The Recursive ISV

There are some really great blogs and books out there for ISV’s (Independent Software Vendors) and also some aimed at so called “mISV’s” (the m standing for micro effectively meaning smaller in size – for the purposes of this basic explanation).   So it’s not my intent to create yet another blog duplicating their fine work.  I will add links to them in article entries as and when they are relevant to the topic and certain (selected) blogs will be added to the blog roll of this blog.  Which brings me to the point of this first entry.  Who the heck am I and what on Earth is a Dropbear and how does this relate to ISV’s?

I’ll leave the gory details of who I am for those who want to pursue it on the About page of this blog.  You can make of it what you will but suffice to say I’m moderator of the Usenet comp.software.shareware.* (authors, announce and users) newsgroups, have been associated with “shareware” in one capacity or another for over two decades and I’m am an ISV (actually an mISV in the process of developing a new range of applications for a vertical market while also holding an Advanced Degree in Vaporware) and slaved as a corporate developer for way to long for a couple of companies most people have heard of and I’d rather forget. 

 

Now – Dropbears (I’ll deal with ISV’s below I promise!!).   Dropbears are a fictional animal designed to scare Australian kids and tourists (especially tourists).  There is an entire artificial mythology built around Dropbears.  They get there name (so the myth goes) by dropping out of trees on their victims and gobbling them up, flesh, bones, clothes, and cameras (especially cameras as this is the reason given why no Dropbear has ever been filmed).  They are attracted by eucalyptus (given that the Australian forests are 99% eucalyptus trees avoiding them would appear to be tough) and repelled by a product called “Aeroguard  ™” (a personal insecticide for the record marketed in Australia).  Filling in an Australian kid (especially a city based kid) or a tourist (you folks from the USA are the most desirable targets – Australian humor can be difficult to comprehend) is a pastime for some folks who delight in giving people a scare.  Not something I’ve indulged in (you can probably tell by now I’m Australian) but I know a lot of folks who do.  OK.  So how does this relate to ISV’s?

 

Well may you ask.  Much of the “information” that floats around the industry is FUD (Fear Uncertainty Doubt) perpetrated often by folks who mean well, who believe what they are saying is true (and often it is for them) but fail to comprehend that it isn’t true or it’s based on certain “assumptions” (and you know what we do when we ASSUME) or that it applies in certain circumstances – but not all (theirs but maybe not yours).  So like the fictional (though none the less fearful and much believed in) Dropbear there’s a lot of fictional ISV information floating around for various reasons.  Because of this some important things are actually missed altogether and/or dismissed without deeper consideration or thought.  This doesn’t make them any less relevant however.  Thus a Dropbear for an ISV may be believing in what is not true or just as bad not believing in that which is true.  Hence the anaology of this blog.  As Kierkegaard said “There are two ways of being deceived. One is to believe that which is not true.  The other is to not believe that which is true.”  However….   In so following his words we have to also be mindful of Confucious “In painting a tiger you can paint the skin but not the bones.”

 

So if you’re after a “How to start an ISV” or “How To Choose A Software Product To Write And Make Millions” type blog this isn’t it.  Nor is it a “Here’s How To Write A Pirate Proof Registration Scheme” or which compiler is best for the job - besides everybody uses Delphi anyway don’t they?  ;-)    .  There are some great discussion on this stuff already on some blogs and I’ll be adding links to those over time where you can read all about it there.  Rather this blog looks at the things we often don’t consider or assume to be true (that word assume again) and questions the validity of those things.

 

I’ll elaborate further as time goes on but most of the entries will be serialized (weekly parts I hope) discussing specific topics.  For example I’ll be doing a piece on the hidden cost of software piracy, looking at how it may not always affect the software developer directly (there’s a new thought!) but indirectly.  The nature of pirates and hackers/crackers have evolved in the last decade to entirely different beasts to what we think they are.  Other articles will focus on download sites and how I have come to believe they can actually damage your business.

 

Where information is available on the net I’ll provide direct links, unless those links feed to an undesirable entity or persons.  The last thing I want to do is give some criminal a free Google plug to boost their rankings or advertise their wares for free!

 

As ISV’s the information we hear and repeat tends to be a bit like urban myths that are much loved but based on little research or awareness of trends - which is why I chose the name for this blog.  ”The Recursive ISV”.  Please see Recursive for an explanation.

 

Oh yeah  - and crikey, mate - watch out for those Dropbears!!!!

 
Scott