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Thread Paying for Bug Fixes Now?
Wed, Mar 19 2008 6:33 PMPermanent Link

Mark
Ok, I understand that you want to go to a support plan for upgrades and minor releases
which contain new or enhanced functionality, but why should your customers be forced to
pay for bug fixes?

Let's say you release a product that is described to work a specific way, a person buys it
expecting it to work a specific way, but in the course of normal, documented use, it
doesn't work in the specific way as described. Now you expect the customer to spend more
money to make what they were told would work, really work?

It all sounds a bit like Microsoft or Borland.

I might go for this new policy if you would grandfather everyone who is on a current
product until the next Major release. But to change policy  on product versions already
sold and being used is a bit unethical.

Am I reading the announcement wrong?

Mark
Wed, Mar 19 2008 8:09 PMPermanent Link

Charalabos Michael
Hello Mark,

> Am I reading the announcement wrong?

Yeap

--
Charalabos Michael - [Creation Power] - http://www.creationpower.gr
Thu, Mar 20 2008 1:09 AMPermanent Link

"Ron Grove"

> I might go for this new policy if you would grandfather everyone who is on
> a current
> product until the next Major release. But to change policy  on product
> versions already
> sold and being used is a bit unethical.
>
> Am I reading the announcement wrong?
>
> Mark

I read this to say you're grandfathered in the second sentence:

http://www.elevatesoft.com/support.htm
"As of March 19, 2008, Elevate Software has switched from free electronic
support and minor releases to paid support plans. The details are described
below. Any existing customers as of the March 19th, 2008 introduction date
will be automatically grandfathered in with access to any existing ElevateDB
or DBISAM releases, so there will be no interruption in the availability of
any existing releases. However, this only applies until the next minor
ElevateDB and/or DBISAM release, after which you must have a current support
plan in order to gain access to the new releases."
Thu, Mar 20 2008 1:22 AMPermanent Link

"Ron Grove"
Well, I suppose in reading it again they could clarify what constitutes a
minor release.  Is a pure bugfix release considered a minor release?  Or is
it (what I would expect) a release with significant new features, but not
enough for a "major" release.  Also, in the new support plan line item I see
in my purchase there is now an annual support contract at $0.  I purchased
the promo for EDB v2.0 on Feb 20th.  I take that to mean I'm grandfathered
as an existing customer on an annual support contract until at least Feb
20th next year.  I don't see a date on any of these support line items
confirming the particular date, though.

Ron

"Ron Grove" <rgrove@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:BA9B1DE1-AD34-4485-911E-9B28B4C5F7AA@news.elevatesoft.com...
>
>> I might go for this new policy if you would grandfather everyone who is
>> on a current
>> product until the next Major release. But to change policy  on product
>> versions already
>> sold and being used is a bit unethical.
>>
>> Am I reading the announcement wrong?
>>
>> Mark
>
> I read this to say you're grandfathered in the second sentence:
>
> http://www.elevatesoft.com/support.htm
> "As of March 19, 2008, Elevate Software has switched from free electronic
> support and minor releases to paid support plans. The details are
> described below. Any existing customers as of the March 19th, 2008
> introduction date will be automatically grandfathered in with access to
> any existing ElevateDB or DBISAM releases, so there will be no
> interruption in the availability of any existing releases. However, this
> only applies until the next minor ElevateDB and/or DBISAM release, after
> which you must have a current support plan in order to gain access to the
> new releases."
Thu, Mar 20 2008 3:35 AMPermanent Link

Roy Lambert

NLH Associates

Team Elevate Team Elevate

Mark

>Ok, I understand that you want to go to a support plan for upgrades and minor releases
>which contain new or enhanced functionality, but why should your customers be forced to
>pay for bug fixes?

I hate to mention this but historically software was sold with a maintenance agreement.

Roy Lambert
Thu, Mar 20 2008 4:23 AMPermanent Link

Heiko Knuettel
>>why should your customers be forced to pay for bug fixes?

1) Because bug-free software doesn't exist.
2) Because after 1 year of free support all mayor bugs are gone
3) Because forcing a company, exspecially a smaller one, to support their products forever
without charge, would sooner or later mean death to that company
4) Because the support is great, and should be honored some way
5) Because the price of the products will have to increase, if they included x years of
free support
6) Because if there is a mayor upgrade every year, you will never have to pay for support,
if you are satisfied with the product and buy the upgrade.
Thu, Mar 20 2008 7:26 AMPermanent Link

Roy Lambert

NLH Associates

Team Elevate Team Elevate

Reading the bumph on the web site the only thing I have against it is we'll loose the superb input into these newsgroups that Tim has made over the years, but at least he isn't going as far as TMS and restricting access to the NG's for non-registered users.

Roy Lambert
Thu, Mar 20 2008 8:23 AMPermanent Link

Hmm, I'd really rather have an account based newsgroup for support, so
that I can read it "offline" and see the discussions. It is often useful
to have others answer queries.

/Matthew Jones/
Thu, Mar 20 2008 8:23 AMPermanent Link

> 4) Because the support is great, and should be honored some way

I have to say that the Elevate support has been way beyond my
expectations. I had an obscure threading issue, and Tim took my whole app,
cut it down to what appeared to be the minimum required himself, sent it
back "no fault found", I added back in the start of a thread he'd missed,
and it showed the bug again, then he had a fix within a day, released to
the world 3 days later. This at a time when I was saying how good DBISAM
was for a new client, so he saved both his and my reputation. That he did
this shows the dedication to getting things solved. He could so easily
have asked me to do the initial work and put it to one side.

As a result of this, I bought ElevateDB immediately as I had no other way
to pay for such service. Now I do, and I'm happy to pay for such quality
support. The developer world is changing to subscription payments to
ensure good business. We must choose our tools and subscriptions and be
prepared to pay for those we value.

/Matthew Jones/
Thu, Mar 20 2008 8:56 AMPermanent Link

Roy Lambert

NLH Associates

Team Elevate Team Elevate

Matthew

I'm NEVER happy to pay for things, but some hurt less than others <vbg>


Roy Lambert
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