Deriving economic profits from writing FREE software?

[Bill Stewart]

At 10:11 PM 1/16/98 -0600, Igor wrote:
>However, aside from the psychic benefits, I would like to somehow derive
>an economic profit from being a freeware author. So far, I feel that the
>status of the author of a popular package does sound good on a resume, but
>it is as far as I could get.
>
>Does anyone else feel the same way? Has anybody come up with a way to 
>cash in on the free programs that he writes? 

There's the standard shareware model - ask for $25.
There's the Cygnus model - charge money for support.
There's the Netscape/McAfee/etc. model - free for personal use,
	charge money to companies that use it.
There's the Eudora model - basic version free, bells&whistles extra.
There's the advertising-banner model - the software/service is free,
	but usage hits an advertising banner in some way that
	filters money back to you.

There are probably a lot more ways to do it as well, but it's a start.
				Thanks! 
					Bill
Bill Stewart, bill.stewart at pobox.com
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