Free version... not full anymore

[Lizy]

First, let me tell you that I like your product.

But while I understand your motives to move toward a shareware scheme, the fact that you withdrawn precious features from the free version disappointed me.

I could pay right now the small fee you now required with the new shareware version in order to support Songs-DB development, but this quite atypical backward move let me unfortunately wonder what's the next drastic change ahead... Up to very recently, I recommended your freeware product to a lot of people, but now I can't since the very features that were cool and attractive aren't free anymore, despite previous general understanding that they were supposed to stay as such.

Again, I understand your motives and understand that there is no such thing as free lunch. You probably invest a lot of time and money in Songs-DB development and your not Mother Theresa. But the fact is still that you went backward. And although I am usually a strong shareware supporter and registerer with other products, you might like to know that your move actually let me prefer to stick with the free full 1.2 version for now (still available on the Net here and there) and wait for a while what's next.

I guess eventually my disappointement will iron up with a pack of wonderful and useful new features in the shareware version and plenty of motives to register, but for now, I see little incentive to upgrade (and implicitely approve the downgrade move).

This post was not a critic but a feedback. So, keep up the good work nevertherless. [/b]

[Lizy]

Having read most posts on this forum, I understand that there are plenty of features promised and perfect candidates to be added soon or later in an enhanced shareware version :

- Extended export features
- Basic Sleeves printout
- Equalizer
- Extended ID3v2 tags support
- Enhanced tagging features
- etc.

but IMHO, localization, if ever implemented, should be part of the freeware version, as nobody should be pay a fee to defend his mother tongue against the dominant English language

[jiri]

It is definitely interesting to read something like that. In the past I though that it would be possible to keep Songs-DB for free - to ask people for few dollars for support and to sell things like audio CDs or directly MP3 (once it is be possible). However model like this looked like not working, so I had to switch to a commercial version and choose, which features to make free and which not. It was hard to choose and I could not just wait for new features, it was necessary to make a proper selection in order to motivate people at least a bit to buy the Gold version.

You wrote that you were afraid about what can happen in the future. Well, probably the simplest answer is to purchase the Gold version - you will have all features, without any limitation and for the lifetime. And if the users of the free version should be scared? No, I don't think so. There can happen some changes in the future, but nothing that would seriously affect them. For example, I would like to make scripting available to them (at least partially).

And about the new features. There is a number of them currently being implemented, it goes slower than I would like to (because of number of other things, like smaller improvements, corrections, ...), but they all will appear. And definitely other languages will be for free once they are supported. Songs-DB is very mild in forcing users to purchase the commercial version and this should not be changed.

Jiri

[Lizy]

You wrote that you were afraid about what can happen in the future. Well, probably the simplest answer is to purchase the Gold version - you will have all features, without any limitation and for the lifetime.

No offense, but my point is exactly that I had already all that in version 1.2

Keyword here is added-value, something I don't find (yet) in the Gold version.

The fact that you

could not just wait for new features

and remove old ones from a free version is not a business argument sufficient enough, IMHO, to convice people to suddenly register. I can understand your motives, but I just want to share the other side of this issue, from the point of users. It might help you to better focus your commercial efforts. It's a bit like you said "well, I told you it's was free, now it's not anymore, I changed my mind, because I need now money to cover unexpected costs of past development (opposed to future development)". More or less.

It's not like you adviced users long ago that the free versions were beta only but the final would be shareware (one possible business model), or that you wanted to introduce so many new cool features that you would freeze development of a free version at one point and let it as it was, and focus on a new enhanced and commercial version (another common business model), or that you wanted to add licenced plugin or code that were required by advanced users in an enhanced version and use that lever to rentabilize your operations (yet another business model).

