Freetard Day!

[ArtOfWarfare]

Ok, I just got this great idea for an online holiday...

I call it...

Freetard Day!

The day when everyone is a Freetard!

Once a year, all programers gives away all their programs for free for 24 hours! No catches at all! They aren't demos, you get the whole thing! Ok, seriously, why? So people who are dirt poor can get that app they've been wanting but couldn't pay the hundred+ $'s for. It's like Christmas minus religion! Everyone is in the giving mood!

What do you think?

Now we just need a date...

suggestions?

(Not really a current event... more an event of the future that I just envisioned.)

[Schtumple]

How about the developers just give away cash in the streets too, and you know, their homes, cars and dignity...

[pooky]

And so where exactly would the incentive for anyone to pay money, ever, be?

Them: "You could pay me $2k for the full Creative Suite, or you can wait a month and I'll give it to you free."

Me: "Ok, here's my money..."

I can think of a word that rhymes with freetard...

[soberbrain]

This idea is definitely F'tarded.

How about the developers just give away cash in the streets too, and you know, their homes, cars and dignity...

BTW, hahahaha...

[d_and_n5000]

Ain't ever gonna happen. Certainly would be nice, though.

[iTeen]

I have no problem paying for software that I need.

All of it supports the developers and all the hard work that they went through to create the software.

Horrible idea.

[raggedjimmi]

How about the developers just give away cash in the streets too, and you know, their homes, cars and dignity...

No way I'm giving my software away for free, I've got a student loan to pay off. Soz 'ard OP.

Also it needs a better word. As I've said before wouldn't the "retarded" ones go out and buy products in shops based on advertising, whilst the more witty amongst us would search out free, and occasionally better, software? The wording is absolutely broke, serving no function or hint at what the software license is. Wouldn't "freetard" be more a reference to downloading rubbish free applications, likely laced with spyware?

[ArtOfWarfare]

And so where exactly would the incentive for anyone to pay money, ever, be?

Them: "You could pay me $2k for the full Creative Suite, or you can wait a month and I'll give it to you free."

Me: "Ok, here's my money..."

I can think of a word that rhymes with freetard...

Where's the incentive for you to pay money anytime right now when if you just wait 6 more months and Christmas rolls around and you'll get whatever you wanted.

The incentive is the same for both. You don't want to wait months for it. You want it NOW!

Of course, companies could choose to give out last years version the day before releasing this years version too as incentive for paying money (you got last years... well, next day suddenly you get an email, "Hey, you've got last years stuff! We've just released a new version this year! You wanna pay for this now or hold on to your outdated version?")

And yes, it's still present exchanging just like Christmas. Because all the devs can get each other's stuff free of charge!

And obviously there's nothing forcing the devs to give stuff away... other than looking just like Scrooge at the start of A Christmas Story.

I think the Ghosts of Freetard past, present, and to come need to visit all the M$'s out there.

[teflon]

And so where exactly would the incentive for anyone to pay money, ever, be?

Them: "You could pay me $2k for the full Creative Suite, or you can wait a month and I'll give it to you free."

Me: "Ok, here's my money..."

I can think of a word that rhymes with freetard...

People that uses those software on a daily basis for their job can't wait for months for that day. It is only 1 day a year, what if you needed it half way through the year?
Giving it out for free is quite unrealistic and unfair for the developers who put hundreds of hours into making these softwares though. However, there could be a day where all the developers put their software on sale. It'd be kind of like Black Friday. Software companies can schedule new software releases soon after that day, so the "software on sale" day can get rid of some old stock and build customer bases.

[Stampyhead]

Where's the incentive for you to pay money anytime right now when if you just wait 6 more months and Christmas rolls around and you'll get whatever you wanted.

Why would you get it free at Christmas time? I'm not following your logic.

[Eric5h5]

Is there going to be a Reverse Freetard Day? One day of the year when you give lots of stuff to developers?

--Eric

[ArtOfWarfare]

Is there going to be a Reverse Freetard Day? One day of the year when you give lots of stuff to developers?

--Eric

The developers arn't loosing anything.

What they lose in sales they make up in getting free software of their own.

And I suppose you could spread the concept of Freetard Day to all businesses. Get your gas free. Get your food free. Get your computer free. With free shipping.

...

Of course I suppose you'd have to limit how many free things people can get. Otherwise people would just buy thousands of Mac Pros and sell them on eBay the next day.

