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Is there a https://killedbygoogle.com/ https://killedbygoogle.com/ equivalent for startups that promised 'forever'/'lifetime' service and then shut down a few y

Is there a https://killedbygoogle.com/ https://killedbygoogle.com/ equivalent for startups that promised 'forever'/'lifetime' service and then shut down a few years later?

tluyben2 6y ago
It is not easy to do something 'lifetime' obviously. I set out to create a service 'for life'[0], it is 15 years old next year, it has loyal clients and it's getting an update (rewrite, modern skin, app, modern features, launching 1/1/'21) for it's 15th birthday. But although I promise never to sell (out; no ads, no data sales etc) and have the entire product (source etc) in escrow, anyone can break their word + contract obviously. I keep promising lifetime anyway and hope that others who do do not break their word easily either. [0] https://flexlists.com https://flexlists.com
- _puk 6y ago
  Off topic, but wow that loads fast! Let's hope that the "modern rewrite" doesn't slow it down too much ;) On topic - kudos for being free. There must be a threshold where a company that's "free forever" can be thought of as being there for the long haul, and I think 15 years definitely cuts it!
  - tluyben2 6y ago
    I have some 'sponsoring clients' luckily. They are telling me for years to make a paid plan and that was always the idea. Maybe it's 15th birthday is good for that too.
- mongol 6y ago
  Quite some commitment. When do you plan to retire?
  - tluyben2 6y ago
    I am not planning to retire. I tried retirement after I sold my company and I really did not like it. I might step out of computing, however that does not exclude running this. Also I have good friends who are helping. I would say we can revisit this topic here in at least 15-20 years and it'll still run (and probably will need a new skin ;) ).
    - Fnoord 6y ago
      > I am not planning to retire. With all due respect, you probably should plan around this. What if you suddenly die tomorrow? I'm not trying to threaten or scare you, its just that you (and your customers) should plan around this. An example of such planning which likely fits the glove for all readers here, is to have your private key or password at a notary.
      - tluyben2 6y ago
        > I'm not trying to threaten or scare you It's ok, I did do this; like said above, the source (and all keys/access) are in escrow at a notary for the projects I run in case of bus-hitting. Also, I am not working alone, but yes, I will rethink this again as it was a while ago that this was arranged.
passerby1 6y ago
Basically no startup is by definition last forever. Either bought (and sometimes killed by kind of 'google' then) or more or less silently dies of lack of money. 1 in 100 (probably a very wrong number) can become a real company. So basically all the startups are candidates into the list you've mentioned.
T-A 6y ago
There's no contradiction as long as they don't specify whose lifetime they mean.
- discordance 6y ago
  Available for the lifetime of their viability
  - 0xdeadbeefbabe 6y ago
    The lifetime of the internet
smarx007 6y ago
Who said it's a startup? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infomaniak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infomaniak
gogopuppygogo 6y ago
I am a Lindows OS Lifetime License holder. I disregard the fact the company/product is gone. I will forever be a license holder...
harha 6y ago
I wonder if companies can be held liable by customers and/or competitors if they break that promise. My (very brief, IANAL) intro to civil law in Switzerland covered an interesting detail in contracts: contracts (or parts) need to follow “good morals” to avoid being invalidated [0], an example of which would be that the contract shouldn’t bind the parties for perpetuity. So this part of the contract couldn’t be enforced by the other party (the customer), while the provider actively advertised it. I wouldn’t be surprised if this would be seen as bad advertising and would lead to potential compensation for customers and competitors, if they stop providing the service. [0]: https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19110009/index.html#a20 https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19110009/... Edit: added the English translation of the link.
- Galanwe 6y ago
  > I wonder if companies can be held liable by customers and/or competitors if they break that promise. Do we really care though? You can just scrap the company and do an other one. An other option is just to change the terms, display a pop-up to users saying "Hey, our terms changed, do you accept the new ones?". You can bet 99.999% will click yes and not read the new terms.
  - harha 6y ago
    > You can just scrap the company and do an other one. In this case probably yes, that's what the limited liability is for in companies. Though if you have legal issues with the old company, some jurisdictions may not let you start another one (or at least be director). If it's Google (Photos) or HP (lifetime printing) making the promise and driving competitors out of the market, I think it's a valid claim. > An other option is just to change the terms I'm not sure if that's an option if your customer has signed up under "lifetime" terms. While these parts of the terms they've signed up for are void, they could claim that they've had damages (costs or missed opportunities) by this "immoral" offer.
eythian 6y ago
I'm not aware of one, but here is one for startups that get bought out, promise nothing is going to change, then it does: https://ourincrediblejourney.tumblr.com/ https://ourincrediblejourney.tumblr.com/

