Don't pay extra for an archival cdrom

Another trick software vendors have been using to wring extra pennies out of you is to have you pay extra to send you a cdrom with the software. You can do this for free. Simply download it to a CD-R and write the name of the application on the disk and put it in your drawer. I also tend to create an extra file on the same cdrom (you can use notepad or wordpad) which contains the serial number. It takes an extra few seconds and then you have an archive of your download. Better yet, you should expect your software vendor to keep your downloads around for a long time. It really isn't that hard to do and vendors that don't are just trying to take advantage of you.

I know I've said it a hundred times that I don't make a lot of profit on this project (yes, I still have a day job and this doesn't bring in enough to even get me close to the poverty level), but maybe I would if I would just adopt some shrewed tactics like other companies in this industry? Then again, why compromise, I'm still an idealist. That is not to say that I don't want to sell enough copies of Memorize-It to do this full time. I would love that, but I don't want to resort to questionable tactics to try and get you to buy something you don't really need. I just want to make great software that helps you learn and make enough to live off of at the same time. Anything extra would probably go into one of the Africa missions I have been on.

After all that, you may be saying to yourself, "Hey, he does sell an extra cdrom for $10". Yes, I do, but that includes over 7000 flashcards on many different subjects. The flashcards are a separate product and I do give a pretty steep discount if you purchase it while purchasing Memorize-It.

Creative Capitalism

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080124/tc_nm/davos_gates_dc_1

You have to love Bill Gates for really changing the way he thinks about wealth. He used to be the Sam Walton Family (See: The High Cost Of Low Price to understand how greedy they really are) of the greed chasers and has really turned to making something good with his wealth. If you purchase Memorize-It, I promise not to hook you into some sort of revolving money machine to keep taking your money. I have always been about creating software that I sell at a reasonable price and use any profit to make new products and services that are also sold at a reasonable price (If only it were that easy and I could actually afford to quit my day job and make more products). I also have always given a lot of my time and money to various charities and that will always continue. Especially the work I have done in Santa Ana and Africa and we have been looking at doing some work in Watts and Mexico.

Anyway, I really like what Bill said, "The self-interest behind capitalism had driven multiple innovations but to harness it to the benefit of all required the system be refined. Greater focus on recognition for improving the lives of others could provide a spur for companies to focus more on making money out of providing valuable products at affordable prices to the world's poor."

Impressive from one of the biggest (past) abusers of the capitalist system in the last century.