TrueCrypt Is Dead -- Long Live TrueCrypt! - Comments Page 1

I agree one should support the developers of software one is using. The problem is similar to support of public radio and public television; for radio, one of our local stations has said about ten percent of listeners provide funding. It is easy to take advantage of such things (music, computer programs) until they die from lack of funds. If a software producer gives a product to the internet, I don't assume support forever. I will use such a product, donate something (unless it is freeware) -- and if it dies later on I will be thankful for the use of it and move on.

The TrueCrypt parting message was:
"WARNING: Using TrueCrypt is not secure as it may contain unfixed security issues".
Now take the first letters of the warning:
"uti nsa im cu si"
and put this in the google translator from Latin to English and you receive:
"If I wish to use the NSA".
The real message is that they stopped updating TrueCrypt, but DON'T use Bitlocker.

I've got to admit Bob, if I use it - it does have value and the least I can do is 'tip' the group providing it. This article gives insight & perspective into how those freeware groups are getting treated - $30K to Privazer is to low. These groups are 1- providing me the software AND 2- educating me to the need and solutions they address. Kudos to you for shedding light on why this freeware went away and what needs to change. I for one will now take a more serious attitude to the developers and their cost$. Now I need a safer way to handle an account I have when I pay $$ across the internet ...

I believe that when offered as 'freeware' those using it are not obligated to pay for the material offered.

That said, however, I also believe that if you take advantage of what the creator of the material has provided, and continue to use it once you have determined it is useful to you, then there is a moral obligation to contribute.

I think it would behoove those who operate in this arena to make contributing to their efforts as convenient and painless as possible.
The aforementioned Mr Kruse accepts only PayPal, Bitcoin, or snail-mail contributions. I don't like PayPal, would not even consider Bitcoin, or any other "fake" currency, and find the necessity to use the only alternative annoying, and off-putting.

Wow. You stopped me in my tracks today, Bob.

Is it theft if you use software that's offered on a "free, but please pay or donate if you like it" basis, and you never do so?

I guess I've seen that line--or one similar--hundreds of times, and I've actually donated ... only once or twice.

Is it ... THEFT? Now you've got me thinking. How about the "Honor Snacks" box at the office, where you're expected to drop a dollar for your Kit Kat, or whatever. If you don't, is it theft?

YES.

How about the display of goods OUTSIDE the clothing shop? Are you free to take one and walk on? Nope. Would that be theft?

YES.

What's the difference between those two rather obvious examples and the freeware that asks for a donation if you like it enough to use it? Actually none, that I can see.

And I really am GRATEFUL when a publisher offers me the opportunity to make sure I like a program or service without having to lay my money down.

"Whee! I can try it with NO RISK!"

W-R-O-N-G !!! There is PLENTY of risk. It's just that the publisher is taking all the risk, and asking me to assume none.

But just because I assume no risk, doesn't mean I have no responsibility, does it? I DO have a responsibility. I accepted the publisher's offer: "Here, try this. And if you like it enough to use it, please pay for it. ... Thank you."

And once I accept the offer, it's my responsibility to accept the ENTIRE offer, including the "please pay for it" part.

All my life, I've tried to operate based on the Golden Rule. But until reading this article, Bob, I was blind to this glaring omission. I've rarely paid anything for the free software I've been offered, even when my voluntary payment was part of the bargain.

Fortunately, it's not too late to make that right. It's time to me to wrack my brain and take stock of the free apps and tools I use every day without thinking, then go back and and see if the publisher asked for payment if satisfied. (As you pointed out, Bob, that's the business model for some, but not all, publishers of freeware.) As I find them, I'll make it right with them.

And it won't break me up in business.

Thanks, Bob, for the eyeopener.

Mac

If a product is offered as free (as in FREEWARE) I should not be and am not under any obligation to pay for that product.
If compensation is required for a product there should be a price tag attrached to that product indicating the required price. But begging for bucks (such as PBS TV stations do) is not the way to go.

First I say hurray for the writers of Freeware. Over the past several years I have used several freeware programs and or utilities, none of them were what you would call mainstream programs. I did find some of them useful, but even the ones I did donate money for or purchased outright, not a single one of them is on my system today. Overall none of them were seamless, that is, they all worked ON the system but not WITH the system. In fact I am still looking for a system that has been refined to work correctly 99% of the time. No such system exists. If we’re honest and compared computers to the automobile and likened the performance of the automobile to the desktop computer we would see 70% of the vehicles broken down on the side of the road every hour of every day. Most computer systems can attribute their overall improvements to the writers of freeware as a collective. They have contributed a great deal for pointing out flaws in the systems and in some cases usefulness by filling in the gaps the mainstream writers overlooked. I say shame on you if you have freeware programs which are helpful to you, but you don’t feel the need to support the writers. Your donation is not payment for the product, it is for their effort to create the product, so say Thank You by making a donation.

I wasn't one of the freeloaders with TrueCrypt. I've donated two or three times-- every time I got a new device.

