The Portable Freeware Collection Forums

This might become an FAQ item in the future but just because it comes up every few months, here's a breakdown on the various software revenue types. This has been done elsewhere but I thought it might make for a good discussion here.

Free

• Open Source - programs with source code available (Chromium Portable, XPY, OpenOffice)
• Free Software - a separate term applied to not just open source but a share-and-share-alike license. (FastCopy, Free Download Manager, VLC)
• Freeware - run and use freely, but you can't look under the hood (most programs on the site).
• Liteware – a “lighter” version of an existing commercial version, but still has lots of good functionality (XMind)
• Freemium – (free + premium) – free but lets you buy components (BlueGriffin)

Free-ish

• You can use it but with a big catch. Some feel minor elements are okay. For example: phones home (to check for updates or otherwise), sends a nag every 6 months, or some small ads for programs by the same developer.
• Adware - pays for itself through advertisements (uTorrent)
• Nagware - annoys you to encourage you to buy the nag-free version
• Spyware - pays for itself by selling user-data to companies
• Malware - a very broad category of programs that hurt your computer, with some more invasive spyware considered malware

Non-free

• Donationware (limited) - you can pay whatever you want but you need to open your wallet
• Crippleware - basic program is severly restricted, especially the most obvious operation e.g. a download manager that limits downloads
• Demo: Time-limited - only works for a short time
• Demo: Intro - just the very edge of the program to show what it could do if you bought it. This is similar to crippleware but separate in that it's functionality is so low, it's closer to a video demonstration than software.

---

Related:

• Softpedia: Free licensing, Non-Free, How not to change a license model
• 25 License Types (a bit more business focus here)

Feedback welcome.

I think it's good enough to be added to the FAQ as a first take.

We can add to it as we go along.

If there are no objections, I will do it this weekend?

Andrew Lee wrote:I think it's good enough to be added to the FAQ as a first take.

Cool, I'm glad that was useful.

Nice and much needed, in fact. Thanks.

Nvm, didn't realize it was a general guide to software types, rather than those in the DB. Was wondering how 'Demo: intro' could have made its way in :p

I suggest removing spyware and malware from the list. They aren't really licensing models for useful programs. No one wants spyware or malware to their computer under any circumstances.

SYSTEM wrote:I suggest removing spyware and malware from the list. They aren't really licensing models for useful programs. No one wants spyware or malware to their computer under any circumstances.

Seconded. They aren't really licensing types at all. Perhaps move them to a fourth category ("malicious" or similar) rather than remove it altogether though.

SYSTEM wrote:I suggest removing spyware and malware from the list. They aren't really licensing models for useful programs. No one wants spyware or malware to their computer under any circumstances.

I'd just like to leave them up by way of contrast. Obviously I'll add a note to the malware bit about those being unacceptable on the site, but spyware has a different status: more and more programs are selling user data as a method to pay for their development. As Facebook, Google, and increasingly Microsoft are using that model, this is becoming the cost of doing business. You covered this very clearly in your post on Win10. However, I expect the line between sharing your activity (or telemetry) to help developers "improve usability" and straight up spyware is going to get fuzzier. Even Wikipedia's breakdown has increased to include Tracking Cookies, something used by quite a few browsers here on the site.

I don't hope to solve this problem with my definitions list, I'm just saying at some point there's some amount of privacy invasion people are willing to tolerate and there's some amount that's too much. Maybe there's a 3rd term we've got to come up with "Watchware"? I really don't know.

Postcardware - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postcardware
Beerware - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beerware
Charityware - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Careware
WTFPL (Do What the Fuck You Want to Public License) - http://www.wtfpl.net/

webfork wrote:

SYSTEM wrote:I suggest removing spyware and malware from the list. They aren't really licensing models for useful programs. No one wants spyware or malware to their computer under any circumstances.

I'd just like to leave them up by way of contrast. Obviously I'll add a note to the malware bit about those being unacceptable on the site, but spyware has a different status: more and more programs are selling user data as a method to pay for their development. As Facebook, Google, and increasingly Microsoft are using that model, this is becoming the cost of doing business. You covered this very clearly in your post on Win10. However, I expect the line between sharing your activity (or telemetry) to help developers "improve usability" and straight up spyware is going to get fuzzier. Even Wikipedia's breakdown has increased to include Tracking Cookies, something used by quite a few browsers here on the site.

Spyware usually refers to programs which literally spy the user (record keypresses, take screenshots of the desktop, and if available, record video and sound using the webcam and microphone). Telemetry, by contrast, only records which features of the program itself are being used and in which way. For example, The Document Foundation used telemetry data for enhancing the standard toolbars in LibreOffice.

webfork wrote:I don't hope to solve this problem with my definitions list, I'm just saying at some point there's some amount of privacy invasion people are willing to tolerate and there's some amount that's too much. Maybe there's a 3rd term we've got to come up with "Watchware"? I really don't know.

I think a new term would indeed be useful.

As promised, I have done some consolidation and make some minor changes, and added to our FAQ here:

http://www.portablefreeware.com/faq.php#license

Thanks to webfork and others for your contribution and feedback.

Andrew Lee wrote:As promised, I have done some consolidation and make some minor changes, and added to our FAQ here:

http://www.portablefreeware.com/faq.php#license

Thanks.

A minor typing error... it should be bluegriffon

I am Baas wrote: A minor typing error... it should be bluegriffon

To be more accurate, it's BlueGriffon, with uppercase B and G.

Thanks @SYSTEM

I am Baas wrote:Postcardware - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postcardware
Beerware - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beerware
Charityware - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Careware
WTFPL (Do What the Fuck You Want to Public License) - http://www.wtfpl.net/

I'm not sure I'd list these on the FAQ page as they're all just variants on donationware (no limits), with the exception of the WTFPL, which I see as kind of an anti-license. It's the sort of thing I would write up if my users kept nagging me about picking a license and I didn't give a crap about all the tedious evangelism and legal stuff and around that topic.

They're all interesting, it's just that there are tons of variants (Greenware, [insert-your-cause]ware, whatever Xenu's Link Checker is) and I'd like to cover license types in the FAQ rather than specific licenses.

(Note that wikipedia disagrees with me on my definition of donationware: "A close variation of careware is donationware, which has a stricter definition than careware." [source])