Help Get hkSFV Listed at Download.com

[Big-O Mark]

Big-O Software would like to gain more exposure for hkSFV. We feel that hkSFV is the best utility available for .SFV/.MD5, yet it seems as though hardly anyone knows it exists. The next logical step is to get hkSFV listed at C|Net's Download.com. However, if you have ever tried to get a program listed there, you know it's unfortunately not even close to free.

If you enjoy hkSFV and want to help make it the #1 choice for .SFV/.MD5 file verification, please consider contributing to Big-O Software's hkSFV fund raiser. All proceeds will go to Download.com so hkSFV will be exposed to the enormous userbase of Download.com.

If you would like to donate to this worthy cause, please visit the Big-O Software Donate page:

http://www.big-o-software.com/bigo/donate.php

Please be sure to let us know that your contribution is for the hkSFV fund raiser!

If you are unwilling or unable to financially donate to the hkSFV fund raiser, but would still like to help, your assistance would still be useful! Please do anything you can to help spread the word about hkSFV. If you post on forums or newsgroups where .SFV/.MD5 or freeware programs are on topic, please mention hkSFV! If you run a website, please post an hkSFV link. The goal of this fund raiser is to gain more exposure for hkSFV, and small things like these will help get the job done.

Goal: $79
Current Status: $36

[DADINK13]

lol...is there some sort of added perk Mark?

<is considering donating what little cash he can afford to donate>



Okay...all joking aside now...
I'm kinda assuming that the amount it costs to get listed on download.com is $79...am I correct?

Although I really don't use hkSFV, I may know a bunch of people who would find it useful. I'll ask around if anybody could find a program like that useful. You and Ryan do a lot of hard work for hkSFV, and formerly AIM+, and surprisngly just today I was looking at the user reviews for AIM+ on download.com, and it's got a 90% even though it does not work with AIM 5.x. That's a great amount of feedback for a peice of software no longer in development. If and when hkSFV gets listed and people find out it's as good as it seems (from what I've read, seeing how I don't use it), you'll have downloads up the wazoo for it.

If I can dig up some cash somehow you may get a donation from me--it's kinda hard to donate money when you're unemployed at the moment...





But every penny counts.

[Big-O Mark]

I'm kinda assuming that the amount it costs to get listed on download.com is $79...am I correct?

Unfortunately, yes. While $79 may not seem like a whole lot of money, for a free program that actually incurs costs on our part (time, servers, isp, etc.), it's a lot for us to cough up.

Our 'status' of $30 actually reflects total donations for hkSFV since it was launched in the fall of 2001. We're still hoping to get up to $79 so we can get hkSFV listed on the mother of all software sites, Download.com.

Thanks to everyone who has donated so far, and to those who haven't, please at least consider donating or helping spread the word about hkSFV all over the internet wherever you can .

[BigHead]

but doesn't everytime u update the software cost u another $80

[Master Jedi]

I think download.com will let you host the file yourself and they'll link to it so you can update on your own.

[Anthony]

But then it is in the open... And they can put a auto update into the program...

[Big-O Mark]

but doesn't everytime u update the software cost u another $80

To update the listing it unfortunately does cost another $80.

However, when the program is first listed, the download is linked locally to our servers. Whenever the program is updated, the filename and download location do not change.

In the end, the Download.com listing becomes out dated, but will remain in their database because that first listing for $80 doesn't expire. The file will still be downloadable, and will be the most current version.

If you ever browse through Download.com, you'll notice that there will be entries for each version of some programs, and that's because their authors decided to pay another $80 listing to keep the description up to date.

[Anthony]

Just don't make the download file name something like hkSFV13 (with the version name intergrated). People will no doubt get confused... Even though the IQ of users is higher then... Um... Some other programs.

[Big-O Mark]

None of our programs' filenames have ever included the version number, and I doubt that will change any time soon ...

[Anthony]

Opps... I don't know what I was thinking .

[Big-O Mark]

Goal: $79
Current Status: $35

We're moving along nicely, almost half way to our goal of $79 to get hkSFV listed on Download.com!

Thanks again to all those who have donated so far, and remember, the goal of this campaign is to spread the word of hkSFV to as many potential users as possible. Download.com is the focus of our efforts. If you can't afford to help, or simply want to help more, just get the word out any way possible. Usenet, IRC, message boards, etc. are all great places to introduce hkSFV to those who have never heard of it.

[Big-O Mark]

Goal: $79
Current Status: $36

Another update for those interested ...

We're almost half way to our goal of $79 to get hkSFV listed at Download.com. Unfortunately Download.com does not supply free listings for most software developers. However, Download.com is still an excellent way to reach millions of potential users.

[Matt]

Do all the other free program find places (such as tucows, fileforum, etc.) require you to pay? Or is it just download.com being a capitalist hog?

[Big-O Mark]

I have had a lot of experiences with a lot of different file listing services on the internet.

My favorites are the ones that let you create an account, set up your listing, and then it's online immediately. Others require their staff to review a listing before they add it to their database, and when this is the case 90% of the time they don't bother to contact you at all. Sometimes these sites will offer a payment option that will get your listing online faster, and then an even higher rate to get it listed immediately.

The reason why this campaign is targetting Download.com is simple. It is by far the most highly visible and popular software search engine on the internet. That is also why they can charge for their listings, it's a great service for developers, and Download.com needs to cover their costs with so many users relying on their service to find software.

[insomica]

have you heard of http://sourceforge.net/ or http://freshmeat.net/ i think they might only do open sorce progs but i'm not sure. but it might be worth checking out.