
  Dear Shareware Professional:

       The Association of Shareware Authors and Distributors (ASAD)
  was established in July of 1992 to promulgate the marketing concept
  of shareware and to assist members in reaching their professional
  and personnel business goals.  ASADs membership is currently being
  filled by shareware authors, distributors, BBSs, user groups,
  computer related companies and concerned individuals who all have
  at least one common goal -- to make the concept of shareware work!

  BACKGROUND INFORMATION

       ASAD was not designed to replace or degrade any existing
  organizations in the shareware industry.  In fact, at the time of
  this writing, over 60% of our members are also members of another
  organization.  If it is true that emulation is one of the greatest
  forms of flattery, then the Association of Shareware Professionals
  (ASP) should feel flattered by the way in which ASAD is being
  organized and by the standards we are trying to establish.  As with
  any truly professional organization, we fully believe that
  established rules, regulations and standards of conduct are a
  necessity.  However, we also believe that these rules and
  regulations must be flexible and reasonable enough to allow
  authors, vendors, BBSs, etc. the ability to control their own
  programming, business or bulletin board.

       We have included in this mailing two attachments that we hope
  will be beneficial to you in deciding if membership in ASAD is
  right for you.  First, is a copy of a recent press release ASAD
  mailed to several national and international magazines describing
  the formation and major goals of ASAD.  Secondly, we have provided
  a copy of our current ASAD BYLAWS, version 1.2 of August 1992.
  Please keep in mind that this version of our bylaws is only being
  used as a baseline.  Each of the first 100 charter members of ASAD
  are receiving two copies of the bylaws, one copy to keep and one
  copy to edit, make suggestions on, or rewrite and return for
  possible incorporation in the next version.

  ASAD POLICIES

       Each member of ASAD, be it an author, distributor, BBS SysOp,
  or user group president, has an equal vote in the operation and
  management of the association, with their elected representative or
  officer acting in their behalf for non-voting actions.  ASAD does
  NOT and WILL NOT make the rules.  ASAD WILL compile the rules that
  members deem essential to the operation of their business, the
  organization of their programs, or the marketing and distribution
  of their products for the overall benefit of the shareware
  industry.  ASAD is NOT building an association -- the members are!

       ASAD will also act as Ombudsman for any problems arising in
  the shareware community and specifically as it relates to ASAD
  members, but basically, ASAD will act as a central clearing house
  or hub for the members.  ASAD WILL NOT act as a reigning monarch of
  the shareware community, that dictates what authors and vendors
  must do in order to be associated with the ASAD name.  What ASAD
  WILL do is establish a medium whereby persons in the shareware
  community can join together to establish a group that they can be
  a part of, strive to constantly educate the public and help
  strengthen sharewares' position in the computer industry.

  TIMELINE OF EVENTS

  PHASE ONE -- Concept and Design --  August & September '92
       1. Formation of initial baseline bylaws and modification
          of same by Charter Members
       2. Initial membership drive -- Emphasis on authors
       3. ASADs mother node or home office, multi-node BBS setup
       4. Establishment of an ASAD forum area on CompuServe
       5. Press releases sent out to major magazines/newsletters

  PHASE TWO -- Setup and Evaluation -- October & November '92
       1. Fully operation BBS with ASADnet established
          nationwide -- includes hubs in each state plus Canada
       2. On-line BBS advertisements established nationwide
       3. Continued membership drive -- Emphasis on vendors
       4. Advertisements placed in magazines to draw attention
          to ASAD and stimulate membership
       5. Formation of monthly program mailing packages to
          vendors, BBSs, and user groups
       6. Feedback from members evaluated and changes voted on

  PHASE THREE -- Modification and Enhancement -- December '92
       1. Changes resulting from member feedback and vote
          implemented and approved programs initiated
       2. Continued membership drive -- All areas
       3. Continued feedback monitoring and evaluation

  PHASE FOUR -- Full Operation -- February '93
       1. US Postal bulk mail permit obtained
       2. Establishment of 1-800 telephone Hot-Line
       3. Explore the possibility of Master Card/Visa acceptance account
       4. Continued feedback monitoring and evaluation
       5. Continued membership drive -- Emphasis on affiliated
          members and secondary nodes for regional BBSs
       6. Election of officers for 1993 & 1994
       NOTE ... Regardless of when you joined prior to January
       '93, your one year period for dues begins January 1st.

  FUTURE PROGRAMS TO BE INITIATED FOR MEMBERS (Phase Four continued)
       1. Co-op Mailing ... Members may choose to have either flyers,
          bulletins, catalog disks, etc. included in mailings from
          the ASAD home office via bulk mail permit.
       2. Registration of Programs ... Member authors may choose to
          have the ASAD home office accept registrations of your
          programs, either on-line via the BBS or by mail, thus
          allowing the use of Master Card and Visa for orders.
       3. Shared Mailing List ... Databases for names will be
          established for members wishing to share/swap names for
          mailings with other members.
       4. Education Package ... ASAD is currently working on an
          educational package for persons new to the shareware
          concept.  This package will not only be furnished to
          persons responding from national classified ads for ASAD,
          but will also be made available for members to furnish to
          new customers.

  PHASE FIVE -- IT'S UP TO YOU
       As we hope we have shown, ASAD has great plans for the future
  and you and your company can be a part of it.  We have made every
  attempt to keep the price of membership to a bare minimum in an
  effort to allow everyone to have access.  Membership is open to all
  persons involved in the shareware community and everyone, with the
  exception of affiliated members, will have an equal vote or say in
  ASADs operation.  Although rules, regulations and standards of
  ethics are being established, they are being established by
  individuals like yourself -- NOT ASADs home office.

       We hope that seeing the ASAD logo on a catalog or in a program
  disk will not merely be seen as the author or vendor having met the
  minimum requirements to use the logo.  What we hope is that the
  logo proves that the author or vendor cares about the shareware
  community and that they and people like them built the association
  that the logo represents.  Naive?  Perhaps, but you and others can
  make it happen by joining ASAD!

       If ASAD sounds like an association you would like to become
  involved in, please fill out the application on the rear today.
  Your comments and suggestions are not only appreciated, but
  encouraged.  Remember, members and involvement make an association.


  Respectfully,

  Frederic B. Hertenstein
  Executive Director
  Association of Shareware
  Authors and Distributors

  P.S. If you have a mailing list of authors, vendors, BBSs, user
  groups, etc. that you would like to ensure receive a package like
  this, mail them to ASAD.  We will have a package out to them within
  48 hours and you will have our THANKS!

