Over the last couple of weeks I have seen a number of award shows, like the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Grammy Awards, Peoples Choice Awards and the Comedy Awards. This started me thinking about awards and lack of them in the QL community. Now magazines, newspapers, and other print media have their own version of awards. Computer Language magazine has it’s Jolt award (named for the soda Jolt – with twice the caffeine as Coke). So I think it’s time for the QHJ Freeware Awards.
Programmers are an unrewarded lot, especially so for Freeware programmers. Commercial programmers will get monetary compensation. The same goes for Shareware programmers (but even less money and hoping that all users will register the software). But for Freeware programmers, the main emphasis is on free. They do it for the fun on it. Some will write software for themselves and distribute it to others. Some will write software for the challenge of the task. Either way, it’s a lot of effort for very little payback.
The QHJ Freeware Awards is designed to recognize the best Freeware programs and programmers over the last year. I’ve created five different categories:
- Best Pointer Environment Freeware Program
- Best Non-PE Freeware Program
- Best Freeware Port to the QL
- Best Freeware Language or Language Utility
- Freeware Programmer of the Year
The time for the awards are for 1994. If a program was ported before 1994, but did not make a big impact until 1994, then it can be considered.
I had originally thought about just deciding the winners myself, as some magazines will do. But, I really thought it would be better to get some input from the QL community. My exposure to all the Freeware out there is limited. I could only judge on those that I have tried. Getting input from readers would make the awards truly representative of the QL community.
So, please look over the categories listed above, review what Freeware software you know, and send me your vote for each award. You can send them by mail, e-mail, phone, carrier pigeon, what ever. I will tally the results and report the results in the next issue. Deadline for the votes is 1 May 1995. I hope to have the next issue ready by then. Issue or not, I will make some sort of announcement of some sort at the US QL show on 10 June in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
I plan to whip up some sort of paper award using Page Designer 3 and my DJ 520 (which means I have to actually learn PD3). I hope to be able to mail the award to each individual programmer that wins.