Id rather also pay for the software. My point is charging $6 for dark mode is still “begging.”
I like the shareware model where people pay what they can, or what they perceive the value to be. I don’t think this is begging.
Programming is kind of unique because the marginal cost of production is near zero. I think this is a feature, not a bug and why it’s possible to have single person dev companies that are quite lucrative.
People who offer their labor as shareware will tend towards making 0 dollars. That's just the reality of it, if people don't have to pay, they won't. If you want to make money, you should...charge people money.
Agreed, no one who sells chairs will make them for free then ask for a $X "donation." But somehow people think devs should make their own stuff free too and ask for donations. If you like the product at a given price, buy it, and if you don't like either, don't buy it, same as any other good.
And people will pay $60 for physical items but balk at $0.99 apps and digital goods, it's strange.