Free scripts suck since people will always get rid of copyright notes.
Just charge people to get your scripts and charge heavily...even if you sell nothing people wont laugh on you

Originally Posted by nanimo

Free scripts suck since people will always get rid of copyright notes.
Just charge people to get your scripts and charge heavily...even if you sell nothing people wont laugh on you

True in a sense, but let me point out where your wrong.

It's easy to log who and what site has installed a script, and it's also very easy to check if the copyright/link back has been removed (It's just a matter of some Fancie coding). The people who remove the copyright then get landed with a large lawsuit which pays for the script and makes it free for the rest of us

I think free scripts are more of a cry for publicity as most people
1) Don't want to pay for a script.
2) Are happy to be virtually raped by adverts to get something for free.
3) Have no idea how the internet/servers work.
4) Can't read code at all.
5) Have no security sense (that if a script is free, it's likely to be used by another 1000 people) and because it's free it's simple to exploit (Search code for holes)
Thus, most "free" scripts end up being useless and/or poorly coded. Overpriced / scripts with a cost can also feature in the above.

The best way to get a secure website which is unique is hiring someone to code it for you or even better code it yourself and/or use free scripts as a reference.

Note: (reading the last sentence), you ever wounder why Flash/Photoshop/Dreamweaver cost so much, yet so many people seem to own a copy? Overpricing a product makes it more likely to be pirated (As people want it due to the high price, even if it's rubbish).

I'm not saying everything that is free is bad (MyBB and PHPBB are not bad), just what you have said is somewhat inaccurate.

Actually there is quite a lot of worth with free scripts - creating useful and efficient scripts can gain you a lot of respect from the open source community. Adding links and copyright notices is usually a bit of a waste of time (although most people do it) - I agree many do get removed and script/template maker might never find out.

Lol you're saying that if a product costs $1000 dollars people will crack it and use even if it sucks...rofl
Then i might put my scripts at $5000 so people can crack and use

It has to serve some purpose, and a script isn't worth 5000USD ever. Someone would pay 1000USD for maybe an operating system that is crap (Vista) but that is a really big program and comes with free updates for a few years, until they release the next version and make you pay again. The point of free scripts is to share, you put the copyright notice on in the hopes that some people will at least give you credit etc, though I've found the best thing to do is just put a comment in saying it was made by you, most people don't object to a single line hidden away in the code.

Originally Posted by rogem002

5) Have no security sense (that if a script is free, it's likely to be used by another 1000 people) and because it's free it's simple to exploit (Search code for holes)

Thats simply not true, just because a script is free doesn't make it insecure, sloppy coding is what makes a script insecure doesn't matter whether it is free or not.

The point of free scripts is to share

Dude Iam poor, i have to sell to keep living...iam not the kind of people that can share scripts as hobby since they're rich...

Bleh...maybe you dont know what i'm talking about here (its one of those things you know about only if you actually have it), so nevermind...

I'm a bankrupt college student, I have maybe a dollar in total. I share, I do this thing called having a job to make money.

Originally Posted by Arenlor

I'm a bankrupt college student, I have maybe a dollar in total. I share, I do this thing called having a job to make money.

I'm in the same boat. I go to class and work almost everyday, I have zero cash and my rent is unbelievably over-priced.

Generally if you set out to make some cash you are going to end up with a mediocre result. If you set out to make a really great, functional, well designed application you will end up with something better and hopefully be noticed by someone willing to pay you good money to do good work...


or at least that's my plan

I plan on a "Please Donate if you like this stuff" link.

The best thing to do, in my opinion, is to offer a watered down version of a script for free, then offer a higher end, more functional version for a price. That way, yes, people can use your script for free, but if they want all the bells and whistles, then they have to pay.

Its too much trouble to make a limited product if you only have the original one <.<
Maybe i should release the bug included version for free

Originally Posted by nanimo

Its too much trouble to make a limited product if you only have the original one <.<
Maybe i should release the bug included version for free

LOL, oh and "dman_2007", is it not possible that if a hacker can get a script easily (for example downloading it for free) it would be more simple to find a security hole in it?
I don't mean to be an arse, but a simple google search and I found a site that lists exploits in PHPBB and similar free scripts.

I best point out, I love free scripts (I would prefer getting a piece of crap for free and doing it up then paying £10), I just think you need to consider who else might be using it.

Originally Posted by rogem002

LOL, oh and "dman_2007", is it not possible that if a hacker can get a script easily (for example downloading it for free) it would be more simple to find a security hole in it?
I don't mean to be an arse, but a simple google search and I found a site that lists exploits in PHPBB and similar free scripts.

I best point out, I love free scripts (I would prefer getting a piece of crap for free and doing it up then paying £10), I just think you need to consider who else might be using it.

And another simple search on google would have yielded you the list of vbulletin exploits and exploits in similar non free scripts. The fact is that using security through obscurity has its share of advantages and disadvantages, and using it or not in your application is never a decisive factor which makes your application inscure.