move on and focus on a viable business, staying behind where there is no growth simply does not make sense. I'm not saying I will leave this community but I certainly can't continue to update, make new dll's or offer the support that was offered before.