Registration Code

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Mon, 03 Apr 2006 19:29:14 +0200, Math wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> I wonder if I can ask this particular question here...
> I'm writing this piece of Python Software and I'm almost done...:-)
> But now I want the end-user to register this software with a registration 
> code or perhaps something like an evaluation demo version which expires 
> after some period of time...
> Is this the right place to ask or does anybody know where to look for more 
> on the subject?

Is your application really such a gee-whiz super-duper
can't-live-without-it program that your users will put up with all the
inconvenience and hassle, not to mention loss of privacy, of having to
register? Or will they just dump your program when the demo stops working?

It seems to me that the hardest problem for any new application is getting
people to use it: most users won't ever find out about it; of those who
do most won't care about it; of those who care, most can't be bothered
downloading and installing it; and of those who might have, most will
probably know of an alternative that does the job as well or better, or at
least that they are more familiar with.

So every little barrier you put up to make it more difficult for users to
use your application, the greater the chances that your application
disappears into obscurity.

Look at Microsoft. Their first version of Word (for Macintosh, as it
turned out) was copy-protected. Their second version of Word, and every
version since, as well as Excel and Powerpoint, have not included copy
protection, time-limitations, product activation, or any other barrier to
keep users away. On the contrary -- Microsoft have turned a blind eye
to piracy until fairly recently. Same with Windows -- although, a few
years back when Microsoft felt secure in owning the desktop, they
introduced product activation. What are the odds that Vista will have it?


-- 
Steven.