This has to be one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard. The guy about Asteroids 85 before was absolutely right. People will take these games, and distribute them. Regardless of whether people will program the serials for only one specific ROM, there will always be someone to crack, patch, hex edit, whatever. If calc programs go shareware, I for one will start a Ti-Warez page. Seriously, if this idea goes through, anyone who wants to join such a stupid cause against such a stupid idea is more than welcome to send me mail at the about address, and together, we can all conquer one of the dumbest ideas of all time.

Yes, I am afraid that I too, would like to make a similar stand against this particular problem at our hands,(although only in the idea stage), with my name in place of Gandalf's name.
Why do alot of these articles keep going back to money and competition anyway? The site wars, people complaining about idea's being stolen, I mean---what are people doing these programs for anyway? I'm sure not many, if any, are in it for simply the money, but even one person befouling the entire community with money on their mind is too much. When I program, despite the fact that I never finnish my games and the quality is never raised too high, I do have some fun programming and playing what I programmed. No matter how much work went into any game (I heard DJackal's Mega Man took a year) none of them are even worth a penny. Too bad these articles keep finding ways to get into this place. (although it doesn't suprise me)

I think you're wrong about how easy it would be to hack. If done correctly, it would be about as easy to hack assembly into the 92 ... now really, who's going to have all three of these peculiarities? : a) the skill to hack it, b) a maliciousness against his fellow coders, c) an enormous effort to expend into hacking a program he's already payed for and enjoys (programmers, it's hard to beieve, are actually fairly occupied folks). And now since the 73, 89, and 92+ are all capable, you can almost expect to see someone charge for a program before long now, and _if_ that program is of high quality, I strongly doubt that anyone of the capacity to do so would instigate such disrespect or even care as much as to waste their time.

I'd also like to say that charging for a program in no way implies that the source could not be released ... only the included security stuff wouldn't be released.

I don't think I would ever charge for a program myself, but if another coder were to do so, I would fully support him (unless it were some artless half-wit charging for a sploosh of dung). Programmers fully deserve return for their skills and efforts.

I tried to say it myself, but you said it better. I totally agree.

Someone would do it for the sheer challenge of it and the exhilaration of completing it. They would post it either for malicious purposes or to show their prowess off.

The TI community to say the least has already experienced one or two legal problems in the development of games. If programmers started to sell their knock off games they better hope to make a lot of money because they will definitley need a lawyer. Even if they don't copy any games illegally it will more than likely draw unwanted attention to other games. (Can you say goodbye: mario, zelda, and tetris)

Question: What do you think would happen to the programming community if we all became worried about money? I for one believe that: A.) Games would be of less quality because programmers would only be working for one audience (the stupid ones with nothing better to do with their money) B.) There would be a lot less games, because not many people can to money transactions over the internet C.) As stated above, we'd get a whole new crowd in the community, hackers, crackers, and warez distributers. I have paid my $100 for my 85 not to mention my $120 for my 86 AND $30 for my graphlink. I am not going to start paying people to produce games. It doesn't add up. People don't produce games on the calculator for money. They do it for fun, and the fun goes away when you have to buy the games. I admit, I am very stunned by many games, but even the best, such as Kirk Meyer's Sim Community, I wouldn't pay a cent for.

-Patrick Gray

Whenever I play Sim Community 2000 my calc crashes.

I don't really see the problem with calculator shareware. I doubt that games would make good shareware however. I do think that high quality math programs would though. Perhaps with the incentive of profit, someone would be motivated enough to make a high quality math program. I for one would pay to use a program that does symbolic math on the 86.

You should pay for a TI-89 instead.

Pay for an 89 just for the symbolic math? For the games, maybe. You could get an emulator if that's all you want. (Oh yeah, you can't take it to school with you)

Since most of the programmers are students, they don't need to be paid for their programming. Watch this: Make world renouned program--> scholarships to MIT, Harvard, etc.--> Good Job=$$ The end result is a high paying job doing what you love. Programming.

that's funny. everyone tells me I should give up programming calculators and do something that will look good on my resume.

hell, maybe someday I can employ myself programming shareware for the calcs .. hmm j/k

I think some of you have misinterpreted my article. The point of the article was to EXPLORE some of the POSSIBILITIES of creating calc shareware. In my opinion I don't think calc shareware would be a financial success. But I for one would pay for a shareware program that is revolutionary. I know lots of people hate the whole concept of shareware but shareware has created lots of drive to creat programs of quality. I agree(with some of the postings)that freeware products tend(not all, but many)to be less then on par with shareware programs. I am a programmer, and I love programming. For those of you who don't know how to program, programming takes TIME!! Why shouldn't programmers get paid alittle $$ for their hard work. If the program is poorly programed, fine don't pay, but if the program is a revolutionary, why not? I mean people pay 20-30 $$ for tetris on gameboy, the calc version does just as much, so why the fuss about paying 1-5 bucks for some calc shareware? Programming calc shareware is more then just $$$(in my opinion) its a boost to the TI community. Hey we have already done so much, why not try and create some shareware just to demonstrate it can be done?

Note: This article is not intenting to bring about a revolution of shareware, but to examine the possiblity of the concept.

