Nice list with some new apps to discover.  Number 44 happens to be a program (Ethervane Echo) created by a DC member for this year's NANY.

At the dawn of 2011, we provided you with a list of 150 best Windows application of 2010. This, year we covered not only Windows software, but also Mac OS X and Linux applications in great number. Since Windows is the most widely used operating system, we tried to keep our focus on finding and covering best Windows software, tricks and tips. While it is important to look for all the good things that the future might hold, it is also worth looking back to see the fine finds of previous year. Keeping the tradition alive, we now have a compilation of the 150 best Windows applications of the year 2011. So, it’s time to browse through to some extremely handy applications and pick the ones that best suit your needs.

http://www.addictive...r-2011-editors-pick/

No DC apps on the list, but Samer at FreewareGenius is always finding great software, so definitely worth a read:

Many sites have “best of year” program lists that are really “best of all time”; so is this one of them? Well, yes and no. This is a list of the best free software that has either been launched in 2011, or has been significantly improved upon and come into it’s own in 2011 (for a best freeware ever list, check out our Freeware Top 30).

How I chose these: I install a lot of programs, as you might imagine. I do this on my main machine and every several weeks I restore a clean image, so I take note of those programs that make their way back into my system as being a cut above the rest. This is a list of those, or at least 10 that are quite noteworthy. I also made an attempt NOT to rehash the same old list of titles which everyone already knows.

http://www.freewareg...ee-programs-of-2011/

1. Newsletter Editorial

Greetings and happy holidays!  It's 45 degrees here in Illinois as I write this -- a mild winter so far.  Personally I prefer to see a little snow on the ground in December.   There are about 12 days left until the new year (it takes 48 hours to send out the newsletter to all of you so your mileage may vary).  And that means less than 12 days until our year-end NANY event: New Apps for the New Year 2012.

You should know about NANY by now -- it's where we ask the coders of all skill levels who hang out on our site to try to release a new program to celebrate the upcoming year.  Some of the programs are just experiments, some are large full-featured applications.  The event is open to all coders, and there is no winner -- everyone who participates gets a coffee mug featuring our mascot Cody.  If you're a coder, or you know someone who is, there's still plenty of time to take part -- just drop by our forum and announce your intent to do so.

And please do join us on New Years to cheer on all of the participants!

This thought provoking essay addresses some important concepts that may be of interest to DonationCoder readers.

I think the key message here is sustainability -- charting a path that is sustainable.  And that's something we have always been very big on here.  We try to avoid embarking on projects that we can't sustain, and don't bite off more than we can chew.

These projects are all very different, but the dynamic is the same. Someone builds a cool, free product, it gets popular, and that popularity attracts a buyer. The new owner shuts the product down and the founders issue a glowing press release about how excited they are about synergies going forward. They are never heard from again.

Whether or not this is done in good faith, in practice this kind of 'exit event' is a pump-and-dump scheme. The very popularity that attracts a buyer also makes the project financially unsustainable. The owners cash out, the acquirer gets some good engineers, and the users get screwed.

To avoid this problem, avoid mom-and-pop projects that don't take your money! You might call this the anti-free-software movement.

If every additional user is putting money in the developers' pockets, then you're less likely to see the site disappear overnight. If every new user is costing the developers money, and the site is really taking off, then get ready to read about those synergies.

To illustrate, I have prepared this handy chart:

http://blog.pinboard...on_t_be_a_free_user/

From PC World on Saturday (December 9, 2011):

In the second part of our donationware series, we introduce a few hidden gems that you can download and use for free. All of these programs accept contributions, and some support charities.

After recommending a bunch of tools, the article wraps up thusly:

Finally, you might think so highly of these applications that you just have to share them with the world. You're welcome to share the link to this review, of course--but if you'd like to demonstrate how you use a certain app, I suggest Screenshot Captor.

DC member Edvard writes:

So I'm going to be laid off at the end of this month, and I've come to the conclusion that short-term contracting is my best bet in this economy until I can rack up a few certs.
As experienced as I am with many things, I don't have any real marketable skills or fancy pieces of paper to impress potential employers on places like ODesk or Guru.com, BUT...

Looky what I found...   

TaskRabbit
http://www.taskrabbit.com

Get just about anything done by safe, reliable, awesome people.
...
1. Post a Task
    It’s free to post a Task! Include all the necessary info for the TaskRabbit to do the job.
2. TaskRabbits make offers
    The background-checked TaskRabbit who makes the lowest bid will automatically be assigned and run your task.
3. Pay when Task is done
    Pay the TaskRabbit conveniently online; no cash needed.

Fees run around 15%, and folks can get paid via check in the mail, or PayPal.
If you are a good TaskRabbit, you can gain reputation and do pretty well.
The top guy on there is making ~$5000 USD a month 
Too bad they're not in the Seattle area yet...   



DoMyStuff
http://www.domystuff.com

Too Much Stuff to Do? Not Enough Time? Let Other People Do Your Stuff!
...
The tasks you post can range from the mundane, such as mowing the lawn or picking up dry cleaning, to the extraordinary, such as arranging dinner with a celebrity or chartering a private jet. Don't limit yourself. Post anything you need done, and get back to living your life!

1. Post your day-to-day chores, errands, and other tasks that clutter your life
2. Choose the bidding duration for your task
3. Limit bidders based on location, rating, and more
4. Assistants bid to do your task
5. Review bids for your task and choose an assistant
6. Communicate with your assistant
7. Leave feedback for your assistant

Very similar with a feedback system and reputation building, and they have a private message board for communication between employers and bidders.
Says they charge a "small fee" to get contact information for the prospective employer.



Zaarly
http://www.zaarly.com

Zaarly is changing how the economy works. That's all... just a little global economic disruption.

Zaarly enables people to ask for anything from people nearby.
A simple idea; but when it takes root in a community, the impact is profound.
Buyers decide what they want and the price they want to pay and someone from the community makes it happen, creating a job and keeping money local.
Zaarly helps anyone invest directly into their local economy.

Zaarly seems more informal and kinda like an open market; stuff you want to buy or sell are mixed in with job offers.
They've got a mobile app, and you can sign up through Facebook.
They only charge a fee if you do a credit card transaction (10%) and they use PoundPay for all their transactions, though the Help says you can get paid via direct deposit or PayPal, or even cash from the buyer.



Neat ideas, I hope these catch on.
I like the idea of community-level economy building like this, and just like they say in the spam ads, I can set my own hours and work from home (more or less...).