Limit one free product per person per business. (So you can get one thing from each company.)

[raggedjimmi]

As this thread dives further and further into insanity and out of pure curiosity, what planet are you from?

[dllavaneras]

The developers arn't loosing anything.
What they lose in sales they make up in getting free software of their own.


Last time I checked, free software couldn't feed a family...

[ArtOfWarfare]

As this thread dives further and further into insanity and out of pure curiosity, what planet are you from?

Earth.

But I wonder what planet you're from... you look like a Vulcan with that nose. (Ok, fine, Vulcan's have normal noses so I've just insulted the Vulcans. But their name conjures the image of a beaked person...)

http://media.macrumorslive.com/f/avatars/46251.gif

[DigitalAx]

Your lack of understanding regarding economics is astonishingly disturbing. I'll assume, for your sake, that this is just a joke (albeit not funny) or you're doing this just to get a rise out of people.

[flyinmac]

Last time I checked, free software couldn't feed a family...

Well, you can't eat a free download. But, you can eat a free retail box. Lots of Fiber.

Not sure about the nutritional content of a CD. Bound to be some minerals in there somewhere though.

[ArtOfWarfare]

Your lack of understanding regarding economics is astonishingly disturbing.

Yeah...

what I suggest is sort of like Communism Day... where everyone pretends we live in a Communistic society or something.

Seriously though... why not? You don't want to participate... don't... everyone will treat you like a greedy bastard but w/e you want. I'll be sure to celebrate Freetards Day though once I start getting some of my applications done.

[dllavaneras]

Well, you can't eat a free download. But, you can eat a free retail box. Lots of Fiber.

Too bad the ink doesn't taste as good as it should. :rolleyes:

[flyinmac]

Too bad the ink doesn't taste as good as it should. :rolleyes:

Well, you didn't expect the roni to come with your rice for free now did you?

[DigitalAx]

Yeah...

what I suggest is sort of like Communism Day... where everyone pretends we live in a Communistic society or something.


Do you understand the difference between Communism and Socialism? If people give away their work and/or service one day a year, what's the motivation for anyone to buy anything?

You see, when Mommy and Daddy buy things for you, it's not free. Mommy and Daddy have jobs and work hard to buy you your toys. They pay for these things with something called money. Am I going too fast for ya, champ?

The people that Mommy and Daddy give money to, then use that money to also buy things for their families, like food, housing, etc. We call this Capitalism.

[raggedjimmi]

Yeah...

what I suggest is sort of like Communism Day... where everyone pretends we live in a Communistic society or something.

Seriously though... why not? You don't want to participate... don't... everyone will treat you like a greedy bastard but w/e you want. I'll be sure to celebrate Freetards Day though once I start getting some of my applications done.

Confirmed: Joke account.

Also: how do you expect me, as a small time developer, to live if I stop charging people for 1 day? I barely scrape by as it is and you're honestly calling me a "greedy bastard".

[Abstract]

You're freetarded.

[angelneo]

I googled "Freetard". This link come up top of the list....

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Freetard

All the explanations sound somewhat disturbing...


Sounds like a joke thread.

[flyinmac]

I googled "Freetard". This link come up top of the list....

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Freetard

All the explanations sound somewhat disturbing...


Sounds like a joke thread.

definitely a F*Tard or was it freeturd.... Something like that :rolleyes:

[motulist]

ArtOfWarfare, how old are you? (not asking as an insult, it's a real question) The idea you're talking about sounds like something I might've thought of in my younger days.

This idea, while nice, will never happen because anyone willing to do it is already doing it. Any software developer who's willing to give away their software for free to anyone who needs it while also expecting people to pay for it if they can, they're already doing what you're talking about. It's called shareware (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shareware) or freeware (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeware) (or more specifically, donationware (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donationware)). The idea behind these wares is exactly what you're talking about. If you need it but can't afford it, you're free to use it whenever you want, but if you can afford it then you are supposed to pay for it. If you need it but can't afford it you don't even need to wait for a special 'free software day.'

[RedTomato]

Last time I checked, free software couldn't feed a family...

Yes, IBM and Sun and Linus and Red Hat and many others are all running on thin air and checking down the back of the sofa for pennies. Apple's also (in part) standing on the corner asking for spare change.

Not.

