Skip to main content

beware of -ware - I

Abandonware: It refers to computer software that is no longer current. While the term has been applied largely to older games, other classes of software are sometimes described as such.
Adware: Software which is free to download and use but includes pop-up banner ads somewhere.
Annoyware / Nagware: A type of shareware that frequently disrupts normal program operation to display requests for payment to the author in return for the ability to disable the request messages.
Beerware: It is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek term for software released under a very relaxed license. It provides the end user with the right to use a particular program (or do anything else with the source code) if they buy the author a beer, or, in some variations, drink a beer in the author's honor.
Bloatware: Software that provides minimal functionality while requiring a disproportionate amount of diskspace and memory.
Catware: A type of otherware which requests the user to pet one or several cats.
Charityware / Careware: A variety of shareware for which either the author suggests that some payment be made to a nominated charity or a levy directed to charity is included on top of the distribution charge.
Citeware: Citeware is a software license that restrict a common license (like for example GPL) by providing an end user with the right to use a particular program for any purposes as long as the user cites an Academic paper of the author of the software.
Crippleware: Software that has some important functionality deliberately removed, so as to entice potential users to pay for a working version.
Crudware: Pejorative term for the hundreds of megabytes of low-quality freeware circulated by user's groups and BBS systems in the micro-hobbyist world.
Demoware / Trialware: It is commercial software released for free in a version which is limited in one or more ways.
Donateware: It is a form of software distribution. Distributed as freeware, donateware stipulates that the user must donate to a charitable cause in order to "register" the software.
Donationware: It is a licensing model that supplies fully operational software to the user and requests a donation be paid to the programmer.
E-mailware: A type of otherware which requests the user to send an e-mail to the author.
Firmware: It is a computer program that is embedded in a hardware device such as ROM.
Foistware: It is software package bundled with completely unrelated programs.
Freeware: Freely-redistributable software, often written by enthusiasts and distributed by users' groups, or via electronic mail, local bulletin boards, or other electronic media.
Fritterware: An excess of capability that serves no productive end. The term describes anything that eats huge amounts of time for quite marginal gains in function but seduces people into using it anyway.

A good glossary of computer terms is found here.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

abort, retry, ignore poem

The infamous Abort, Retry, Ignore message box of Windows, with no option given to close it. Found this classic and fun poem about the "Abort, Retry, Ignore" message. I have been able to trace back the source to Annoyances.org. Here it is: Once upon a midnight dreary, fingers cramped and vision bleary, System manuals piled high and wasted paper on the floor, Longing for the warmth of bed sheets, still I sat there doing spreadsheets. Having reached the bottom line I took a floppy from the drawer, I then invoked the SAVE command and waited for the disk to store, Only this and nothing more. Deep into the monitor peering, long I sat there wond'ring, fearing,
 Doubting, while the disk kept churning, turning yet to churn some more.
 But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token.
 "Save!" I said, "You cursed mother! Save my data from before!"
 One thing did the phosphors answer, only this and nothing more,
 Just, "Abort...

this symbol is called a lemniscate, and other facts

The technical term for your foot "falling asleep" is "taresthesia". "Pins and needles" is really called "paresthesia". Great Britain has invaded about 90% of the world's countries. There's a brand of hand sanitizer called "Maybe You Touched Your Genitals". There was a hoax that the world was ending in 1806 because someone wrote "Christ is coming" on eggs, that were later stuffed into a hen. Gary Numan is actually 13 days older than Gary Oldman. There is a word in the English language with only one vowel, which occurs six times: Indivisibility. Los Angeles's full name is 'El Pueblo de Nuestra la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula'. Polyamorous people have invented a word to indicate the opposite feeling of jealousy - compersion. The Macrocilix maia moth confuses predators with wing patterns that mimic two flies eating bird poop. It even releases a pungent odor to drive home the dec...

pan-himalayan railroad

Chinese press is flooding with the news of China’s newest engineering feat – the completion of a railroad linking Lhasa (Tibet) with Eastern China. The country is celebrating this key achievement while the western press is once again applauding in awe and giving out mixed speculations. For example, this photo story contains some lines: “There are fears the railway will speed up the immigration of ethnic Chinese into Tibet, threatening its distinct cultural and religious identity.” “Tibetan groups and foreign critics say the railway’s real aim is political, as a symbol of China’s administrative and military control over a contested border region.” “...............................................” “..............................” All I can say about such statements is that leading people from China will undoubtedly laugh down these types of comments made by western media companies. This task in itself is a great combination of hard work, intellect and brotherhood, which in itself is a s...