The fate of Diary Defender · Sunday December 11, 2005

Some things don’t turn out as you expect. When I started working on Diary Defender a few years ago, it was the first somewhat serious development project I’ve ever done. It was a hobby, but first and foremost it was a unique experience that thought me a lot of what I now know about software development.

However, all good things must come to an end. I realized it was Diary Defender’s time over a year ago, and have since been pondering how to discard the project painlessly. Diary Defender has a lot of users, and I’ve always thought it a shame to abandon them without a proper alternative.

Diary Defender was a project I was very passionate about when it first started, however, as time went by, I have to admit I lost interest. I would have been able to keep developing it a bit longer if it had been more profitable, but I discovered that you have to have a very large user mass to be able to make a living of donations. So as I started university, and after a time was hired as an editor, I did no longer have the time to get any work done on the project.

This is why Diary Defender is no longer being developed. I apologize to everyone using the program, but I no longer have the time to do proper work on the project. I will still be offering the installer for download, but I will no longer be providing e-mail support. As I haven’t even had the time to make a version of the program without the donate button, I ask that you do not use it anymore. I will try to refuse donations coming through PayPal from now on, but I do not regularly use this service anymore, so e-mail me if you’ve donated the last six months and want your money back. The e-mail address can be found prominently within the program.

I want to repeat that I am very sorry for any inconvenience this might cause you.

Update: Download links are now available here.

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  1. i am a chinese user of your programe.i sorry to hear that u wounld give up Diary Defender .But some u all the same for your hardwork. i still use it in my dairily life and will keep on writing diary to memorize the colorful life . no matter what will happen i wish u enjoy yourself "0"

    — steven sun · Friday December 30, 2005 · #

  2. Hey the software is great and I guess it has all the required features. So I will anyways thank you for the same. Wish you the best in life..

    — Jay Mody · Friday December 30, 2005 · #

  3. Greetings from the Netherlands, I've been using Diary Defender for some years now, it's a great tool! So thank you for developing it! Must say, this site is a very nice way for you're (unnecesary ;) excuses. Greetings, Tino

    — Tino Kraan · Friday December 30, 2005 · #

  4. great but got given one

    — goldi · Saturday December 31, 2005 · #

  5. I think it is not necessary for you to not accept donations. Your product is a good one, and should someone want to show appreciation for your product, they should be allowed to donate. It was you who first donated your time......

    — Rocky Fullen · Saturday December 31, 2005 · #

  6. I adore my Diary Defender, have used it for a number of years, AND donated twice via PayPal. I am sorry that you're not continuing it's development, but totally understand. Good luck with your ongoing pursuits!

    — Noreen · Wednesday January 4, 2006 · #

  7. Why Couldn't you release the source code then and allow it to become a community project? It is a great program, I've used it for years as well.

    — Eric Nevertells · Sunday January 8, 2006 · #

  8. Call me dense, but where is the download link?

    — Robert Rodriguez · Tuesday February 7, 2006 · #

  9. The following appears invalid (from Brothersoftr download site): http://www.xaltra.net/contents/download_file.php?program=1&mirror=1&direct=1 I've read so much about the program that I thought I'd try it. Then again, I was a huge fan of ECCO, as well as the earliest iterations of InfoSelect and ProComm Plus...maybe software that's no longer supported should be allowed to "pass on" with dignity.

    — Michael Cala · Tuesday February 7, 2006 · #

  10. I give up too, where is the download link ? UK

    — Richard js Smith · Saturday February 11, 2006 · #

  11. It's a great program... congratulations on its success. Good luck in all your endeavours and I'm sure if your life's path leads you down the programming road again, you'll do great! Don't know if I am allowed to do this, but for those that can't find the link, try this: http://www.syix.com/elmer/Cool%20Stuff%204/Diary%20Defender.htm Christina

    — Christina Deagle · Wednesday February 15, 2006 · #

  12. HI !! Well, I wish so much succes with your news projects, I user Diary Defender, and i Think its a Useful and Cool Software!! why you release de source code to open source comunity?? Since 3 years ago i wish traslate Diary Defender to Spanish Lantinamerican language !! =)) Please, dont forget this great software, donate the source code to open source community for developent this great software !! =)) Thansk for this useful and cool software!! Greetings !! Aldo C. Guatemala Central America....

    — Aldo Comparini · Thursday March 9, 2006 · #

  13. hey dude nice tools but why don't release the source code as is and let others to continue your job, so all the users out there won't be affected by your decision. Think about it seriously as it can be the right wayout to this situation, you'll be remembered as the creator of this software that live, and not the bored student that killed a good sw

    — staller · Wednesday April 26, 2006 · #

  14. First, let me thank you for such a great little program. I use it daily and have for several years. Since you are no longer providing tech support...I have a request. Would you please consider posting kind of an FAQ page of some of the more commonly asked and relevant questions you have received in the past and their answers? Im trying to move my existing Diary to a new computer and cant locate the actual file. Things like that!