But I still have mixed feelings. If your supposition about the cause of all of this is true, I understand their frustration. But, they let that frustration become bitterness. I'm disappointed because they always seemed to take the high ground in their literature. Stopping the program, no longer hosting the site, etc would have been okay. But lashing out like they did shows a character issue.

Now, I have to decide if I will take the chance to continue using the program or take a chance with MS BitLocker. Or, I may just use Axcrypt.

Some of this underlines what I think is the main problem with software: perceived value. Perceived value and the law of supply and demand are difficult to manage on a global stage.

You are right, Bob. Guilty as charged. I grump at my grandsons for using pirated software....which I do not do....but I turn around and use the free stuff and....if I remember right, I've donated to only a couple of them. Is is dishonest? Well...probably not....but it certainly is being ungrateful to the many software developers out there who have contributed so much to the safety and enjoyment of our cyber experiences.
You've persuaded me to change my ways. As you pointed out....I'm far from being wealthy but if I can afford a laptop and a desktop plus tablets and smart phones for my wife and myself.....we certainly CAN afford to donate money and thanks to the good folks who help us so much.
Thanks for the sermon, Bob. I did need that...as, I'm sure, many others of your readers do.

I completely agree that those of us who value and use "freeware" and open-source software applications should support the developers. The same is true for music. When my daughter was growing up, and found that she could download tunes for free (legitimately or otherwise), I asked her to think about the impact on the artists. The same applies here.

I may be the only one but don't get the supposed "benefit" from using Privazer. I've tried it twice now to do a "cleaning" and each time it did something to my computer that messed things up. The last time it was so bad that I couldn't do a system restore of Win7 x64 successfully but had to resort to restoring a previously made system image with Easeus Todo backup to get things working right again. I'll stick with CCleaner which has never caused any problems.
Regarding TrueCrypt, it's worked wonderfully for my for a long time and I believe that I did give the developers a donation some time ago.

Is there a similar problem of few donations for those write about information technology? e.g. What percent of Ask Bob Rankin readers have bought him a snickers, a tennis lesson or an Audi TT Coupe? Personally, I go with the tennis lesson!

Good article and good point Bob.

After reading about Privazer on your site, I gave it a try for about three month comparing it with CCleaner. For me, hands down, Privazer won, so, I sent them $30.00.

I thought that was a fair amount in comparison as to what other software sell for of it's kind. I keep hoping that they get enough donations to stay afloat. So far, unfortunately, many people, have deep pockets with short hands-it's a shame.

It is sad that people do not want to pay, but if it is free, then it is free. If you want to get paid, call it donationware. Explain ahead of time if you are not getting enough donations and are about to stop your efforts.

I may be the only one but don't get the supposed "benefit" from using Privazer. I've tried it twice now to do a "cleaning" and each time it did something to my computer that messed things up. The last time it was so bad that I couldn't do a system restore of Win7 x64 successfully but had to resort to restoring a previously made system image with Easeus Todo backup to get things working right again. I'll stick with CCleaner which has never caused any problems.
Regarding TrueCrypt, it's worked wonderfully for my for a long time and I believe that I did give the developers a donation some time ago.

This has opened my eyes. I have donated to freeware developers in the past, but never again. It was free. The way I see this is the people that did donate were the only ones that were done wrong. If you want money, sell it. It is that simple. If you call it free then don't expect anyone to "donate". Some will but don't expect it.

The problem is that some users end up with a sense of entitlement. They deluge the developer with "I need", "You should" and "Why haven't you?".

Probably few of them actually have any knowledge of programming, but expect what they want added to the program tout suite. As somebody once said, (it might have been me), "Everythings easy, according to the guy who doesn't know how to do it himself."

Apparently the fund for the audit of Truecrypt's code raised $70,000; what fraction of that did the developers ever get in contributions? I can't really blame them for going "Well [blankety_blank] the lot of you, and your little dog too.

If, as Harry posted, the first letters translate from Latin to "If I wish to use the NSA", and if, as reported in various places, the NSA has a 'backdoor' key to unencrypt supposedly safely encrypted material, perhaps this is their way of telling us that TrueCrypt has been compromised.
I don't know one way or the other, but this possibility hasn't been brought up yet.

You said it better than any other commenter on here Jack. If it's free then it is free. If other than that say it up front period...

There are choices: Free, Donationware, 30 day Trialware and etc. But say it up front and don't try to shame people into paying for freeware after the fact.

FREE IS FREE!!!

Wow, you're right Bob. There have been a number of freeware products I've donated to, but not near as many as I have used over the years. Thanks for the reminder that these people who code these products do so because they see a need, and are willing to share with the community, but that doesn't mean that they should not be compensated. I don't think they will ever get what they would if their product was sold commercially; however, a small financial token of appreciation would probably go a long way. I'm going to go through and search for freeware I haven't donated to, and do so asap! Thanks again for this timely article.