The only exception is when there really is distinctive ongoing value being delivered (eg. VPN provider). But my bar for what constitutes 'ongoing value' is high.
I don't agree that it aligns incentives between me and the developer. I've found many of the subscription services I've signed up for tend to substantially degenerate in quality after a few years, as they start chasing a perceived larger market share by bloating with features I don't want and would be happy to pay more NOT to have (looking at you, Dropbox).
By contrast, I'm still using lots of software I initially purchased decades ago (tools like Hard Disk Sentinel and Beyond Compare are great examples).
I consider bugs to be manufacturing defects, for which fixes should be free (generally, minor version upgrades). Many parts of the world even have 'fit for stated purpose' laws to that end. If a car manufacturer sells you a lemon, they have some responsibility to fix the faulty parts (eg. recalls).
When the developer adds new features I'm interested in, I'm happy to pay for them (traditionally, major version upgrades). I prefer having the opportunity to make my own decision about whether the new features are worth it, and keep using the old one if not.
I own a ton of useful software, and I'd be broke if I had to pay for all of it on an ongoing basis.
In a world where all software is subscription, we'd all be using the same handful of suites from the top vendors. Better for a rich and diverse ecosystem.
Comments
As a user/purchaser I hate subscription models.
The only exception is when there really is distinctive ongoing value being delivered (eg. VPN provider). But my bar for what constitutes 'ongoing value' is high.
I don't agree that it aligns incentives between me and the developer. I've found many of the subscription services I've signed up for tend to substantially degenerate in quality after a few years, as they start chasing a perceived larger market share by bloating with features I don't want and would be happy to pay more NOT to have (looking at you, Dropbox).
By contrast, I'm still using lots of software I initially purchased decades ago (tools like Hard Disk Sentinel and Beyond Compare are great examples).
I consider bugs to be manufacturing defects, for which fixes should be free (generally, minor version upgrades). Many parts of the world even have 'fit for stated purpose' laws to that end. If a car manufacturer sells you a lemon, they have some responsibility to fix the faulty parts (eg. recalls).
When the developer adds new features I'm interested in, I'm happy to pay for them (traditionally, major version upgrades). I prefer having the opportunity to make my own decision about whether the new features are worth it, and keep using the old one if not.
I own a ton of useful software, and I'd be broke if I had to pay for all of it on an ongoing basis.
In a world where all software is subscription, we'd all be using the same handful of suites from the top vendors. Better for a rich and diverse ecosystem.