Red Ryder (software)
Encyclopedia
Red Ryder was the name of a well known communications and terminal emulation software program created for the Apple Macintosh in the 1980s. It was one of the first donationware
programs to be distributed on the internet. It was written by Scott Watson, who founded The FreeSoft Company of Beaver Falls
, Pennsylvania
.
By spending no money on advertising, but simply offering Red Ryder on Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) allowed Watson to market and distribute what became a popular communications program for the Macintosh. He did not sell it in any store. All he asked of those who downloaded the program into their computer was that they might send him $40. He later said, "I took advantage of a problem: piracy. Many program-users copied them free. I assumed that, if I offered something free and asked people who liked it to pay, that some people would; that maybe I'd get a bigger percentage than people who sell software."
This new kind of "on approval" selling worked well and there was no necessity for follow-up. The cost was a fraction of available competitive software. Often people who found the software useful sent in checks. Each BBS sent the program online free to anyone. Anyone who liked Red Ryder could copy it for friends and passed the word to others, who then got Red Ryder from their bulletin board systems.
Macintosh magazines rated Red Ryder highly. Scott rejected orders from both computer stores and distributors and concentrated on development. Many new bulletin boards ran his offer. Watson then came up with a program for anyone to create a BBS. It was called Red Ryder Host, then renamed Second Sight. Watson introduced the new program in the same way he started Red Ryder: on bulletin boards. By then, Scott Watson operated his own bulletin board. Anyone could order directly from him. He had proved the power of the simplest bulletin boards for the marketing and distribution of media.
Red Ryder Host was the software that served as a bulletin board system shell; the software allowed a BBS to have public message boards, private message boards, file download libraries, and various levels of access that could be set individually for each external user of the system.
Red Ryder was ultimately replaced by a commercial package called "White Knight
."
Donationware
Donationware is a licensing model that supplies fully operational software to the user and pleads for an optional donation be paid to the programmer or a third-party beneficiary . The amount of the donation may also be stipulated by the author, or it may be left to the discretion of the user,...
programs to be distributed on the internet. It was written by Scott Watson, who founded The FreeSoft Company of Beaver Falls
Beaver Falls
Beaver falls may refer to:*Beaver Falls, New York*Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania*Beaver Falls, Arizona*Beaver Falls...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
By spending no money on advertising, but simply offering Red Ryder on Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) allowed Watson to market and distribute what became a popular communications program for the Macintosh. He did not sell it in any store. All he asked of those who downloaded the program into their computer was that they might send him $40. He later said, "I took advantage of a problem: piracy. Many program-users copied them free. I assumed that, if I offered something free and asked people who liked it to pay, that some people would; that maybe I'd get a bigger percentage than people who sell software."
This new kind of "on approval" selling worked well and there was no necessity for follow-up. The cost was a fraction of available competitive software. Often people who found the software useful sent in checks. Each BBS sent the program online free to anyone. Anyone who liked Red Ryder could copy it for friends and passed the word to others, who then got Red Ryder from their bulletin board systems.
Macintosh magazines rated Red Ryder highly. Scott rejected orders from both computer stores and distributors and concentrated on development. Many new bulletin boards ran his offer. Watson then came up with a program for anyone to create a BBS. It was called Red Ryder Host, then renamed Second Sight. Watson introduced the new program in the same way he started Red Ryder: on bulletin boards. By then, Scott Watson operated his own bulletin board. Anyone could order directly from him. He had proved the power of the simplest bulletin boards for the marketing and distribution of media.
Red Ryder Host was the software that served as a bulletin board system shell; the software allowed a BBS to have public message boards, private message boards, file download libraries, and various levels of access that could be set individually for each external user of the system.
Red Ryder was ultimately replaced by a commercial package called "White Knight
White Knight (software)
White Knight was a commercial communications program by Scott Watson for the Apple Macintosh that replaced his Red Ryder bulletin board system software....
."