[Evangelion]

Last time I checked, free software couldn't feed a family...

I would say that Linus Torvalds, Andrew Morton, Alan Cox and whole lots of developers at companies like Red Hat would disagree with that comment. There are LOTS of people who get their living from free software, either directly or indirectly.

[ihabime]

I would say that Linus Torvalds, Andrew Morton, Alan Cox and whole lots of developers at companies like Red Hat would disagree with that comment. There are LOTS of people who get their living from free software, either directly or indirectly.

Yes but it doesn't work as well when you mix and match. IBM, Sun, redhat make their money from hardware or support. I'm not saying that OSS isn't a valid business idea, but if you give your software away one day a year you'd find that it hard to sell the rest of the time.

[MrSmith]

Supply and demand just happens to other people. :rolleyes:

[Evangelion]

Yes but it doesn't work as well when you mix and match. IBM, Sun, redhat make their money from hardware or support. I'm not saying that OSS isn't a valid business idea, but if you give your software away one day a year you'd find that it hard to sell the rest of the time.

And quite a few people seem to be able to make their living without selling any software. And fact is that all software Red Hat releases is free software. Yes, they charge for support, but fact remains that they are earning money with free software.

Giving software away for free is perfectly OK thing to do. I mean, you can create software for free (more or less). you can distribute that software for free. You can create additional copies of that software for free.

Yes, giving software away for one day a year is dumb. Either you share it with others all the time, or you don't.

[Evangelion]

Supply and demand just happens to other people. :rolleyes:

I'm not so sure that does supply and demand have any validity when talking about things like software. Like I said, you can create thousands of copies of software with minimium of effort and expense. Same goes with distribution. There can't really be shortage of software, since it can be infinitely replicated at will. You can have shortage of physical items, since we don't have matter-replicators yet. But since software is just a bunch of bits that can be multiplied at will, there can't really be any shortages. Any such shortages are artificially created.

Same applies to mp3-files and such.

[ihabime]

And quite a few people seem to be able to make their living without selling any software. And fact is that all software Red Hat releases is free software. Yes, they charge for support, but fact remains that they are earning money with free software.

Giving software away for free is perfectly OK thing to do. I mean, you can create software for free (more or less). you can distribute that software for free. You can create additional copies of that software for free.

Yes, giving software away for one day a year is dumb. Either you share it with others all the time, or you don't.

I'm confused, are you arguing with me or agreeing, because i think that's what i just said :)

[raggedjimmi]

I would say that Linus Torvalds, Andrew Morton, Alan Cox and whole lots of developers at companies like Red Hat would disagree with that comment. There are LOTS of people who get their living from free software, either directly or indirectly.

So how do I go about getting money from nothing, since if I made my upcoming software free I'd basically have no money.

[MrSmith]

I'm not so sure that does supply and demand have any validity when talking about things like software. Like I said, you can create thousands of copies of software with minimium of effort and expense. Same goes with distribution. There can't really be shortage of software, since it can be infinitely replicated at will. You can have shortage of physical items, since we don't have matter-replicators yet. But since software is just a bunch of bits that can be multiplied at will, there can't really be any shortages. Any such shortages are artificially created.

Same applies to mp3-files and such.
You don't want to go down that route...

[gikku]

How about Freetard Day where for a day we only use software that is distributed freely, free to d/l OS, free d/l apps? :rolleyes:

[Evangelion]

So how do I go about getting money from nothing, since if I made my upcoming software free I'd basically have no money.

Well, in case of Linux, many developers are paid to work on the code, because there are lots of users who need/want the software. Those users benefit from Linux, and it's in their interest to see Linux get better. So they pay the coders who in turn write free software.

The idea that selling your ones and zeroes is the only way to make money is pretty weird. Free software is a multi-billion dollar industry, so there are LOTS of parties making money from free software. Red Hat releases only free software and they had revenue of 523 million, while earning 76 million in profit.

[Evangelion]

You don't want to go down that route...

Quite a few people have already "gone down that route", and they seem to be doing just fine.

[ArtOfWarfare]

How about Freetard Day where for a day we only use software that is distributed freely, free to d/l OS, free d/l apps? :rolleyes:

lol

The day when everyone boycotts companies that demand money for their software.

[Eraserhead]

So people who are dirt poor can get that app they've been wanting but couldn't pay the hundred+ $'s for.

