Registration via app - Which direction?

I have an application which is freely distributed on the internet and the downloads are through the roof, yet with the registration I think people are hesitant when it comes to privacy.

Currently the software displays the hardware fingerprint of the computer and along with the fingerprint, you can register and receive your serial number as well as a license key which is encrypted.

Is there some other method I can use for registration that people are more willing to accept or are people just plain self conscious about privacy and wont register.

So far since releasing the registration option i've only had about 700 people register, compared to the downloads I figured my approach maybe should be different.

Thoughts please.

Thank you.

jf3000

If it is free I don't see the purpose of registration, and they probably don't either.

Why ask them to register if you are not using their information for spamming or selling their email address to spammers? I'm sure that's what they are asking themselves.

I would completely drop the registration requirement.

Spamming is out of the question. I built my reputation through my software has a gifted programmer who hatched late, the members section offers more tools to play with compared to the free section. Software is freeware.

Thank you for your input.

Make the benefits of registration more obvious? Have a privacy policy for users to read. Plainly state you don't spam, and to 'learn more'(hyperlink style blue&underlined text is good for this) read the privacy policy(also good to have this as a button).

In the privacy policy plainly state: why you collect the information you do, and what it will be used for. Might also want explain what will definitely not be uses of their confidential information. Bullet style would be good for these.

Good luck.

PS. Since your software is free.... Have you considered making it open source? Then others can study, collaborate on, use, or even improve your application.

Free does not need to imply open source. One reason to make free software available is to help the community, and another is to get recognition. Neither of these requires giving away your work though.

I'm still not sure what registration is buying anyone here. I'm not a big fan of being on a mailing list that just sends "update available" or "hey, I have this other free thing now too" emails.

If I could find a way to register the app without the need of the user emailing me the details then I would.

I was open source in the beginning on Source Forge and since know one was interested after a peroid of time I went solo and everything took off from there.

The email people send me is only so I can reply with a serial number and a license file, once thats done, there email is deleted, nothing is collected.

I will work on a privacy policy though, thank you.