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Recently I came across two sites that help programmers sell source code - binpress and codecanyon. Anyone have experience/success with sites like these?
Would you use them again? What was good about them? What was bad about them?

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I think the problem with purchasing random snippets of code is that you really have NO idea what you're getting; you could be buying a complete piece of crap.

Programming is not like design or photography, and I do not see an iStockPhoto-type solution working in our industry. With iStockPhoto, You get what you preview, and that is that. With programming however, you cannot preview the source, nor do you have much of a guarantee on the functionality of the code.

I've seen way to many horrible pieces of code floating around the net for me to think I would use such a system.

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    Yes, the buyer could get crap, or he could get good quality code too. I just checked code canyon, the top sellers there seem to have thousands of sales. Actually, if they put out crap, then they'd get a bad name, so it is in their own interest to put up good code (at least "working correctly" type of code, if not "most efficient" type). So it does seem to be working.
    – user187809
    Feb 8, 2011 at 16:21
  • I am one of the co-founders at Binpress, and I agree with your concern regarding random snippets of code. For that reason we manually review and approve every package that is published on our site to make sure it complies with coding conventions and standards and that it actually works. We also give a 14 day money-back guarantee buyers who are not satisfied with the package they purchased.
    – Eran Galperin
    Feb 18, 2011 at 8:18
  • @Eran Galperin - Now that is interesting. Do you have any links/references regarding your standards?
    – Craige
    Feb 18, 2011 at 17:18
  • we have a page detailing the general submissions criteria for packages on our service at binpress.com/page/publishing-components . We will be adding individual pages for each language with resources to the specific standards for each language.
    – Eran Galperin
    Feb 24, 2011 at 4:38
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    I can confirm what Eran writes. Recently I have published one of my scripts on Binpress. The first time I got list of things to fix :). Next fixed version was approved. Plus I get some good advice. I have to try now also Code Canyon.
    – user22919
    Apr 14, 2011 at 8:50
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The prices that the software is being sold at only makes sense (for the seller) if you live in a third world country OR if you think your component will sell thousands of copies. Just look at the prices...the ones I've seen are between $10 and $100. If your component only sells a handful of copies you're losing money, guaranteed.

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    unless you were going to write it anyway, in which case any revenue is just bonus.
    – Tristan Havelick
    Oct 25, 2011 at 20:54

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