Upgrade version and pricing [was] Re: Fix it before moving ahead

[A.C.T.]

Moin, Dar,

> Are you suggesting that there be versions branch for every upgrade, that 
> is, that bugs found for 9.1.1 be fixed even after the company has 
> released 10.0.0?

I am afraid this is leading into a dead cycle.

I am not "Runrev". I cannot tell Runrev how to handle their versioning. 
All I can say is that it is "common" in the software market (at least 
that part that I know) to fix bugs in "actual versions" and not leaving 
customers alone in the dark by simply pushing a version number up, 
urging them (the customers) to buy an upgrade where they (still the 
customers) only need a bugfix ("update"). Even the most-hated company 
Microsoft is supporting "ancient" versions of their software according 
to its lifetime definitions. I am NOT INTERESTED in version numbers at 
all! I can even live with many ways how to NAME a version.

If your question should not be meant towards the NAMING but the SUPPORT: 
Yes, I expect a company to do its best to support recent versions 
according to their version lifetime policy. I do expect a company to 
make it perfectly clear that you have to FREQUENTLY pay a specific 
amount of money to be allowed to receive BUGFIXES, if this is the policy 
of the company. If it is not, I expect the company to support 
V9.7.4.1.88.24.1.29 of their product even if they have just released 
V10.0.0.0.0.0.0.1.releasecandidate. Again: It is not the NAMING I am 
interested in. It is simply partnership. As a developer I intend to 
concentrate on MY products, not on the products I use to develop them. 
If a product I use to develop my own stuff is faulty, I expect the 
supplier of that tool to help - otherwise I would fall back to using 
pirated copies (which I have given up many many years ago).

Once again I have to explain that I do not intend to criticise (sp?) 
anyone (including Runrev), I was simply puzzled by some remarks on this 
list. And naturally, if I find the will to get used to Transcript and if 
I find bugs that need to be fixed, I will try my best to help Runrev to 
fix the bugs. AND I do expect free updates that fix the bugs I helped 
pointing out - of course. I really hope this is not taken as an offence!

Sorry for having been so long again. I really find it hard to explain my 
  basic understanding of the development universe :-) I am not alone 
with this understanding of how the world is spinning - if I was I would 
simply shut up, watch the list and giggle where necessary. But there 
should be a difference between "Open Source puzzle your own stuff and 
leave us alone" projects and commercial partnerships. I am paying for a 
tool. If the tool is faulty, I expect it to be repaired FOR FREE. If I 
need an UPGRADE (a tool with more bells and whistles) I am going to pay 
for that as well. But I am not going to pay for the hammer head, if I 
have bought a hammer and find out it does not come with a head.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Marc Albrecht
A.C.T. / Level-2
Glinder Str. 2
27432 Ebersdorf
Deutschland
Tel. (+49) (0)4765-830060
Fax. (+49) (0)4765-830064