5 ms·

This really seems like a lot of hassle to go through to protect your software. Why bother really? The people who are getting cracked versions of the software ar

by a2tech 16y ago

This really seems like a lot of hassle to go through to protect your software. Why bother really? The people who are getting cracked versions of the software aren't going to pay for it, so its not like you're losing a customer to the cracked version. I've always thought the 'nag screen' software seemed like the best solution-let the user buy a key to turn off the prompts but leave full functionality enabled for non-paying customers. However-throw up a nag screen when commonly used functions are activated. Click the 'Save' button? Throw up a nag screen for a variable amount of time between 5-15 seconds. Long enough for the user to see it and be reminded, but not long enough to really irritate them.

tomjen3 16y ago
>The people who are getting cracked versions of the software aren't going to pay for it, so its not like you're losing a customer to the cracked version. This is often stated, but is actually not true. There is a really old article where a guy a shareware program such that when it was installed it would randomly choose (with equal probability) whether it should be a fully working version or it should print every 4th page with a registration form, rather than the page the user wanted to print. His experiment proved that significantly more users paid for the program when it was crippled than when it wasn't (I think it was 100% more, but I am not entirely sure). So no, people who would otherwise be willing to pirate your program won't do this if you make it difficult enough.
- eli 16y ago
  That sounds more like a test of trialware vs donationware, which I don't think is exactly the same as someone seeking out and using a cracked version. I'm sure there are people who would buy a program if they couldn't find a cracked version, but... 1) It has to be enough lost sales to make it worth the effort of protecting the app rather than, say, adding features that would bring in new customers. And you also don't want to implement onerous DRM that would cost you sales. 2) If your app is at all popular, it will get cracked anyway. I'm pretty sure most of the people cracking software are doing so for fun, not profit. And they appreciate a challenge.
- crystalis 16y ago
  Piracy for video games generally reports one lost sale per one thousand pirates. Games seem fungible, in that they all solve the 'boredom' problem. I'd imagine the more unique the problem you are solving, the more worthwhile piracy prevention is. On the other hand, worrying about piracy sometimes seems like fitting a square peg into a round hole, or tweaking a garlic and ham dessert recipe. Find a way to benefit both sides of the transaction instead.
zach 16y ago
A lot of hassle? On this very site, people talk about doing much more work on a landing page to increase conversion rate by 10%. Also, cracking software is a hassle too...

by a2tech 16y ago

tomjen3 16y ago

>The people who are getting cracked versions of the software aren't going to pay for it, so its not like you're losing a customer to the cracked version. This is often stated, but is actually not true. There is a really old article where a guy a shareware program such that when it was installed it would randomly choose (with equal probability) whether it should be a fully working version or it should print every 4th page with a registration form, rather than the page the user wanted to print. His experiment proved that significantly more users paid for the program when it was crippled than when it wasn't (I think it was 100% more, but I am not entirely sure). So no, people who would otherwise be willing to pirate your program won't do this if you make it difficult enough.

eli 16y ago
That sounds more like a test of trialware vs donationware, which I don't think is exactly the same as someone seeking out and using a cracked version. I'm sure there are people who would buy a program if they couldn't find a cracked version, but... 1) It has to be enough lost sales to make it worth the effort of protecting the app rather than, say, adding features that would bring in new customers. And you also don't want to implement onerous DRM that would cost you sales. 2) If your app is at all popular, it will get cracked anyway. I'm pretty sure most of the people cracking software are doing so for fun, not profit. And they appreciate a challenge.
crystalis 16y ago
Piracy for video games generally reports one lost sale per one thousand pirates. Games seem fungible, in that they all solve the 'boredom' problem. I'd imagine the more unique the problem you are solving, the more worthwhile piracy prevention is. On the other hand, worrying about piracy sometimes seems like fitting a square peg into a round hole, or tweaking a garlic and ham dessert recipe. Find a way to benefit both sides of the transaction instead.

zach 16y ago

A lot of hassle? On this very site, people talk about doing much more work on a landing page to increase conversion rate by 10%. Also, cracking software is a hassle too...