#software protection
A few weeks ago, I read with interest the discussion about protecting
AutoCAD 3rd Party packages. I'm sorry to say, but I wouldn't pay a nickel
for some of the garbage that I've seen. I work for a civil engineering
company and we purchased a COGO package that was just dogmeat. (I won't say
its name because some people actually think the package is 'special', but it
did start with 'Auto') A number of the routines just plain didn't work. And
it got worse when we upgraded to 2.5. I called and complained (of course).
They mentioned that there were no bugs in the code (of course). Since they
refused to help solve our problem, I asked for the source code. They said
'no' (of course). Because it is my job to make the computers compute, I felt
forced to 'crack' the code. The biggest thing that rests in my mind is the
'CLEAN' function that wiped out half the !atomlist. I was horrified. The code
was terrible. I am convinced that the only reason they protected the code
was to hide their incompetency. It turns out that my boss decided that it was
not worth the effort (or the lawsuit) to try and salvage this COGO package.
We ended up creating our own and have never used their COGO for chargeable
hours.
I (of course) have solutions to the above situation: if you can't
write/document good code -or- you can't update your code to take advantage of
the latest features in AutoCAD -or- you can't support your products and
clients – then don't try to sell software. I don't care about the price of
the software, just so long as it works (with limited hassle).
I understand that one can't freely give out their code. You can't support
the product if the client makes changes to it. And it is not wise to let
everyone know your trade secrets. But the solution is to make the source
code available, for a price. Charge enough to make it worth your while to
support the client. And protect your rights with non-disclosures and
what-nots. The point is: offer the client an alternative to breaking the law,
and they probably won't.
Ciao, Jason Osgood – Alacrity