Why Do You Create Freeware Programs?

[hech54]

I was going to make this as a poll suggestion but could not think of the correct options.
Anyway....this question is obviously directed to people who develop the freeware that exists here on VideoHelp and other places....

Why Do You Create Freeware Programs?

Of course we all Thank You greatly for your work, time and effort but why do you do it? Is it for your own benefit first(a program you wished existed, developed and now use)?
Is it in hopes of being "discovered" by a big corporation, bought out and make some money?

I really have no idea....so...again...why do you do it?

[mats.hogberg]

Long since I had the time to do it, but when I have, It's started as a program I've written just to attack a problem I was interested in/had to solve for my personal use, and after a while discovering it was in fact rather useful, so why not let others use it too? Now comes the boring part (where I mostly stop) where you have to pretty up the GUI, write some instructions, package it...
If I have something useful, and its usefulness to me isn't diminished by others having access to it - why not give it away? Basically the same reason that I'm here, come to think of it!

/Mats

[Joe The Dude]

If this was a poll, one of the options could be "I want to Stick It to THE MAN".


Just don't take that the wrong way...

[jimmalenko]

Long since I had the time to do it, but when I have, It's started as a program I've written just to attack a problem I was interested in/had to solve for my personal use, and after a while discovering it was in fact rather useful, so why not let others use it too? Now comes the boring part (where I mostly stop) where you have to pretty up the GUI, write some instructions, package it...

Not to mention the user support ...

I have written a few items for my own use that I thought others might enjoy, but very few have seen the light of day in the public arena, mainly because I usually have enough of my own problems without having to worry about or feel obliged to deal with someone else's.