I am using DefenseWall 1.65
I have purchased DefenseWall in march 2006.
When I change the PC-time to march 2007
DefenseWall says "Your license time is expired."
Why does DefenseWall use a one year license?
DefenseWall does not use spyware/virus definitions.
Why do I have to purchase a new license in the future
after march 2007 to use a old version (example DefenseWall 1.65)?
Buying a new license every year is too expensive.
After 3 years DefenseWall cost 3 x $29 = $87
Sandboxie cost only $20 for a life-time license

At the DefenseWall website I can't find any info about a one year licence time.
You should people notify this before selling a license that expires after one year.

Of course you can use the old version for the rest of your life, but you cant upgrade to the new improved versions with an expired license and since Ilya is allergic to popups I would bet on it that there will be a reminder that you can shutoff for good :)

Just my presumption.

Best Regards

Not exactly. Defense itself is lifetime. You've paid for it! In the structure of price is costs $19 + $10 for one year extra advantages (e-mail version updates notifications, first queue support + automatic online updates whan this will be implemented with 2.xx versions). When the extra advantages time expires, there will be one popup window during program's start to notify you that extra advantages time is out. If you want prolongate it- it is just $10 per year, not a huge price, if you don't want to- no problems, defense will be at working state 100%! This will just helps me a lot to continue my work under the project. Don't warry, I always think about my users and don't make them do something they don't want to.

Why I've made things this way? I've just emulated the situation- I have my market share full and have no new users (or the price to invite new users will be higher that the product's price itself). But I still must provide help, improve product, support new OS (hope, MS will change Vista that DefenseWall and all other HIPS systems may run on it in full effect) and so on! And this all need money. That is why I need support from the customer's side for it. I've tried to do it as democratick way as possible. Hope, you understand my reasons.

Ilya,

This is a bit disappointing. I also thouht that I had bought a life time license with life time update right.

Do I understand it right that you will display nag screens every day I start up the computer, after one year?

I understand that you need income to keep on the good work. I think this is not the way to do it. Even Antivir only display a nag-screen when you have updated the definitions data base. Every day a nag screen is just not okay.

Under Dutch law this is called 'mis-leading' information, you could be sewed for that. I will not go through the hassle to do so, but surely other European countries will have simular law. When somebody should make it a case, it would be bad for the good reputation and imago DefenseWall has. So be wise: put the lisence info more clearly on the web and drop the nag screen.

Still a fan, but much more reserved.

Manual updates are lifetime. Defense itself is lifetime too.



Yes, it is correct.



I see no other good methods. Outpost is subscription-based tool, for example. All the paid AV tools too. It is because of need of constant changes to support new platforms releases and holes patching.



OK, I'll do my work about web site, but I'm not sure about nag screen- the problem is that I see no no other "good" solutions. If you have one- please, share with me with your ideas. I'm here and I'm 100% discussible!

Pls explain where this can be a legal issue?

You pay for the sofware plus 1 year of upgrades - after that year you have a working program, but can not use any of the upgrades that are offered after that year.

DW offers you to upgrade via a popup (nag screen) - so what? Can that be illegal by any law? I doubt it.

Off course it should be notided in the license agreemant that there is a popup advertisement if the program is used still after the payed time is out - but I cant see its a crime?

Probably the nag screen can be disabled similar way that free Antivirs nag screen is disabled on my PC.

Generally I dont think daily nag screens can be recommended. To irritate someone who is/was your customer/paying customer and might be your paying customer again in the future is not a good idea.

So may I suggest the popup-advertisement is mentioned in the licenze agreement and that its programmed to popup at first startup in each month or each 30th program startup - once a month is quite enough and easier to accept.

Best Regards

Upgrades are lifetime.



No, it can't.



Hm, I'm not so sure in it. People usually buy the difference between registared and unregistered versions. One nag for 30 runs- it is not a huge difference as I understand.

Rivalen,

In the Netherlands when you do not tell info which could influence the buying decision: it is called providing mis-leading information. When the buyer finds out later, it is handled in the same as a hidden defect, which means that the seller must either correct the issue or the buyer may return the product and gets his/hers money back.


Ilya

I agree about freeware and registered, only people already have paid 19 dollars for the life time license, so that is a different situation. I use Antivir and have not paid a thing, Antivir evens offers to perform the update hidden, at the end of the update I get a nag-screen. Which is understandable because I have not paid a Euro and I need daily updates. For DefeseWall I should not need daily nag-screens when I have paid 19 dollars to use it and there is no reason to nag me, because the software is not changed withdaily updates.

Regards

Kees

$19 is a defense itself cost. GUI is not a defense.

If its misleading info - then your right Kees - and it should be changed for the future.

What I was thinking about was if a nag screen is such a serious offence that it would be a crime - but anyway...

If the 19+10 USD is the ticket to lifetime upgrades of DW - which I didnt quite understand - a nag screen asking for voulentary contributions seems a very good deal - if correctly informed in the first agreement that is, but still the nags must be with an interval that doesnt create irritation.
A customer who gets irritated on the behaviour of his originally purchased software will probably not recommend that software to others and maybe he will be inclined to use another software instead.

Just my 2cents.

Best Regards

OK, Rivalen, I understand you point of view. More opinions are welcome!

Ilya,

Glad you took the point. Sandboxie for instance shows the nag screen occasionally and they mention it on their website.

When comparing your application with others, e.g: Sandboxie, GeSWall and BufferZone you should try to offer competitive pricing:

Sandboxie is free with an occasional nag-screen after 30 days. A life time lisence wll cost 20 euro. SandBoxie does only offer protection within the sandbox (when I download a file outside the sandbox it will not inherit the untrysted status, so basically I am unptotected against dormant treaths). So I should not worry about Sandboxie.


GeSWall is free but is to hard to set up for the average user. I could not get GeSwall leave alone the print spooler when wanting to print an untrusted document. Also my wife could not start WMP when she had downloaded a music file from LimeWire. I had to remove Word as known application and set WMP as trust always to overcome these limitations. This is not what you want because I threw away my protection of dormant word macro's and WMF-exploits.
It will take the guys of GeSwall at least a year to make their application fool proof (when they manage to get it user friendly). So I should not worry about GeSwall either for the next 1,5 year.


Your more direct competitor is BufferZone. BufferZone offers a free single user application, for all treath gates you have to buy the pro-version (29,95 annual). This means a single treath gate application is cheaper than DefenseWall, but the pro-version is more expensive.

Taking this in mind I should change your lisence policy to the following:
1. Offer a life time usage right for a major release (e.g. 1.xx) for 19 dollars
and all minor releases for one year (e.g. from 1.64 to 1.65)


2. For 10 dollars annual you will get:
- free support
- automatic subscription to minor updates (planned in release 2.xx)
- the right of one major upgrade (e.g. from 1.78 to 2.01)

When Users do not purchase the annual subscription they will get an attention screen, every time a minor release is published. Also when you want to rollback some file/registry tracks you will get an extra reminder screen (the nag is related to the usage).

Regards Kees

Thanks, Kees1958! This is something I need think really deep, it will takes some time, such the decisions can not be made in flash manner.

More opinions are welcome!

Ilya, I think Kees' suggested pricing concept is excellent! In fact, it is soooo good that I think Kees must have read my mind and stolen it from me by using brain waves.

Yes, I understand that. But I need think this also from the technical point of view.

Just wondering- How do I purchase the $19 version?

There is no ways to buy $19 version.