Strictly on a business point of view, I doubt that removing features from a free version and repackage them in a "Gold version" that is more-or-less the same thing the free version was before (minus minor fixes and marginal features), will be enough to suddently convert all previous users that weren't cool enough to send you a donation. Most dot.coms crashes happened exactly like that. I just hope, for you and for Songs-DB future, that I'm totally wrong, especially because I like Songs-Db and because the worrying message I understand from your side is that without fast and new money income, Songs-DB could turn to be a sitting duck (since you "couldn't wait", the implementation of the new business model has to be pretty urgent, isn't it ?)

And if the users of the free version should be scared? No, I don't think so. There can happen some changes in the future, but nothing that would seriously affect them.

It is not a matter of being scared or not. Using a freeware is a free choice and people can switch software or versions whenever they want to. That's one critical point I try to convey to you. Because as for now, even if not further downgrade happen in the future, they still have a better choice with the old and still available free version 1.2. If you want them to move from an old but free version to a newer but commercial version, you need more concrete incentives than good faith.

Again, I would like to stress that switching to the new business model make only sense, IMHO, if addition of new incentives and features is a top priority. You might stress that development will only happen if there are lot of registrations of the Gold version, but that's would be a catch-22. Perhaps only time and effort will further differentiate the free and the gold version.

As for me, I officially promise to register as soon new valuable features are implemented.

Good luck, and no hard feelings, as my comments were only business oriented.

[jiri]

You are right that recently there were not big features added, but that's because a big number of smaller ones has been made and also many have been fixed. From my point of view the version 1.3 is much better than 1.2 (well, that's true for all versions) so it is worth upgrading, but if there is user satisfied with 1.2, it is ok, I will try to convince him by the next version.

I never stated anywhere what the licence will be for the next versions (particularly because I wasn't sure how would it work) and as I wrote I really hoped to keep it free.

Anyway, it is my target number one to further improve Songs-DB and to add new useful features. Actually, it is not just about money received for my effort, but it is also good feeling to know that Songs-DB is started everyday by thousands of users around the world!

Good luck, and no hard feelings, as my comments were only business oriented.

Thanks, such comments are always welcomed!

Jiri

[escool]

Lizy,
I commend the writing style and clarity by which you convey the exact same sentiments that I had provided earlier. I believe I was more emotional and immature and you've tackled the same subject in a more professional manner.
Jiri, commendations on a product which matched a lot of needs with version 1.2. Lizy put it very succulently when she said that this business tactic was used by a lot of crashed dotcoms when they converted free services to paid ones by withdrawing priviliges which were earlier free. The working business model is to provide additional more compellig features from a existing good freeware product which had gotten you the fame originally instead of crippling it.

On the same note..Jiri, Is version 1.2 officially available .. if so great and commendable.
If not, Lizy could you be kind enough to let me know of a source for it by contacting me directly if needed..as I was not cautious enough to not keep old downloads

Thanks and have a great day in the free world

Anshuman
ps I would recommend looking into Sourceforge.net and GNU for the commendable work some people are doing by sharing and growing in the open source world.
I intend to join this community with a product rivalling Songs-db eventually but with open source so that the world benefits. hey the world needs a few Mother Teresa or the Bill Gates would eat it up!

[escool]

phpBB and the php that this site proudly rides on are both open source free solutions available. I wonder about the contribution made towards their growth by this products profits.

[jiri]

I think I have addressed all the things in my earlier posts, so just some specific answers:

Version 1.2 is not officially available, because it is outdated and contains some bugs I do not want to distribute anymore. However if you are interested in it, I can give it to you, no problem, just send me an email.

Sourceforge is definitely a great site as well as the whole open source world is. I use several free open source products and I also made several smaller contributions to some of them. However general discussion about free vs. commercial software is something where many clever people have written many clever things so there is probably a little to add here.

Jiri

[Lizy]

You'll be glad to hear that I just registered to the gold version!

Looking forward, now more than ever, for all announced big improvment

[jiri]

Definitely good news! Thanks for support!

The next version will bring some, at least full OGG support (including encoding) is worth mentioning. However much more will come, particularly very improved user interface.

Jiri