Free software is not free; someone has to spend time and effort developing it, testing it, and reworking it. If you use any of this free software, please donate to the developer(s); money, assistance, whatever.
I'm not much of a programmer, but I can help find bugs and report them. I also donate money, especially to Mozilla and OpenOffice.org. If I use something as small as a free app on my smart phone/PDA, I try to give a buck or two to the developer.
Try all the free software you want, and when you find that useful application, either buy the paid version, or send the developer a donation. The shareware ideal is alive and well; it also disproves the old saw: "anything free is worth what you pay for it."
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