When a programmer dies suddenly


For years I've used a program from a small Dutch company to record audio from web sites, Polder Bits Sound Recorder. It is a great little program that cost about $40. It is ideal, perfect, wonderful, for what I need.  I bought a new computer and I thought that I could support the small company by buying a second license for the new computer (rather than transfering the old license from the old computer).




But the Polder Bits site was down. I found out that the author had died in a car crash. According to one forum:

"Unfortunately Rudy Kok, developer of the Polderbits Sound Recorder and Editor, died in 2011. No new versions of his software have been produced. His company Polderbits does not exist any more."



I hope Rudy had a good life up to then. He knew how to write a good Windows program that's for sure.

And I thought about my customers. What if that happened to me? They can buy from my distributor 2Checkout. But if 2Checkout requires my intervention, or changes how to buy/download my programs what happens to my users then? Or maybe 2Checkout require that the author is alive to resell the programs?



So what I’ve done is sent out copies of the programs, open full and free copies, to three friends, who in the event of my death and the impossibility of buying copies from 2Checkout, will put these programs online for download free of charge.


The programs are:


PointorV11 PRO
GliftexV11 PRO
PhotoToMesh V7
RansenScan V4
Repligator V18 PRO


So if I die (drop off the twig, pop my clogs, give up the ghost, kick the bucket) my customers will not be left in the lurch.


PS: In my opinion “pass” is the most irritating, twee, weak, dishonest  euphemism for “die” that there is. “Pass over” is a close second.
 


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