Careware
Careware (also called charityware, helpware, or goodware) is software licensed in a way that benefits a charity. Some careware is distributed free, and the author suggests that some payment be made to either a nominated charity, or a charity of the user's choice. Commercial careware, on the other hand, includes a levy for charity on top of the distribution charge.[1] Careware can also involve a barter of some kind, or even a pledge to be kind to strangers.
Overview
The term "charityware" was credited to Canadian developer Roedy Green in a 1988 issue of 2600 Magazine.[2] One of the first known uses of the term "careware" appeared in Dr. Dobb's Journal in Al Stevens' C Programming Column in about 1991. Stevens was developing a user interface library and publishing the source code in monthly installments. To distribute code to readers, Stevens suggested they send him an addressed stamped mailer with a blank diskette. He copied the code onto the diskette and returned it. He also suggested that to express their appreciation they include a dollar, which he would donate to the local food bank in Brevard County, Florida. Stevens named this distribution method "careware."[3]
Paul Lutus's[4] careware idea involves no monetary exchange - instead it involves a request for the user to "stop complaining for a while and make the world a better place."[5]
For example, the
A close variation of careware is donationware, which has a narrower definition than careware.
Examples
Non-commercial examples
- FireFTP
- KiXtart
- Peazip
- Vim (text editor)
- "i'm" initiative)
Commercial examples
References
- ^ "What is a charityware?". charityware.info. Archived from the original on 21 August 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
- ^ Greenberg, Ross (1988). "A Solution to Viruses". 2600 Magazine. 5 (2): 4–7, 28–38. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ Stevens, Al (1 August 1991). "C Programming". Dr. Dobb's Journal. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
- ^ "Paul Lutus". 2013-02-15. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
- ^ "The CareWare Idea". 18 October 1998. Retrieved 11 January 2010. Date information retrieved from included metadata of Microsoft Word 7 version of the article.
- ^ "VIM license".