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Abandonware A lot of good software has been abandoned over the years, perhaps because a company went out of business, or a programmer decided to stop supporting one of his creations. Many of these programs, called abandonware, are used by people around the world, some of whom spend time enhancing the programs and fixing bugs. There are a lot of treasures here: abandoned, but not forgotten. I use abandonware myself for spreadsheet work: Framework IV, an old program that hasn't been sold for years. Web:
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Buying and Selling Software on the Internet Here are the Usenet newsgroups in which people advertise software for sale. If you have software you don't need anymore, maybe someone else can use it. Or if you are looking for something in particular, someone out there may be able to help. Hint: Before you do send any money or goods, make sure you take routine precautions (get a phone number, talk to the person, and so on). Usenet:
CD Images A "CD image" is a copy of the contents of a commercial CD. A lot of CD images are traded and shared on the Net, usually software and games. In order to participate in this activity, you will need the appropriate hardware and software, and you will need to know what you are doing. The hardware you need is a CD-R (CD-recordable) or CD-RW (CD-rewritable) drive. To find out about the rest, read the FAQ (frequently asked question list). Important: Do not post anything to one of the Usenet groups and do not ask for help until you have read the FAQ. Web:
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Cool Tool of the Day This site picks a new "cool tool" every day. It's mostly technical stuff -- Java programs, virtual reality, HTML editors, file management software, mail software, plug-ins, and so on -- so if you are an Internet nerd, this is a nice place to check from time to time. Web:
Free-DOS Project Free-DOS is a project devoted to developing an entire DOS-compatible operating system, written by volunteers and shared for free (including source code). In other words, Free-DOS is to DOS as Linux is to Unix. If you would like to try the current version of Free-DOS or, better yet, volunteer to work on it, start by visiting the Free-DOS Internet site. Web: Freeware I love free -- it's one of my favorite concepts. If you're like me, you'll love these Web sites, where you'll find oodles of real, useful programs -- not demos -- all for free. Hooray for freeware! That's what I say. Web:
Geek Tools We all need tools-- but extra special people, such as computer geeks need extra special tools. Take a look: if these tools make sense to you, use them in good health. If not, please return to the rest of your life, which is already in progress. Web:
Jewish Software Here is a nice collection of Jewish and Hebrew software: programs for using Hebrew on your computer, studying the Torah, Jewish calendars, Hebrew Internet software, and more (including a collection of pictures of the great rabbis). Now, if I can only find a program that can bake me a nice challah while I am waiting for a long download. Web:
Linux Linux is a free Unix clone -- originally developed by Linus Torvalds -- maintained by a gaggle of hackers around the Internet. Linux was written completely from scratch to run on PCs using no "official" Unix code. The world of Linux is huge, and it is one of the most important (and unsung) achievements in the history of operating system development. The Usenet discussion groups are for ongoing discussion; the Web sites contain a lot of information, including source code, documentation and archives; the IRC channels are for real-time discussion. Web:
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Macintosh Games What's the point of having a computer without games? Join these Usenet groups to talk about all aspects of Macintosh games: which ones are best, which ones to avoid, copy protection issues, as well as hints and tricks. Usenet:
Macintosh Software Archives There is more free Macintosh software on the Net than you can shake a mouse at. Here are some good places to start foraging for goodies. Surely, your Mac-cup will runneth over (and goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life). Web:
Macintosh Software Talk and General Discussion Visit these Usenet groups for discussions of Macintosh software of all types. The apps group is for talk about any type of application; comm is for communications; databases is for database systems; and system is for Macintosh system software (such as Finder and Multifinder), as well as working with disks, dealing with viruses, and so on. Usenet:
Nonags This is one of my favorite resources: a Web site that can point you to no-nag shareware and freeware. Every program here has been tested to make sure it doesn't nag you or enforce time limits in order to encourage you to buy. This makes evaluating software a lot more pleasant. (Obligatory reminder: if you use shareware and you find it useful, please register and send the person who wrote the program a few bucks.) Web: Non-English Software If you are in the software business, you know that it is important to make your products available to an international audience. Here are resources to help you understand what is involved in making your programs work in various languages. Web:
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Open Source Software Open source software refers to programs that can be used for free, with source code that can be viewed and modified by anyone. The Open Source movement is very successful because it resonates with the way most programmers feel about their creations: traditionally, programmers have always wanted to share their work (that is, until they go to work for companies that won't let them share). The genesis of the modern Open Source movement was the announcement of the GNU Project by Richard Stallman (1983) and the formation of the Free Software Foundation (1985). Web:
