The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 3 (of 5)

Professional Association

Has anyone heard of the Association of Shareware Professionals?
( http://www.asp-shareware.org )

Is it worth the membership fee?

I'm sure a lot of you sell your own software via the web, but are any of you members of this association? If so, what are your thoughts and experiences?

Eddy
Friday, October 17, 2003

FWIW it *is* a reputable association. I've read of folks who joined and have found it invaluable, if just because you get to meet a lot of other shareware professionals and learn their tricks.

I've no personal experience with them.

The Pedant, Brent P. Newhall
Friday, October 17, 2003

Back in the day of BBS's and 14.4k modems a very significant number of shareware developers belonged to the ASP.

I haven't really heard much about them since I got my first 'net connection.

Almost Anonymous
Friday, October 17, 2003

About ten years ago I tried a shareware Windows custom control demo that was published by an ASP member. I mailed the author a $20 check to get the source code, and never saw the check or heard from the !@^* again.

After some weeks waiting for the check to clear, the mail to be returned, and/or some sort of contact to no avail, I contacted the ASP and talked on the phone to some guy who was an ombudsman. The bottom line was that they appeared to have no procedure to force the guy to comply, and said only that they would "review" the situation and "perhaps" pull the author's membership if it was proven that he was not conducting a business. Perhaps, and not even definite if I mailed them a copy of the stop payment order on the check.

So for a shareware consumer in 1992, the ASP had all the disciplinary effect of a wet noodle, and since then I've stayed away from any software purchase not done by credit card.

My opinion is the ASP is a joke at least on the consumer side.

Bored Bystander
Friday, October 17, 2003