Hello dotTechies,

A few days ago I asked a simply but loaded question — should dotTech start its very own “Best Free Windows Software” section? While there were (are) some naysayers, the overall answer was a resounding “YES”. So I’ve decided to take the dive; however, I need your help in making this successful.

As mentioned before, I cannot possibly find all the best freeware software for Windows, so dotTech needs some volunteers who will contribute an article to the good cause. More specifically, I’m looking for people who have the time, effort, and passion to write one (or more, if you can) “Best Free Windows Software” on a software category of your choice.

Writing a “Best Free Windows Software” article isn’t very time consuming, in the grand scheme of things. How long it takes will depend on your knowledge and writing capability. For example, it took me roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes to write Best Free Password Manager for Windows because I had already done the research in the past and simply had to put pen to paper. If you are in a similar situation, two hours is a good estimate for how long it should take you to write an article. If you have not yet done the required research, it may take you upwards of five hours (the research is key because that is what decides which is the best program). The good thing is, however, you don’t need to devote five hours in one — you can spread it out over a few days, or even one or two weeks.

After the initial article, you just need to regularly update the article (e.g. maybe once per month) if you ever find new software that changes your rankings. You aren’t required to update the article forever; if, at any time, you find you can no longer regularly update the article all you have to do is simply tell me and I’m sure another dotTechie will take care of it.

Since this is a voluntary position (no pay — sorry!), I’m not going to push any hard deadlines on anyone (write articles at your own pace) but if you cannot finish an article in two weeks, that probably means you don’t have the time to do it — and that is OK, you just need to tell me so I can open up the category for someone else to handle.

If you are wondering what type of format/articles we want, check out Best Free Password Manager for Windows. I’ll be providing you with the template you should follow. Take note that I want all writers to aim for 3 programs in each category — one best, one runner up, and one honorable mention. However, if you find that there are more programs worth mentioning in a category, you can always add more honorable mentions just like I did with best free password manager. It is all up to you.

That being said, if you can and will write a “Best Free Windows Software” article for dotTech, please post a comment below or send an e-mail to admin [at] dottech [dot] org with the subject of “I Want To Write Best Free Windows Software“. Please mention:

• Your name
• What category/categories you want to write
• How long you have been reading dotTech
• Any prior experience you have reviewing software

Thanks everyone! You all make this community great.