My relationship with you is the most important factor in the success of this site, and I always welcome your feedback. If you have any questions that are not answered in this FAQ, don't hesitate to ask me!

Software Developers and NOLAN.CC

I hope to build this site on a mutually beneficial relationship with software developers. I provide an audience of hundreds of thousands of individuals who access the web every single day to find  software, and I give all software developers access to these users at no cost to them. I think that's a great benefit to developers. In return, software developers provide a constant source of new and updated software to attract users to my Web site again and again, which is a great benefit to me. By keeping this relationship mutually beneficial, I can ensure the success of the web site and the software developers for many years to come.

Submitting New or Updated Software to NOLAN.CC

Just fill out my Software Submission Form. This form is not just for new submissions, it is also my preferred method of receiving updated information from you. The software must  be able to run on Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 3.x, or MS DOS (or any combination of the previous). Please provide as much of the information requested in the form as possible. This will make sure your application gets updated as quickly as possible.

All download links submitted MUST be a direct link to begin immediate download of the application. I do not link to HTML pages for the download link. I do provide a link to the application's home page in my listing, as well as a link to the author email address.

I can only include your application in one category on my site. Please do not request that your application be listed in multiple categories. Choose the category that best fits your software.

If you release an update to an application that is already listed, please use the same form, and choose the Updated Listing option. I usually post the new or updated information within a day or two after receiving it. Missing information will slow down this process, or cause the software listing not to be updated.

Shareware Descriptions

Many of the descriptions I receive from shareware authors are far too long and detailed to be included on my pages. I edit the descriptions to make sure that my visitors can quickly determine if a software application fits their needs. If you do not like the edited description of your program, please contact me and provide me with a better (but more brief) description. The description should not be an exhaustive listing of every single feature of the program (that's why I provide a home page link for the application). I do not list the name of any other Web sites in the descriptions. Please also do not include any information in the description that is already provided elsewhere in the submission form, such as price, expiration, your company name, and the application name. Please keep the descriptions as brief as possible.

Software Restrictions

I will not link to software stored in in INCOMING or UPLOADS directories on remote servers.

NOLAN.CC strives to maintain the highest quality in Windows-related content, and does not endorse any programs or advertising that pertains to adult-related material, such as pornography, alcohol, and the like. I reserve the right to refuse posting an application for any reason. If an application is submitted that includes objectionable material of any nature, it will not be listed in my collection.

Can I upload my program to NOLAN.CC?

Currently, you can not physically store your software on NOLAN.CC. my collection is a "virtual" software library, which means that I do not actually store the software on my servers. Instead, I provide links to software on FTP and HTTP servers across the Internet, and I prefer to point to the software's "home" location. That way, the developer has full control over the distribution of the software.

The difference between "Expires on" and "Expires after"

If a program times out (stops functioning until it is registered) on a specific date, regardless of how long the user has been using the program, then I say that it expires on that date. If it times out after a certain number of days of use, then I say it expires after so many days. If it has no timeout, then I say it never expires. Users prefer software that expires after a certain number of days of use, rather than timing out with a calendar date. Software that expires on a certain date also poses a problem for my CD-ROM customers, since some of the software on the discs has already timed out by the time the discs are shipped to them. Whenever possible, I ask that you give preference to software that expires after.

"Install/Uninstall" Categories

In an effort to give my visitors as much information about a program as possible, I like to tell them about the install and uninstall features of each program. I have four categories: No Install Support, Install Support Only, Uninstall Support Only, and Install and Uninstall Support.

No Install Support is rather self-explanatory. The user has nothing more than a README.TXT file to figure out how to install the program.

Install Support Only means that the developer has provided some sort of installation routine for the user. I do recognise the WinZip Self Extractor as Install Support. However, most users also want a setup routine that creates a directory, copies the files into the directory, puts icons in the Start menu or on the Desktop, etc.

Uninstall Support Only is the exact opposite. The user is on his or her own to get the program installed, but you're more than happy to provide a way for them to nuke it from their system. I admit that it's highly unlikely that any developer would provide uninstall support only, but it's your software, and I never want to rule anything out!

Install and Uninstall Support is what all users dream about. It's the ability to easily install a program on a system, as well as the ability to remove it (including any registry keys and .ini files). It it's possible, I'd love for you to provide this support for all your software.

Determining the "Status" of a Program

I realise that I aren't the only authority on the matter, but for the sake of consistency, I needed to draw some pretty clear lines when it came to the status of the programs in my collection. So please don't yell too loudly at us if you don't happen to agree with my classifications ;). Currently, I categorise all the programs in my collection as one of the following: shareware, freeware, or commercial demo.

I define shareware as any software that is try before you buy. Therefore, I lump nagware, crippleware, and a bunch of other wares together in this category. If a software title has any sort of registration, then I call it shareware.

Freeware is software that is provided strictly out of the good of a developer's heart (or a desire to take over the market, whichever you prefer). There is no required payment associated with freeware, and users don't have to feel guilty for using it for months without paying anybody.

What's left are commercial demos. These are scaled down programs that give a taste of how a commercial application works, but they are rarely fully functional. Also, commercial demos are usually purchased, instead of registered. Sometimes this is a pretty fuzzy line, but I'll usually be more than happy to go with the classification of the developer, unless I think it will confuse my visitors.