Shareware. Most of us have heard the word, and many of us have obtained, used and even "registered" programs to which it has been applied. But how many of us have a clear idea of its true meaning?

If it comes right down to it, probably no one. Since it was coined in the early 1980s, "shareware" has undergone several shifts, expansions and variations of meaning, to the point where even those who describe themselves as "shareware authors", or who belong as we do to the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP), may mean rather different things by it.

In practice, though, the essence of shareware is direct communication between the developer of a piece of software and the user/purchaser of it. When you buy (or "register") a shareware program, you will probably be dealing directly with its author. When you send an email asking for technical support, it will very likely be the author himself or herself who replies. If the Internet seems vast and impersonal to you, the world of shareware, at least, is some kind of corrective to that. Shareware is very personal.

The outward characteristics of shareware programs have evolved mainly to permit the operation of software businesses with very small staffs - often just one person.

Why do we not typically see shareware products in retail stores? Because placing one's products into stores requires an army of sales and distribution experts backed by large promotion budgets. Marketing shareware via the Internet, in contrast, is relatively inexpensive. However, it demands more of the consumer, who often must actively seek out, download and evaluate a number of different products before finding the one that's just right.

Why does shareware always involve a free trial of the software? Because without mass-market advertising to persuade you to buy a piece of software, the product itself must do the selling.

Why does shareware generally come without glitzy packaging? Because that kind of packaging is designed to catch your eye on store shelves, and because microbusinesses operate at low volumes and must keep overheads to an absolute minimum. (But of course, those low overheads also help to keep down prices.)

From the consumer's point of view, buying shareware provides important benefits. The first is choice: the shareware market offers many more products than the mass market could possibly support. If you are looking for a specialized software product, the chances are that some shareware developer has anticipated your need: all you have to do is make contact.

The second bonus is personal service: if you have ever had to struggle to get timely technical support for a software problem you'll appreciate the responsiveness of most shareware authors - after all, it's their product, so not only do they want you to be happy with it, but they understand it backwards and forwards.

Finally, your personal relationship with the shareware author gives you an opportunity to influence the development process itself with feedback that will help shape new products and future versions of existing ones. Of course, not every suggestion you make will necessarily be acted upon, but you can depend on the fact that shareware authors listen with great interest and attention to praise and criticism alike.

The Association of Shareware Professionals, the world's leading organization of shareware developers, has its own perspective on the meaning of "shareware". If you would like to read their well-presented discussion of the term, click here.