your comparaison with the arcade is false sabre@...

the Arcade team is to release a PRO version that will not be free, just because the clients requests more features, and the more you ask from a coder, the more you face the fact that your tool will not be free anymore. PRO version of the Arcade will contain network play, more features, more stats, more enhancements, and this can't be counted as free because you require more.

when you go to a restaurant and ask for a hamburger, you pay for it... let's say 1$ for a basic hamburger... if you want the deluxe version, will you have it the same price just because you already have the bread and the slice of beef ?! no, you will pay double the price just to add more stuff in it... ask Mcdonalds, BurgerKings, and all the others... you ask for more, you pay for it, and each company will offer a different price because it's not a hardcoded rule... you pay depending on the taste you want.

there is no possibility of standardisation of the prices of code releases, because not all the codes are released by the same guy...

best example is photopost and albinator... same price, not the same features, and they offer two different ways to integrate with vB... why just one have the right to be advertised here ?! Albinator have a better integration of the script, as you can create forums that will be albums... photopost don't... it's 100% external even with a minimum of integration...

the guy that created http://www.dlman.com/, the only script that permit to have a paypalized downloader linked to vB permissions system... they have a basic version, and a pro with a shopping-cart integrated... they can't release it even with a load of requests regarding such features here... and nobody knows about the script just because commercial hacks are not permited here... but how many guys here would be happy to hear from this !!!

the question is not only regarding coders that do free or non free job, but for commercial tools that would give some real enhancements to the system


most of the comments i've read about the subjects are made from guys that have fan sites, no real incomes from their community, no real possibility to pay for the stuff... it's correct... but you forget commercial sites, big companies that buy vB and have a lot of requests for specialised tools... if they would be informed of these commercial hacks, they would tend to buy more vB licenses because the vB tool would answer more of their requests... many times i see guys not buying vB because it have a lack of integration with their actual community... they need more tools, more professional content... these tools exists in many ways, but are not advertised because is not permitted to do so...

Jelsfot would gain by advertising commercial tools... like Apple and Microsoft that advertise for external companies that have built extensions to their localised systems... just think of all the new iPod technology... more than 45 commercial products were released in the last 3 months because iPod software is free and companies can advertise by offering non-free softwares that answer clients requests... iPod software is free(not the walkman though), and more, the system is OS-X based and Apple gained a lot of clients... like BMW and Porsche that have now an built-in integration of the tool in their cars... just because rich guys requested it, and now we have more mostly-free tools for it because it's permitted to advertise commercial tools for it.

if i can release my non-free stuff here, i will be pleased to release also the 100+ hacks i've built in the last 4 months... most of them are to be free because they are minimal, but useful... but i will not if i can't make some cash to pay back the job done.. i prefer to give these hacks to clients that pay for my work... as the Jelsoft guys... they release free hacks once the software is sold, but remember that most of the guys here also have non-free codes released somewhere...

-- i suggest to let the clients decide by themselves... they can make their own oppinion... we're not with Uncle Sam here.