[sword-devel] Some ideas

[James Gross]

Good evening all.

I have been doing some thinking about a "problem" that was the center of 
discussion for several weeks recently.  The "problem" centered around 
copyrighted texts and the publisher's reluctance to give us permission to 
distribute them freely.  My take on the subject is that we can not support 
the necessary time, money and resources to sell stuff from the site, and the 
publishers don't want to give the Word away for free. I also understand that 
the Projects status as a non-profit organization might be placed in jeopardy 
if we sell things from it. My email is not intended to stir up more 
contraversy but to make a suggestion which could benefit both the Project 
and the publishers.

Here goes:  Has anyone contacted the big Christian web sites/portals about 
setting up a three-way partnership between Crosswire, the major publishers 
and the site (such as Goshen.com, iBelieve.com, etc.).  The portal would 
provide advertising and server space for the free modules and the program as 
well as a "premium" modules page.  The portal would act as the seller for 
the "premium" modules (taking payment for themselves and sending the 
publisher an agreed upon stipend from the sale).  We would not have to get 
our hands "dirty" by selling the modules but the Sword Project would be 
getting some great, free advertising.  This would possibly mean more help 
from more people.  The portal site could even be placed in charge of getting 
the licensing agreements from the publishers in order to sell the locked 
modules.  All in all, it could be a win-win-win situation.

One of the major reasons for going this route is this:  If a believer is 
looking for tools to help him/her with his/her walk with God, then it stands 
to reason that the first place that would be investigated would be a major 
Christian portal site.  I doubt that people would go to Yahoo! and type in 
"free Christian software" or "free Bible software".  Most people are not 
going to even think that there is any free Bible software.  I didn't go to 
Yahoo!, I was noodling about on Goshen's website and found a link to 
Christian shareware.  Through looking at that area of their site I found the 
Sword Project.  I am certain that many others would be blessed greatly by 
having the software readily available through one or more of the major 
Christian portals.

Again, I don't want to stir up the debate about the morality of selling 
God's Word, I just want to give the project a higher profile.  I hope and 
pray that everyone on this list is found in good health and is blessed 
mightily by God.

Your brother in Christ,
Jim
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