Article Treasure Cove

Various Term for Software License:

• Free Software (according to GNU/FSF): Software with license to allow anyone to use, copy, and distribute, as the original or modified, free or charged. With main condition, the source code must be ready. For example: Linux (kernel), GNOME, GIMP.
• Open Source: Open Source is actually marketing term for free software. There are various license under Open Source, like: GPL, MPL, BSD License, UPL, Artistic License, XPL, LGPL. For example: Free BSD, Mozilla, X, Perl, OpenOffice.
• Public Domain: Sofware with copyrights unprotected. Full version, source code available free to modified, and re-distribute with any license. For example: STP MP3 Player.
• Copylefted Software: Copylefted Software is free software which not allowed re-destributed or modified by adding new limit, so every copy of this software in original or modified have to remain free software.
• Non-Copylefted Free Software: Non-Copylefted Software is free software which allowed to re-destribute or modified by adding new limit, so every copy of this software, binary or modified can be proprietary software. For example: X Windows System.
• GPL Software: GNU GPL (General Public License) is license with definition of copylefted software.
• Semi-Free Software: a non-free software, but allowed to use, destributed, and modified for nonprofit necessity. For example: PGP.
• Freeware: Freeware is software free to use and distributed as long as it is not modified (and the source code is not available). For example: StarOffice (version 5.2), Winamp (from version 2.50), Netscape Communicator, Internet Explorer.
• Shareware: Commonly shareware is free distributed software, with certain period of time, and for next usage will be charge with benefit: to unlock protected software, to remove nagscreen, to upgrade additional features. Shareware is commonly closed-source. For example: WinZip, mIRC, MusicMatch, JukeBox, Real JukeBox.
• Evaluation Copy / Trial / Preview/ Demo: Commecial software/ proprietary full version will be released to consumen to evaluated on certain period of time (30/60 days), and for next usage will required to buy. And if not, the software will be malfunction. For example: Macromedia DreamWeaver, Norton Utilities.
• Adware: Varian from freeware which display advertisement in software display (mostly in banner). For example: GoZilla!, JetAudio (from version 4.7), Eudora Pro (from version 4.2), Opera (from version 5).
• Spyware: a term to call software that “ride” an adware, by downloading advertisements to display on the adware. But spyware mostly also “bugging” technical data from computer host and send them while the computer go online.
• Nagware: Varian from shareware which always display a warning everytime they use, this warning will be dissapear if the software is registered (with paying), but the software itself will be function normally eventhough unregistered. For example: ACDSee (until version 2.42), WinZip, mIRC.
• Stripware*: Varian from freeware which offered new version from commercial software with limited facility, ussualy marked with Personal Edition/Lite Version/Basic. For example: Eudora Lite, real Player Basic, Linux (distributed Corel).
• Optionware*: Varian from freeware which asking for voluntary reward beside money, like: e-mail (mailware), stampware, postcard, etc. And even there are some of them will ask you to donate some of your money for them who needed, and some will ask you to stop complain about life (!). for example: Arachnophilia.
• Alpha Version: Coded Proprietary Software and ready to use, but still need to take internal test (inside the source). For example: Mozilla.
• Beta Version: Coded Proprietary Software and ready to use, but still need to take external test (outside the source). Beta software some are free, some are are commercial. For example: ICQ.
• Coomercial Software: Software which sale and copyrighted, could be open source or closed source (proprietary). For example: Zope, GNU Ada.
• Proprietary Software: Commercial software closed source. For example: MS Windows, MS Office.

DON’T BE MISTAKEN

Mostly mixed terms:
• Shareware >< Freeware: Freeware will fulfunction without time period and doesn’t require any payment.
• Shareware >< Evaluation: Shareware free to distribute, ussualy cheap (compare to commersial software).
• Open Source >< Free Software: Software open source including GPL, shareware, and commercial.
• Commercial >< Proprietary: Commercial software can be open source, proprietary always closed source.
• Freeware >< Public Domain: Freeware ussualy copyrighted, with many varian (adware, optionware, limited freeware).
• Freeware >< Free Software: Freeware is actually term for free software, but for daily use, freeware is ussualy known for closed-source.

Tips and Triks

• We should care about copyrights, by reducing the using of piracy software. Use freeware/shareware to replace. For example MS Office replace with StarOffice, Photoshop replace with GIMP for Windows, HomeSite replace with 1st Page 2000, Norton AntiVirus/McAfee VirusScan replace with AntiVir PE/AVG Free, Windows replace with Linux/xBSD, etc.
• Read carefully license from software, even it’s proprietary, shareware, or freeware. Some of latest freeware trend are pointing to adware/shareware (GenoPro, PowerArchiever, Jana Server), other way, there are also shareware/proprietary that become freeware/adware (Winamp,JetAudio).

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