It's Nazis like you that Ayn Rand wrote about. The programmer should not care if they get paid, but should program for the sake of programming, not to be acclaimed by whinning little pseudo
capitalists like you. Maybe you should try a job where money isn't an object (like music or art), and then see how it feels to actually create something for yourself, before you impose your views on everyone else. Programs exist to be programs, and therefore should be FREE!!!

I am not imposing my veiws on anyone, just discussing the issue. People don't need to only program for money. Personaly I have no problem programming freeware for the community, but I would be willing to support the shareware concept(but I would like to see more freeware verses shareware).
-Benjamin

No, no, you are wrong!

--
Buy Microsoft!

You're selling your company already? Why?

(no duh I know it's a hoax)

artwork isn't free: it's incredibly expensive ... it shouldn't matter what the motives behind the artwork are, only the end artfullness in the work. it's actually people like you who are nazis since you feel other people should work hard and you can just freely take from them, giving nothing back. you are really saving money since you don't need to buy either a gameboy or an expensive cartridge, but can use your calculator and download a program (in theory) for $5. if it's not worth it, don't buy it; but if it is worth it, I really can't see what your problem is other than your own avarice.

If you're seeing this as a program that you would have otherwise gotten for free if the programmer didn't get the revelation to charge, then you're missing the point: no one has to make games for you, and it's obvious you couldn't really appreciate any amount of artwork from an artisan if you're not willing to pay an incredibly small fee in return for your gratitude.

Your missing my point. The programmer should create a program for the sole purpose of the act of creation. It exists to be a program, and therefore to be used. Following that logic, it should be avaliable to EVERYONE at the lowest possible cost; FREE. People should not have to pay to use it since it was created to be used.

Also, considering the fact that I am using music to pay my way through school, I think I have an appreciation for art. I do not ask for money. I play for the sake of playing, and if people want to pay me, then they can. I play because I can, and because I want to, and to Hell with the listeners. That is the objectivist attitude that every programmer should have.

Finally, the word you are looking for to describe me is not "Nazi," it is any of the following: liberal, democrat, socialist.

No matter what you say, I'd be willing to put money on it, if some company wanted to give you a contract where YOU GOT PAID FOR YOUR MUSIC, you'd jump at it and screw everyone else. Your idea of "if they wanted to pay me" would go right out the window.

My idea of people paying me is this. The more you pay, the dumber you are. NOTHING is so good that it deserves a lot of money. This will not change even if I do get a contract.

if nothing deserves much money, then then those things are worth less money; you're in an infinite loop

you're right .. nazi wasn't the word; I apologize ... you really consider yourself a socialist? that's cracked

anyhow, just because someone charges for a program doesn't mean there's no art involved, or even that his primary motive is money and not his art: in the case of a company, the ones who are really concerned with money are the heads, or the organizers, not the actual coders who in most cases would prefer to put their best into their work. In the case of an individual who is coding, this is the same; in most cases his ends are not for money as the heads of the business would be, and in no way implies that his work would be anyless artistic ... suppose instead of getting a summer job a programmer decides to write an exceptional game, and to make up for what money he didn't make while programming, he charges $5 for each game. How can you say he doesn't deserve this? and how can you say it is any less artistic? ..he may not have even known he would charge until he had just finished the program. because someone pays millions for a van gogh, does that mean the painting loses it's artistic value? not for all the farms in cuba!

Cars exist to be driven and therefore should be free?

communism sounds great on paper, but it hasn't worked too great historically.

personally, i like open-source and learning from other people's code...
*BUT* if the idea that a programmer could actually make money motivated him to create something incredible, doesn't it make shareware OK?

I didn't know people as stupid as you still existed. He's not imposing his views on anyone. The purpose of an article like his is to share his views on a topic, and get the rest of the interested community thinking about it and formulating their own ideas. Don't tear someone apart for expressing their views and trying to make the rest of us think! Or are opposed to thinking and formulating ideas and opinions?
BTW, the term Nazi doesn't apply even in the context that you pulled out of your butt. Learn some new terms and take a debate class.

Go to microsoft.aynrand.org and see what Ayn Rand has to say about capitalism.

My god boy, someone needs to slap some sense into you. The reason we all are shouting in your face is because you _SUGGESTED_ _CONSIDERING_ putting shareware on the calc and having to _PAY_ for games. Before you rewrite the article in the comments section take the time to read what we all think. Shareware has been tried. It doesn't work. That's that. I think we all agree that if we had to _PAY_ for games and ASm programs on the calc, we would all turn to a different technology. Are you some sick teacher who wants to keep us from goofing off in class?

-Patrick Gray

Right on!

I enjoy playing games in class as much as anyone(hey, why did TI give the 89 500+ mem? Calculations? I don't think so). I brought up the subject of shareware not for the financial aspect, but mostly for the programming theory of it. Many other people probably have had the same idea as me. There hardly will be a revolution from freeware to shareware. If people have a problem with shareware, simple, don't buy it.

Correction. If people have a problem with shareware, they should just pirate or hack it.

Right On!!! Give me one good reason to pay for something I can get (nearly as easily) for free. The marginal extra work involved in hacking it or downloading a pirate will almost always be worth the time spent and the satisfaction it gives.

because you don't deserve something you don't appreciate; if you really thought the game was good enough for that "marginal effort" you don't also think that the author should be shown a little respect?