Re: Free IDL Software

[davidf(at)dfanning.com (David Fanning)]

Jon Kimber writes:

> I think that is certainly better than a goto in that circumstance. I
> had to use that several times in the ptr_free program I wrote (see
> post of 04/03/'99), but then no-one would know about that been as not
> one person has loooked at it - oh well I'll leave programs that are of
> use to others to the likes of DWF. 

I wouldn't get discouraged that no one bothers to download your
software, Jon. Like any advertising, you have to let people know
five or six times that it is available before anyone stirs themselves
to check it out. Then I would estimate 95% of the people who check
it out won't use it. Not because they don't need it, but because
they perceive they don't have time to learn it. (Sometimes this
is the fault of the software author who doesn't provide a LOT
of help in the documentation.)

I'm as guilty of this as anyone and I've been on the other
side of it for a long time. Heck, I wrote my book and charge
an arm and a leg for it just so someone will use the software
I provide for free. That's how desperate I am to be famous.
If I gave the book away no one would be reading that either. :-)

Cheers,

David

P.S. What you live for as a software (or book) author are
those nice e-mails from people who DO use what you offer.
I've put a couple of mine up on my web page just to 
remind myself what it's all about.

   http://www.dfanning.com/documents/book_comments.html

-- 
David Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting
Phone: 970-221-0438 E-Mail: davidf@dfanning.com
Coyote's Guide to IDL Programming: http://www.dfanning.com/
Toll-Free IDL Book Orders: 1-888-461-0155