Editorial: Are you a prisoner of the unlock code?

Ithink that a world where software expiration is hard coded into a product, is not an appealing one for the consumer- sure it's great for the developer.
However who are we to tell someone still using a 1995 PC to upgrade to x, y and z. I know of a few businesses who still uses ancient DOS applications for invoicing and accounting, and they are most happy to keep it like it.

I agree with you though that in such a case there should be very clearly defined parameters on what constitutes a products life, and what constitutes the support cycle for the program. However in the case of the specific unlock and registration systems John is referring to, these clearly are not in place.
If company X went into liquidation tomorrow, and Old reliable proved not to be so reliable the day after, then that modern application you just purchased a couple of months before hand has gone from your software arsenal.

Personally though I avoid such systems if I know they are present, it's when they aren't that I worry.

Abu Dahbi and Dubai International airports still use DOS for most of there systems, there both brand new buildings, and there systems bearly ever go down. It just shows that you don't need the latest software, to work effectivley.

Nick

Very true, if you look at most EFTPOS systems the market even today is still dominated by DOS based and Terminal based soloutions. Windows and Linux have a very small percentage of the market share.

I cannot really think of any DOS application that has a unlock key system... anyone? Different era of software...

So has it been Windows herself which has made is a slave, and innevitable mistress to the unlock process?
Or was it just going to be a preordained innevitability with the rise to dominance of IT, and commercial IT software services and public networks?

Can anyone think of a viable, better alternative which developers can impliment?

so, again back ontopic ... I dun find myself a prisoner of the unlock code.

Frankly, there were more than a few times when I chanced upon some old software (or game ... like the Nintendo Game&Watch from the 70s) and I was so elated that I would be able to "relive" those fondly missed memories. But often than not, too much have changed, both the computing industry and myself, that when I bring up the oldware, the magic is not there anymore. Of cos there are exceptions like ... karateka!

My point is that even if software expires by design 10 yrs down the road, I dun think I would feel a prisoner of it. And I won't hold the developer for it - even if they do not release it as freeware. This is because I believe that the usefulness of that software would have found its equivalent in a future incarnation, maybe by the same company or by others. In some cases, the whole paradigm changed. Compare BBS vs internet. At least for me (I know there may be hardcore BBS sysops here who sw**r by BBS!), even if BBSes in its original form can be setup and be available, I would choose to go the www way anyday. Sure, the first few minutes would be teary eye ... then when the reality sets in (for me), I would prob find myself using whatever I was currently using, be it the web or otherwise.

Whatever developers do, state it upfront. If the software expires in 10yrs, say so. 5 yrs, 2, 1 ... say so and let the user deliberate over it and decide to buy or not. If that is done, I feel it is at least open play (though fairness is debatable). And to me, that is good enough. If I find it unfair that a piece of software expires in 10 yrs, then I can always find an alternative. Whether or not there is an alternative itself, is another thread altogether.

Er.. Snappy!, you posted that on the last page

Making a point here?

"Can anyone think of a viable, better alternative which developers can impliment?"

Honestly - I think the developers using this method have looked at the alternatives and decided that this is what is in their best interest.

Therefore as an HPC software consumer the best way too send them a message is to not purchase there software and specify your reasons for not purchasing in a well worded email or phone call.

Tell them, if and when they decide to change their registration policy...you would be more than willing to purchase their fine software.

Until then - NOT ON MY H/PC

Ooops ... I did?

I have been a personal computer user for roughly 30 years or so, HPCs for about 20 years ... and I never was made "a prisoner of the unlock code." Do I represent the norm or the exception? If I represent the norm, then where are we going with this?

The article wasn't meant o insist that you are a prisoner, if you are comfortable with the situation, then superb.
The idea behind it was to firstly prompt this debate and secondly just to make users aware of it as a possible issue and cause of constranation which they may encounter.

Some of us just aren't used to the idea of relying on others in IT. So if we - the likes oh John and myself are in the minority, then nothing will change at all; but we will at least have had the debate.

None I have ever used have had an unlock key system...



Windows definety

Nick

hmmm ... C:Amie brought up an interesting point. As I mentioned (twice! ) ... if an expiration/activation code is present and made known to the user, I think it ok. But not if it springs up as a surprise.

So the question becomes: Should the feds regulate that software publishers label their software stating any such code? I see this in the same line as the Privacy Policy statement thingie. Although some sites would hide things in the small print ...

You are both wrong I remember a software which came on a 5 1/4 floppy that a small company in early 90s developed for some accounting or whatever purposes. We never figured out how it worked because we never installed it. During installation we made a mistake (or there was simply a bug) and it locked... It was just useless trying to repeat the installation.

As a matter of fact, if I read the above statement again, I realize that it describes my case, too! The famous accounting software in fact did not have an unlock key system. It just simply locked and died - one way ticket

PS (Post Scriptum, not ProgramSynthesiser): We did not buy it, a busines partner (who actually wrote it) gave us a copy to test it....so we did not complain about...

What bothers me more than activation for software, simply because I encountered it more, is the limitation on content installation. The fact that I have quite a few books which are limited to just two or three machines is quite problematic. And because the machine's ID is incorporated into the books, even if I'm allowed to change the code, I have to redownload all of them. (I'm referring to books in Mobipocket format.)

This is a problem not just restricted to eBooks. All drm faces the problem.
Look at music you buy from msn music and it'll expire in 2099 and can be used on three devices. To me - with a pc in almost every room, pda, cd burners and so on, thats just a fantasy level of use. Again all part of the problem, but this instance has pressure groups and lobbiests.

In fairness to some of these software companies, I suppose that they could put in place some sort of mechanism that performs one final and permenant "unlock" if they know that they would no longer support the software or be going out of business.

Still - because they are in control of the software, one would have to hope (when the time comes) that they do the right thing for there customers!

I guess it come down to your trust in the company and the quality of their customer service! If it take multiple email to customer service every time you have a question or problem - Buyer Beware!