    — Paul McIlrath · Thursday August 24, 2006 · #

  15. Cool tool dude.. thanks for developing this wonderful sw.. i have been using it for some 3 years..

    — srijith · Wednesday November 1, 2006 · #

  16. Personally I guess you wrote a great freeware tool. It's with a deep sadness that I knew you're given up its development. Anyway, I'd like to thank you for share this piece of software with all of us abroad, it's a real usefull daily tool... Best wishes from Brazil.

    — Carlos Goncalves · Friday November 17, 2006 · #

  17. Greetings from New Mexico USA, Just discovered Diary Defender (11/2006) Great program and very useful. I hope things are going well for you. I wish you good fortune in all your endeavors. The only thing missing is a backup tool. Wish you could find to the time to add it. At any rate it is still a great little program and you have done a great job. It would be nice to know just a little more about you. Even though you are no longer developing the software, why not post a shortr BIO of yourself.

    — Bob Lawrence · Wednesday November 22, 2006 · #

  18. ... and to see through those bars DF helps me. It has NOT been invain, those hobby hours of programming. I have used DF for more than 1½ years and I am truly satisfied by the servies the program delivers. I suffer from mental illnes social anxiaty (depression included) and keeping a diary helps me express my inner thoughs and needs that I don not dear express in the real world. DF is like a little island playground where I truly am. I hope one day i'll be better and able to function more normally in my surrounding enviroment. But THANKS for helping hand you've givin' me !! Jakob Danish Living in Italy

    — Jakob Jørgensen · Tuesday November 28, 2006 · #

  19. Greetings from Brazil! Your Diary Defender is a great piece of software the way it is, so, you don't have to not accept donnations. Congratulations for your software and the best luck to you in your life! I will continue using Diary Defender even without updates, but I hope you consider donnating the source code to the Open Source community, they would continue your project. Good luck and thank you very much!

    — Fausto Cheder · Tuesday December 19, 2006 · #

  20. how do you uninstall dairy defender?

    — patricia conn · Sunday March 18, 2007 · #

  21. "Diary Defender" is broken on Windows Vista. It cannot be uninstalled. Do NOT install Diary Defender on Vista. I appreciate the author's efforts, and respect his decision to stop developing the program. I wish he would issue a new version that refused to install on Vista, or better yet successfully uninstalled on Vista. He created it and only he can do the right thing now. Thank you and good luck.

    — A Vista User · Thursday April 5, 2007 · #

  22. To uninstall a program in Windows XP or prior, go to Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs. Select the program, and click remove. I tried some other ways to uninstall Diary Defender in Windows Vista. I deleted the files in the program files directory. Then I tried to uninstall it again, and it allowed me to clear Diary Defender from the list of installed programs. Not perfect, but not as bad as I thought before. Thanks for having this useful and informative web page.

    — Anonymous · Friday April 6, 2007 · #

  23. If you need to uninstall Diary Defender under Windows Vista, you will get an error message stating that it "failed to set data for 'Diary Defender uninstaller"'. However, most of the files will be removed. After having run the uninstaller, simply delete the C:\Program files\Diary Defender folder, and you should be done.

    — Vegard Andreas Larsen · Friday May 25, 2007 · #

  24. Vegard - Awesome software. I guess it has issues with Vista - I don't care, Vista sucks. MS should provide backwards compatibility with all XP programs, even if it would be in some kind of "compatibility mode" - not your problem. Ignore any comments that tell you otherwise. They were the simpletons to assume all software should work on Microsoft's vastly different OS (especially free software). A suggestion: quit apologizing. You have nothing to apologize for - until someone invents a good OpenOffice Diary plugin this is the best freeware solution in existence. You ought to also make the source code available to whomever wants to use it. Just upload to a server and provide a link - you can spare the 5 minutes it would take to do that, yes? Again, Thanks!

    — davea0511 · Saturday August 25, 2007 · #

  25. Incidentally, I just learned that OpenOffice Writer allows you to password-protect (128 bit encryption) any document while saving it (toggle a "password protect" box - afterwhich it asks for a password). I still think Diary Defender has some great advantages, but given that it requires MS Office (which I don't have) to use the spelling feature I think I'll use OO so I can use spelling. Thanks, and my previous comments hold true. diary defender is great software.

    — davea0511 · Saturday August 25, 2007 · #

  26. Hello No matter what I think it is a great software, I mean, probably the best I have used, and I thank you for that :) Thanks!!!

    — KH (Singapore) · Thursday September 20, 2007 · #

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