Is there a https://killedbygoogle.com/ https://killedbygoogle.com/ equivalent for startups that promised 'forever'/'lifetime' service and then shut down a few years later?

tluyben2 6y ago

It is not easy to do something 'lifetime' obviously. I set out to create a service 'for life'[0], it is 15 years old next year, it has loyal clients and it's getting an update (rewrite, modern skin, app, modern features, launching 1/1/'21) for it's 15th birthday. But although I promise never to sell (out; no ads, no data sales etc) and have the entire product (source etc) in escrow, anyone can break their word + contract obviously. I keep promising lifetime anyway and hope that others who do do not break their word easily either. [0] https://flexlists.com https://flexlists.com

_puk 6y ago
Off topic, but wow that loads fast! Let's hope that the "modern rewrite" doesn't slow it down too much ;) On topic - kudos for being free. There must be a threshold where a company that's "free forever" can be thought of as being there for the long haul, and I think 15 years definitely cuts it!
- tluyben2 6y ago
  I have some 'sponsoring clients' luckily. They are telling me for years to make a paid plan and that was always the idea. Maybe it's 15th birthday is good for that too.
mongol 6y ago
Quite some commitment. When do you plan to retire?
- tluyben2 6y ago
  I am not planning to retire. I tried retirement after I sold my company and I really did not like it. I might step out of computing, however that does not exclude running this. Also I have good friends who are helping. I would say we can revisit this topic here in at least 15-20 years and it'll still run (and probably will need a new skin ;) ).
  - Fnoord 6y ago
    > I am not planning to retire. With all due respect, you probably should plan around this. What if you suddenly die tomorrow? I'm not trying to threaten or scare you, its just that you (and your customers) should plan around this. An example of such planning which likely fits the glove for all readers here, is to have your private key or password at a notary.
    - tluyben2 6y ago
      > I'm not trying to threaten or scare you It's ok, I did do this; like said above, the source (and all keys/access) are in escrow at a notary for the projects I run in case of bus-hitting. Also, I am not working alone, but yes, I will rethink this again as it was a while ago that this was arranged.

passerby1 6y ago

Basically no startup is by definition last forever. Either bought (and sometimes killed by kind of 'google' then) or more or less silently dies of lack of money. 1 in 100 (probably a very wrong number) can become a real company. So basically all the startups are candidates into the list you've mentioned.

T-A 6y ago

There's no contradiction as long as they don't specify whose lifetime they mean.

discordance 6y ago
Available for the lifetime of their viability
- 0xdeadbeefbabe 6y ago
  The lifetime of the internet

smarx007 6y ago

Who said it's a startup? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infomaniak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infomaniak

gogopuppygogo 6y ago

I am a Lindows OS Lifetime License holder. I disregard the fact the company/product is gone. I will forever be a license holder...

harha 6y ago

I wonder if companies can be held liable by customers and/or competitors if they break that promise. My (very brief, IANAL) intro to civil law in Switzerland covered an interesting detail in contracts: contracts (or parts) need to follow “good morals” to avoid being invalidated [0], an example of which would be that the contract shouldn’t bind the parties for perpetuity. So this part of the contract couldn’t be enforced by the other party (the customer), while the provider actively advertised it. I wouldn’t be surprised if this would be seen as bad advertising and would lead to potential compensation for customers and competitors, if they stop providing the service. [0]: https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19110009/index.html#a20 https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19110009/... Edit: added the English translation of the link.

Galanwe 6y ago
> I wonder if companies can be held liable by customers and/or competitors if they break that promise. Do we really care though? You can just scrap the company and do an other one. An other option is just to change the terms, display a pop-up to users saying "Hey, our terms changed, do you accept the new ones?". You can bet 99.999% will click yes and not read the new terms.
- harha 6y ago
  > You can just scrap the company and do an other one. In this case probably yes, that's what the limited liability is for in companies. Though if you have legal issues with the old company, some jurisdictions may not let you start another one (or at least be director). If it's Google (Photos) or HP (lifetime printing) making the promise and driving competitors out of the market, I think it's a valid claim. > An other option is just to change the terms I'm not sure if that's an option if your customer has signed up under "lifetime" terms. While these parts of the terms they've signed up for are void, they could claim that they've had damages (costs or missed opportunities) by this "immoral" offer.

eythian 6y ago

I'm not aware of one, but here is one for startups that get bought out, promise nothing is going to change, then it does: https://ourincrediblejourney.tumblr.com/ https://ourincrediblejourney.tumblr.com/