I have an interesting marketing strategy which I would like to implement. Software is typically sold in huge packages with unneeded components. I want to sell smaller packages with more needed specialized components. I also want to sell various grades of software under various licenses. but for now it will all be open source such as CPL (Common Public License).
I will explain below 5 grades of software that I will be distributing or selling. In summary, the more work that is required to produce the product the higher the cost. But again for now each level will be free. Even when I sell it, it most likely will be free, where you simply pay for the convenience of the download (a way to twist arms to get donations). So if I ever make any money on this site it might be from advertisements, or from my selling the cutting edge work or from loyal customers based on reputation alone for that cutting edge work. By cutting edge I mean most recent development on the things I post for download. I suspect ond day I will be able to take in some money from this web site in order to recoup my expenses, pay for some books, pay for some certifications, and maybe recoup me for the time I lost working on the stuff. However if you believe in what I'm working on here, please donate. Or put in your will, that will work too. A donation may lead to me hiring help via RAC (www.rentacoder.com). But what it will mean most likely is to speed up the development of this concept and main product, the web site itself, as a Java Web Application. Below I describe the concept.
-
Platinum
- Will be licensed for use by the buyer alone. Will not contain source. Will contain binaries and javadocs. Will contain screen shots and uml diagrams for libraries. Design will be at its best. Efficiency will be at its best. Test coverage will be about 90%. Examples will abound. This will be the most professional release. This will be fully featured and mature. Source may be available at 10 or more times the cost. In summary, this will be a very professional release.
-
Gold
- Will be licensed for use by the buyer alone. Will not contain source. Will contain binaries and Javadocs. Will contain screen shots and uml diagrams for libraries. Design will remain about the same as silver. Efficiency will be improved and test coverage will be about 66%, Examples will begin to appear. Documentation will be more professional. Source may be available at 5 or 6 times cost. In summary, this will be a very useful and stable release.
-
Silver
- Will be licensed for use by the buyer alone. Will not contain source. Will contain binaries and Javadocs in the case of libraries. Will be lightly tested. This will be a stable version with well developed basic set of features. Design will be good. Efficiency will be moderate to good. About 33% test coverage will begin. Source may be available at 2 or 3 times cost. In summary, this will be a stable release.
-
Bronze
- Binaries will be licensed as freeware. Source may be licensed for a small fee for single users and commercial use. Javadocs will not be included except in the case of libraries. Will include no test and may not have been tested. This will be somewhat improved in design and possibly efficiency over Copper and will be cleaner with minor feature enhancements. In summary, this will begin to be a useful release.
-
Copper:
- Must be a good start. Primary behavior must work. May not need to be efficient, well designed or tested. Source may not be styled and there may be little to no encapsulation. Will be Common Public License open source, which means it may be used in commercial applications. Download files will only contain source. In summary, unless this is a higher quality release that had been downgraded, this will not necessarily be pretty and will need work to even begin to be very useful. What more would you expect? After all Copper Editions are free.