International Shareware Day 2023: Date, History and 5 computer-related facts

International Shareware Day 2023: On the second Saturday of December, people celebrate International Shareware Day. December 10 is the date this year. To improve and simplify modern life, programmers sit in front of computers for hours on end. Sharing software allows users to “try before you buy.”

Shareware is software for hundreds of programs, such as Adobe Acrobat 8, WinZip, Donkey Kong, YouTube Downloader, and antivirus programs. The user must either cease using the program or begin paying after the shareware’s trial period expires. This not only alerts potential users to what is available, but also assists the programmers in identifying any bugs during the program’s trial phase.

International Shareware Day’s History

Andrew Fleugelman developed the PC-Talk telecommunications program and was the first example of “freeware” software. By that time, Fleugelman saw “freeware” as “an experiment in economics more than altruism,” and the term itself was deemed misleading. The word “shareware” was originally applied to Bob Wallace’s 1983 word processing program PC-Write.

Shareware was frequently the only affordable option available to independent software authors before the general public had access to the Internet to distribute their work onto desktops.

Downloads of shareware and freeware are almost never paid for. Because of this, it is challenging for a programmer to make a living solely from producing shareware. This mode of software production has produced some of the most amazing software tools that are available to users worldwide, so it is cause for concern.

Software for preventing viruses, players for audio and video files, and numerous other programs fall under this category. Many of these programs aren’t updated frequently and eventually become outdated due to the lack of money in shareware, or more accurately, users’ reluctance to pay for shareware.

Shareware and computer programs that we don’t think twice about paying for are found in everyday life and include things as simple as your car’s electric windows, a blender for creating nutritious smoothies, and a taxi app on your smartphone.

The developers of apps that prevent us from spending money on pointless things and help us save money are frequently paid too little! The programmers who devise creative ways to improve the productivity, efficiency, and ease of our lives are honored on International Shareware Day.

On this day, shareware users are reminded of the benefits of using these programs—the majority of which are free or very inexpensive—and the value they have gained from using them.

Ideas For Partying On International Shareware Day

Give the programmer money.

For a limited time, the majority of shareware is free. On International Shareware Day, consider supporting the developers of your preferred shareware applications by sending them a small donation and using them frequently.

Obtain a license

Make sure to inform your friends about any shareware you use. Encourage them to buy a license or give the programmer a donation as well.

Share something on social media

Use social media to spread the word by using the hashtag #InternationalSharewareDay. Give a shout-out to a friend who programs to show your gratitude.

These five computer-related facts will astound you.

A lot has changed with hard drives.

Modern smartphones have 500 MB of random access memory, whereas the first hard drive could only hold 5 MB of data.

Hard drives are now more compact.

Currently, the average hard drive weighs 1.6 pounds, whereas the first hard drive costs $40,000 and weighs 550 pounds.

80% of emails sent on a daily basis are spam.

The majority of these emails are spam, advertisements, and newsletters that are distributed in large quantities.

Wood was used to make the original computer mouse.

Douglas Englebart created the first computer mouse in 1964, which had two metal wheels and a wooden shell.

The phenomenon of computer viruses is relatively new.

Bob Thomas created the first computer virus in 1971, called Creeper, which spread by simultaneously sending printer commands to numerous computers.

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Why This Day Is Great

It honors the understated aspects of our lives.

Unsung software developers are honored on International Shareware Day. We use their software in almost every appliance we own on a daily basis.

It describes contemporary life.

Without shareware, it would be impossible to imagine modern life. Even the most basic tools that are available to us use shareware. Today, it also examines how shareware has evolved into a necessity in contemporary society.

One day to express gratitude

We don’t really give the developers much thanks, even though we frequently use shareware. Saying “thank you” to people who put in a lot of effort to create shareware is another goal of International Shareware Day.

INTERNATIONAL SHAREWARE DAY DATES