Skins A skin is a facility that lets you change the appearance of a program without changing how it works. There are lots and lots of skins available for free on the Net. So if you're the type of person who likes to control your visual environment, download a few skins and make your programs look the way you want. Web:
Software Archives If you like computers and you like trying out software for free, you will love these places: huge archives where you can find programs for every popular operating system. When I die, I am going to have someone sprinkle my ashes on these Web sites. You could spend an eternity here, just downloading and playing with software. Web:
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Software Licensing If you are thinking about starting to license software that you have written, read up on licensing issues. This is an archive of articles about licensing software and license management. Web:
Software Testing Talk and General Discussion Testing software is not easy. You need lots of time, effort and a good design. Then you need to know someone to pray to. The problem is that too much software is rushed without allowing for proper planning and quality control. This Usenet group is for talking about the testing of software and computer systems. If you are interested in this area of programming, you will find useful discussion and sympathetic colleagues. Usenet:
Software Version Trackers One of the nice things about being on the Net is that you can download giga-oodles of free software. But once you get all that software, you have obligations. You must keep your programs up-to-date or face the wrath of the computer gods. Problem solved: all you need is a program to keep track of your other programs and the new versions. Life just doesn't get any better. (Of course, now you have the problem of keeping your version tracking program up-to-date.) Web:
Spam Filtering Software Spam is unsolicited advertising, and there is too much of it on the Net. Have you ever received spam in your mailbox? If so, take a look at these tools, designed to help you guard against unwanted electronic junk mail. There's no way to ever get the spammers to stop, so you might as well protect yourself. On the Internet, social problems are solved by software. Web:
TCP/IP TCP/IP is the glue that holds the Internet together. If you want to have your computer on the Internet, it will have to run some type of TCP/IP software. These Usenet groups are for discussion of the zillions and zillions of technical considerations that are unavoidably relevant. A good way to start is by reading the FAQ, which is posted regularly to the groups. Don't get discouraged: all things come to those who think. Usenet:
Unix Software Unix is an operating system (master control program) that runs on just about every type of computer in the world. There are many variations of Unix and they are used widely. For example, most of the computers that run the Internet use Unix. The most well-known type of Unix is Linux, which is available for free (as is FreeBSD and other versions of Unix). In addition to Unix itself, there is a wide variety of free Unix software available, and you can find just about any type of program you need. Hint: Unix can be difficult to learn, so don't attempt it unless you are smart and you like computers (you know if you qualify). A good way to teach yourself Unix is to read one of my Unix books, The Unix Companion or Harley Hahn's Student Guide to Unix. Web:
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Warez and Cracks These resources are for the discussion of where and how to obtain the latest cracked and pirated software, much of it available through hidden sites on the Internet. Some of the IRC channels are often by invitation only, so you will require contacts to get inside. There are lots of these channels. Start at the highest number you can find at any time and work your way down, seeing if they will let you in. (Unless you are a personal friend of God, you will never get in anything lower than #warez5.) The Usenet groups are open to anyone. Web:
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Windows CE Software Archives I have a friend, Mart, who loves his palmtop computer. He took it on a trip to Thailand and used it to write some cool articles about his experiences. However, in order to use any computer, you need good software. Windows CE is the Microsoft operating system designed for tiny computers, such as palmtops and embedded systems, and if you have a palmtop, you will really appreciate these Web sites. There is a lot of Windows CE software to choose from, and you'll have many happy hours downloading cool stuff to try out. It certainly keeps Mart happy and out of trouble. (He gets bored easily.) Web:
Windows Networking Environment Getting a network running is often troublesome. Have some back-up help ready in the form of Usenet groups. These groups offer a good source of information on general networking, TCP/IP, and network programming with the Microsoft Windows operating system. Usenet:
Windows Software These are my picks as the best Windows software sites on the Net. They contain grotesque amounts of shareware and freeware for you to download and enjoy. Everything you could possibly want is here somewhere. When it comes to free Windows software, if you can't find it at one of these sites, it's not worth finding. Web:
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