Babble FAQ

1. Tell me about Babble.
   Babble is the first and only .NET forum software designed from the ground up to be embedded into other applications. While there do exist other forum software packages out there, all of them are meant to be bolted into your existing website as an add-on. Babble is designed to be a component for developers to allow full integration into websites or applications that you're building. It's not terribly complicated, and that is completely intentional. Integrating .NET components is supposed to be easy. That's how we designed it.
2. What version of the .NET framework is Babble written with?
   Babble uses v2.0 of the .NET Framework.
3. What language is the source code in?
   English.
4. Ummm... I meant what programming language.
   C#.NET
5. If I purchase Babble, do I get all of the source code?
   Yes.
6. Even the Rich Textbox control?
   Yes.
7. What third party libraries do you use or will I have to purchase additional licenses for?
   Absolutely none. Babble was designed with the needs of developers in mind. We're developers too and it's hard enough to integrate someone else's code into your own. Third party libraries make that more difficult so everything in Babble was written by us. That means there's a consistent style to the source code, and no third party objects or libraries that are linked in. If there's a bug in the product, we can fix it. You have the complete source code, so that means that you can too.
8. How is Babble licensed?
   We offer a per-developer license for Babble. Each developer in your company that is working with the software will need to have a license.
9. What about distribution? How do I include Babble in the software that I'm developing?
   Distribution licensing is relatively simple. We offer two different distribution licenses: A Non-Source Code Distribution License and a Source Code Distribution License.
   
   If you are distributing Babble in any way, you will need to purchase a distribution license for each copy of Babble you distribute. If you are not providing the customer with the source code of Babble, you will need to purchase a Non-Source Code Distribution License. If you are providing your customer with the source code to Babble, then you will need to purchase a Source Code Distribution License. This license must be transferred to the customer and the customer must agree to abide by the license terms.
10. Can you give me an example of how the Distribution Licenses work?
    Let's say that your company produces a CRM package called WidgetCRM for resale and you want to include a forum component. You purchase a Babble developer license for each of your 10 developers, and integrate it into your product. Then, you start selling WidgetCRM.
    
    Depending on how you are distributing WidgetCRM, you will need a Babble Distribution License for each copy of WidgetCRM that goes out the door. If you are including the Babble Source Code, you will need to purchase a Source Code Distribution License. If you only provide the compiled binary code for Babble in your product, then you only need a Non-Source Code Distribution License.
11. Do I need a Distribution License to include Babble in a demo or trial of our software?
    No. The only restrictions are that the demo/trial must expire after a reasonable time period of no more than 60 days, or the demo/trial must be functionality limited to encourage the user to purchase the product.
12. Do you have a Royalty Free Distribution License?
    Yes, we do. There are two limitations. First, you may not distribute the source code to Babble. Second, you must name the product that Babble will be incorporated into. For each product you wish to distribute Babble with, you would need an additional Royalty Free Distribution License. Call us for pricing.
13. Who are your primary competitors?
    Our competitors include Community Server and InstantForum.NET, although neither of them offer an embeddable forum solution like we do.
14. Why would I purchase Babble instead of something from your competitors?
    If you enjoy complexity, then by all means buy something from our competitors.
    
    But if you're looking for something that you can integrate into your web application to provide an integrated solution, you'll find that Babble will beat them hands down. While our competitors pride themselves on having more features and are constantly one-upping each other, that strength results in a codebase that is too large and cumbersome to be integrated into most applications. Babble is designed to be a component of your web application, and was designed with simplicity in mind.
15. What if I'm not happy with what my purchase?
    We offer a 30 day, money back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose.
16. Is there a trial version of the product that I can download?
    Not currently. While the software does work on its own as a stand-alone forum, the real purpose behind it is to embed the software into existing applications. This generally requires access to the source code.
    
    The screenshots should give you some idea of what the stand-alone version looks like. You can also see an existing stand-alone installation here. We will be adding documentation about the back end API to this website in the near future.

ChitChat.NET FAQ

1. What happened to ChitChat.NET?
   ChitChat.NET was rebuilt from the ground up and renamed "Babble v3.0". As of this point, the official ChitChat.NET v2.1 has been discontinued.
2. Can I still purchase ChitChat.NET?
   No, ChitChat.NET has been discontinued in favor of the embeddable architecture of Babble.
3. Do you still support ChitChat.NET?
   The product has been discontinued, but we will continue to support the people who have purchased the software for one year after their original purchase date.

Corporate FAQ

1. When was Moon River Software founded?
   Moon River Software, Inc. was officially founded on August 10th, 2005 in Massachusetts.
2. So, are you like one guy working out of his basement on the weekends?
   Fortunately, no. Moon River Software has an office in downtown Worcester. We're located at 390 Main St, Suite 832. Don't bother mailing stuff to us there. We've never received mail at the office, and expect that trend to continue.