Um, they already can... Have you heard of software piracy?

The day when everyone boycotts companies that demand money for their software.

Yeah, that isn't going to happen though.

[raggedjimmi]

Now we're onto boycotting companies who charge for their software!

Come on OP, just how old are you?

[Antares]

So how do I go about getting money from nothing, since if I made my upcoming software free I'd basically have no money.

Jimmi, you, yourself, say that your location is "In the land of make believe." I'm sure you have money trees by you. I don't see what the problem is.... :confused:

Money no longer exists on Earth in the Star Trek universe. Everything is free. Why can't we make our Earth work like the Star Trek Earth? Hmm....

[raggedjimmi]

I'd like to believe money grows on trees but it isn't working :(

[flyinmac]

I'd like to believe money grows on trees but it isn't working :(

Can't grow it. Gotta print it. Just need threaded paper and a really high-end color laser printer :D

Oh, for the woven thing, just use bits from the Hershey kiss wrappers ;)

[MrSmith]

Quite a few people have already "gone down that route", and they seem to be doing just fine.
The point I was making (obliquely) is you don't want to suggest copyright infringement. Calling the pricing of software artificial and concluding we should just copy it would seem to imply that.

[iJohnHenry]

Money is just the olde-fashioned PayPal, whereby we exchange our menial (or otherwise) labour for purchasing power.

AND, unlike the barter system, it allows the Tax Man to get his graft.

[maestro55]

I love open source software and have ran various flavors of Linux over the years. I even use open source software on my Mac. However, I am going to say that the OP's idea is insane. First off I hate the term "Freetard" but that isn't really relevant. The fact that the poster is implying that everyone give their software free on one day a year is very silly. If you want to use free software than go and find open source applications that fit your needs, don't expect the developers (certainly the independent developers) to give you their software for free.

[taylorwilsdon]

If Food Was Free We Wouldn't Have Starving People Omg

[MrSmith]

If sex was free...err...oh...

[iJohnHenry]

If sex was free...err...oh...

Don't for a minute think that they aren't working on that very "problem". ;)

[sanPietro98]

I guarantee that you won't be "dirt poor" forever. I also guarantee that when you spend your precious free time creating something, you won't want to give it away.

Would you ask Steve Jobs to give you a free Mac? Of course not. Just because software isnt tangible doesn't mean it should be free.

[iJohnHenry]

And what of these poor people that cannot afford software??

What do they down-load too?? :rolleyes:

[MrSmith]

And what of these poor people that cannot afford software??

What do they down-load too?? :rolleyes:
Presumably they wouldn't be able to afford the computers to download it onto. ;)

[iJohnHenry]

Please, hold your calls. We have a winner. :D

[flyinmac]

I guarantee that you won't be "dirt poor" forever. I also guarantee that when you spend your precious free time creating something, you won't want to give it away.

Would you ask Steve Jobs to give you a free Mac? Of course not. Just because software isnt tangible doesn't mean it should be free.

I'd ask him for a free Mac :D

I'll take any free stuff I can get ;)

But, yeah, no developers are going to jump on this idea. They might do a one time promotion without much lead time. But, they're not going to offer such a thing annually.

[Evangelion]

The point I was making (obliquely) is you don't want to suggest copyright infringement. Calling the pricing of software artificial and concluding we should just copy it would seem to imply that.

I'm in no shape or form suggesting that people should go and copy stuff they are not allowed to copy. What I AM saying is that in many ways, pricing on digital good is artificial. With physical goods, we have laws of supply and demand that adjust the prices. With digital good that doesn't really apply, since the supply is practically unlimited.

I'm in no shape or form advocating piracy or copyright-infringment.

[raggedjimmi]

I'm in no shape or form suggesting that people should go and copy stuff they are not allowed to copy. What I AM saying is that in many ways, pricing on digital good is artificial. With physical goods, we have laws of supply and demand that adjust the prices. With digital good that doesn't really apply, since the supply is practically unlimited.

I'm in no shape or form advocating piracy or copyright-infringment.

Which is why pricing is adjusted. I bought the Unreal Collection from Steam for about £30, it's that price alone for UT3 in shops. The price is less because, just as you said, there are no retailers taking a percentage, no transport costs. It's just bandwidth costs.

Developers still get a similar percentage of the sale, be it digital or physical.