Giving away my script....but with a catch. Is this fair?

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Enigmabomb

Enigmabomb

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Feb 26, 2007
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Than Franthithco
I have a great script I've been writing. It's the kind of thing that'll be in high demand. Lots of people here are selling similiar things for $150.

I want to let people use mine free of charge. In exchange, the code will be heavily obfuscated, and 10% of the time it will put in my affiliate ID.

Am I being unethical by giving away my script but having it make money for me? The way I see it, if it works for them, it will make me money. If it doesn't they're out nothing, I'm out nothing.

Is this something that you might be interested in?

Josh
 


I suppose I could offer that option. The genius of this plan is that if it doesnt work, or they're too stupid to configure it, sorryyyyy. If they pay for it, I gots to do me some kind of supporting tech.

Josh
 
Enigmabomb said:
I suppose I could offer that option. The genius of this plan is that if it doesnt work, or they're too stupid to configure it, sorryyyyy. If they pay for it, I gots to do me some kind of supporting tech.

Josh
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the reason I would never use it - no matter how bad ass it is - would be tracking your shit.

sounds like you could get way too tempted to take more than you deserve.
 
I released in arbi automater awhile back when it was the "hot topic" with revenue sharing by showing my "adsense" X% of the time. I got pretty much flamed and said fuck it... took it down. I still get requests to use the tool.. but I gave up arbi in favor of other opportunities.

I would say you can either buy it for $XX or have the rev sharing with option to buy it out. Makes sense... they get to test it for free and if it works buy it from you. You make money during the testing if it works.
 
The only thing that bothers me is the massive amounts of pirating around here. I wrote this script because I couldnt afford a premade one, and didn't want to pirate.

I wonder how many people are in my boat but without the programming skills?

If I got flamed, I'd be pissed. No one is MAKING you use it.

The buy out option is a good idea.

Josh
 
If you write software and release it, it's going to be pirated that's just how it goes. Get you used to it and calc it into your equation.
 
rock on, there really is no way around it I suppose. even if I obfuscate it, those pirating it don't care about the source anyway. Heh. That was stupid of me.
 
Sounds good. If I try it out and it actually works like it should (and makes me $) then I could either continue to "rent" it from you or just shell out the money to buy it outright.

It's a fair proposition for anyone. If you get flamed for something as reasonable as that, you have my permission to tell them to fuck themselves.

BTW what does this script do, anyhow?
 
Thats a pretty legit technique, Id say. The porn industry uses it all the time. Heres a little trick to see that:
Go to a TGP. Click around until you click a thumbnail that DOESNT bring you to the gallery that the thumbnail is from, but, instead brings you to another site (often times another TGP). Go back to the first TGP page, click refresh, click the same thumbnail again. Bam. You get the gallery you wanted.

Porn sites often skim X% of traffic to other sites.

Just be honest with it and offer a paid option without it.
 
Sounds fair to me as long as you are open and honest about it. 'Piracy' would even help distribute it, I doubt anyone would try to hack it and remove the rev share.

Don't do it with Adsense though, one of the WP plugins got caught for that and the creator got a nice ban from Google.
 
Tell the users that you will have 10% chance to grab their sale, if you wont, some smart ass just going to edit your script and give it away with his affiliate id or without any.

Enigmabomb said:
I have a great script I've been writing. It's the kind of thing that'll be in high demand. Lots of people here are selling similiar things for $150.

I want to let people use mine free of charge. In exchange, the code will be heavily obfuscated, and 10% of the time it will put in my affiliate ID.

Am I being unethical by giving away my script but having it make money for me? The way I see it, if it works for them, it will make me money. If it doesn't they're out nothing, I'm out nothing.

Is this something that you might be interested in?

Josh
Click to expand...
 
Ah Good call with the adsense.

Jason: Obfuscation: difficult to read. Encryption: requires a key and decryption. I know obfuscationg wont stop someone dedicated, but chances are if they're that good they'll sit down and write it themselves.

I made some entries to the obfuscated code contest way back in the day. Ill see if I can find them, I dont know if I ever submitted them.

Josh
 
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