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This model still exists, somewhat. One factor that worked against it, from the standpoint of the software companies, was that there was no effective way to prev
by cratermoon 3y ago
This model still exists, somewhat. One factor that worked against it, from the standpoint of the software companies, was that there was no effective way to prevent copying and sharing (aka 'piracy'). Software companies put a lot of money and effort into trying to stop it, but every technical scheme was eventually cracked. The elaborate schemes that involved having a physical copy of the game's packaging annoyed users. Some schemes were downright abusive[1].
Even with modern DRM, the cost, complexity, and inability to completely lock down software installed on a device under the control of the user puts some companies off.
So now we have software as a service, paid for with the user's attention (ads) or we have software that just stops working if the company's servers can't be reached. (Looking at you, VanMoof).
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copy_protection#Notable_payloads https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copy_protection#Notable_payloa...
- flangola7 3y agoI don't want companies to be able to lock down a user's device. That isn't a business model that should be legitimized or allowed.
- cratermoon 3y ago> I don't want companies to be able to lock down a user's device Neither do I, thus the cautionary tale of VanMoof. Software is now everywhere, in everything from your toaster to the electric grid. As a result, right-to-repair means right to reprogram. The owner needs to be able to fix bugs, change performance parameters, replace things that break. When my dad was working on cars, that meant put in a new carburetor, adjust the timing, clean the points - all physical parts. It's different today.
- ghaff 3y agoAlso, if you wanted on-prem software, open source alternatives increasingly became an option. (As in the case of office suites, SaaS also allows for some collaboration and other options that couldn't really be done with desktop software installs. I never want to go back to mailing around copies of files and merging changes again.