Author: Dann Corbit
Date: 16:50:21 09/26/05
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On September 26, 2005 at 18:46:18, Uri Blass wrote: >On September 26, 2005 at 18:14:29, Dann Corbit wrote: > >>On September 26, 2005 at 17:46:28, Roger Brown wrote: >> >>>On September 26, 2005 at 16:47:09, Dann Corbit wrote: >>> >>>>At some point, I think you will have to change your method of protection. >>>>Consider if you sell 100,000 copies some day in total volume. For sure, every 5 >>>>years almost all of those machines will change. Now, imagine handling the email >>>>traffic. >>>> >>>>But while your volume is still low, I think that method will probably work fine. >>>> It won't prevent me from buying a copy. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>Hello Dann, >>> >>>Needless to say, I am sure that they would love to have that problem. >> >>It sounds like a good problem to have, but imagine (if you will 50,000 emails). >>Somebody has to read them. Somebody has to understand them and process those >>requests. Calculate how many that is per year. Think of how many you could >>process in one hour. You will quickly see that the $35 chess engine is costing >>them a few hundred dollars for each one that they sell. Now, the problem is not >>nearly so much fun. > >It is a lot of money but do not forget that it is based on the assumption that >they also sell a lot. > >The main question is how many emails you get from one buyer. > >Even if you get average of 10 emails from one buyer and replying him cost 1$ per >email then you still earned 35$ from selling fruit so it is 25$ per copy. At $25 per hour, $1 means that he can reply correctly and courteously to 25 emails per hour. If you can find good tech support for less than $25 per hour, it is not in the US. Factor in the cost of complaints to the better business bureau, to the chamber of commerce. Factor in the costs of answering the phone calls. Factor in the costs of time taken away from developers when a technical explanation is demanded. Factor in the other costs and I think you will see how expensive it becomes. There may be some large percentage (maybe 1/3) who do nothing when their hardware changes. Surely, there are lots of factors. But some people will completely change their hardware every 18 months like I do and they will be a pain in the posterior. In my case, I may have 7 versions to move to the new machine, and I will need a new code for all of them. The person who receives the email will have to first ensure that I am a valid customer and that I am licensed for all of them. Then they will have to generate 7 new license files and send them to me.
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