HC> I've already caught a couple (they were *very* surprised that
HC> anyone would take the time to hunt 'em down). Quite frankly, I
HC> am a
  
RR> I am amazed you were able to accomplish this.  Tell me, when
RR> you reported them to the authorities, what sort of response
RR> did you get?
  
From the thieves? Shock. From the police? The normal response the
give when a pirate BBS is reported these days. They logged on,
ascertained the existence of illegal files, obtained a search and
seizure warrant, and busted the little creep. The authorities were
less concerned about my original beef, than they were about the
presence of illegal software from other platforms. I could care
less, as long as the bust takes place. The police up here have
busted quite a few pirate boards and have become familiar with the
proper procedures. Understand this: the pirate didn't loose
thousands of dollars worth of hardware in the bust because he had
sold/given away a few hundred dollars worth of Atari software. the
pirate wasn't fined thousands of dollars and put on probation for 3
years because of a few Atari programs. No sir . . . he was nailed
because he had sold/given away tens of thousands of dollars worth of
commercial software from other, more commercially/popularly viable
platforms. That is fine. He's out of business, which is all I care
about.

HC> Your comment about customer support might be appropriate in
HC> some other milieu. In the TOS/GEM marketplace however, the
HC> comment is
  
RR> Okay, well, then don't offer customer support, I guess.  ?
  
What on earth are you talking about? Some other conversation? Of
course customer support has to be offered - no matter what the
obstacles! You've obviously never purchased any of the products I
distribute, otherwise you would never have made such a ridiculous
statement. Removing phrases and sentences from their original
context is lousy communication . . . inaccurate to the point of harm.
  
HC> somewhat inaccurate. How does one enhance legitimate sales,
HC> Rodney?
   
RR> Add more features and then hype hype hype.  Direct mail to
RR> your current customers is one idea.
   
'Hype, hype, hype'? To whom? How? Existing mailing lists? The cost
of direct mail in a marketplace as small as TOS/GEM is effective
only for major apps. Your statement is appropriate for larger
markets: please understand, the TOS/GEM market on this continent is
*tiny*. It is supported by a group that can only be characterized as
diehards (myself included!), when compared to almost any other
commercial market segment. Direct mail is expensive, without a major
product to advertise and develop. While the traditional market
*needs* small products, the non-traditional market (TOS/GEM) cannot
support those small products, once the market numbers fall below a
certain level. Literally, a mailing might generate sales that net a
hundred dollars in losses, simply because the mailing was more
expensive than the profits generated by sales could possibly cover.
This is common now, and is the primary reason why Atari users see so
few mailings these days.
   
HC> Certainly not via conventional means. While my (Current Notes)
HC> partner and I provide a viable advertising vehicle for TOS/GEM
HC> developers and retailers, the vast majority of TOS/GEM users
HC> are exceedingly hard to reach: the vast majority are not
   
RR> online, the  No kidding.  Which is why I think publications
RR> like Current Notes would be well advised to rent their mailing
RR> list to Atari programmers wishing to do direct mail
RR> advertising.
   
Oh my goodness. We've ALL thought of that, ages ago. what on earth
makes you think that my mailing lists are any different from anyone
else's? And where is the money supposed to come from to rent or
purchase such lists in the first place? Not from profits generated
by this now-tiny TOS/GEM market. For developers of the major apps,
it has been somewhat effective . . . but all the lists that might
have been sold or rented, have already been 'hit'. There is NO magic
bullet out there.
   
HC> And what constitutes a 'small price'? $5? $10? $20? There are
HC> no
  
RR> Yeah, $5.  And if it is a really huge program $10.  And if it
RR> is a thing with big printed documentation, like a language
RR> compiler, then $20 or even more.
  
You are indeed a frugal person. With this suggestion you indicate
that the price you're willing to pay does not even cover a fracton
of the cost incurred by development, programming, packaging,
postage, bounced checks, advertising, and on, and on. The fact that

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