5 ms·

37signals Tada-List is now closed

21 points by alberth 14y ago

In one major move, 37signals shuts down:1. Backpack, 2. Tada list, 3. Writeboard (and no longer offers a free version of Basecamp).The announcements can be found here: - http://37signals.com/tadalist-retired - http://37signals.com/writeboard-retired - backpackit.com37signals now ONLY offers products that you must buy.No more freemium sales model.As well as they are leaving thousands of Legacy Basecamp customers stranded who don't want to migrate to the new Basecamp product.

alberth 14y ago
In one major move, 37signals shuts down: 1. Backpack, 2. Tada list, 3. Writeboard (and no longer offers a free version of Basecamp). The announcements can be found here: - http://37signals.com/tadalist-retired http://37signals.com/tadalist-retired - http://37signals.com/writeboard-retired http://37signals.com/writeboard-retired - backpackit.com 37signals now ONLY offers products that you must buy. No more freemium sales model. As well as they are leaving thousands of Legacy Basecamp customers stranded who don't want to migrate to the new Basecamp product.
- Smudge 14y ago
  Tadalist and Writeboard both say: `But don’t worry — any [x] you already created here at [y].com will continue to work` Which is nice. Of the above, the only thing I might take issue with is the stranding of legacy Basecamp customers. Why don't they want to migrate? What can 37signals do for them? Answering these questions is important, and if they are already working on this then I see no problems.
  - geekfactor 14y ago
    Fried discusses some of these issues in a recent mixergy interview: http://mixergy.com/basecamp-build-products-that-people-love-with-jason-fried/ http://mixergy.com/basecamp-build-products-that-people-love-...
  - damncabbage 14y ago
    Why don't they want to migrate? In our case, it's the price hike ($29 -> $50). We're a not-for-profit and have a tough time paying for this stuff; we need to stick with Basecamp "Classic" for the time being.
    - xutopia 14y ago
      I thought they had a free plan for non-profits... you should ask them.
      - damncabbage 14y ago
        http://help.37signals.com/basecamp/questions/156-do-you-have-special-pricing-for-non-profits-universities-or-other-groups-in-need http://help.37signals.com/basecamp/questions/156-do-you-have... http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2580-why-non-profit-pricing http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2580-why-non-profit-pricing Nope. (We're not helping hurricane victims or the like, more a club that only just breaks even running an event once a year.)
- amerine 14y ago
  Nearly everything you said here is false. They have disabled new signups for Tada list and writeboard. Disabled creating standalone writeboards and new lists... Backpack isn't listed on their site anymore, but seems to work perfectly for me. Though, I'm not sure how useful it is now that most of the functionality seems to exist in Basecamp in some fashion. I also have plenty "Legacy" Basecamp projects and am not being "stranded", they work fine. Please elaborate.
- pbreit 14y ago
  Basecamp and Highrise both have free tiers so 2 of its 3 services are freemium.
  - maguay 14y ago
    Actually, the new Basecamp doesn't have a free tier now. Cheapest is $20/month. But, for teams I manage, we've found Basecamp was actually cheaper than the competition because every tier has unlimited users. That alone makes it cheaper than competing apps that charge per user.
    - pbreit 14y ago
      My bad...I mistook the "setup a free project".
- brandoncapecci 14y ago
  I don't think you understand what freemium means. I have some reluctance to believe this but, as the stories go, it's akin to a drug dealer giving a free hit to "see that the product is worth paying for". It is not perpetually providing you free bongs. Clear?
kenn 14y ago
The title is misleading. They will no longer accept new signups, but continue to work.
technel 14y ago
Jason Fried talks about decommissioning these products here: http://www.inc.com/magazine/201207/jason-fried/when-to-kill-a-product.html http://www.inc.com/magazine/201207/jason-fried/when-to-kill-...
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
jongos 14y ago
It's called 'free market'. Whether it's because sales are declining across the board, or those products aren't as profitable as they want them to be, I see nothing wrong with charging people to use what they make. They're a great company, with great products, more power to 'em.
Smudge 14y ago
This title sounds so indignant. 37signals can do what they want. I'm sure they'll give existing users plenty of warning & time to migrate content elsewhere before they shut down these services for good. For now, sign-ups are closed. Carry on.
- gooddaysir 14y ago
  37 Signals can do what they want because their product is so good. Look, I'm not a fanboy by any stretch, I'm not even a subscriber (yet), but I've been testing the new Basecamp and it is excellent. There is nothing else that comes close. I've tried many so called alternatives. Why is that? How come only 37 Signals gets it so right but nobody else can?
  - Smudge 14y ago
    I wouldn't say nobody else. (IMO 37signals gets these things right because that's their business. Getting these things right. When they don't get things right, they rework it until they get things right.)
    - sneak 14y ago
      > they rework it I see what you did there.
- nc 14y ago
  Existing users still have access, not sure why you'd need a warning in that case.
- ricefield 14y ago
  Title is now: 37signals Tada-List is now closed what was the original title?
  - Smudge 14y ago
    Can't edit my comment anymore. Original title was "37signals kills: Backpack, Tada, Writeboard. You must PAY for all products now."
briandear 14y ago
Oh my gosh! A company wants to make money? This is horrible! We should black out Wikipedia to protest. Give me a break, 37signals doesn't owe anything to anyone. Don't like them, don't use them.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
jgv 14y ago
The horror. I can't imagine why 37signals thinks its a good idea to charge for their products and services.
pooriaazimi 14y ago
Stupid, stupid title. They had an (apparently) free service since 2005, and you're angry they've started charging for it after 7 years?!

21 points by alberth 14y ago

alberth 14y ago

In one major move, 37signals shuts down: 1. Backpack, 2. Tada list, 3. Writeboard (and no longer offers a free version of Basecamp). The announcements can be found here: - http://37signals.com/tadalist-retired http://37signals.com/tadalist-retired - http://37signals.com/writeboard-retired http://37signals.com/writeboard-retired - backpackit.com 37signals now ONLY offers products that you must buy. No more freemium sales model. As well as they are leaving thousands of Legacy Basecamp customers stranded who don't want to migrate to the new Basecamp product.

Smudge 14y ago
Tadalist and Writeboard both say: `But don’t worry — any [x] you already created here at [y].com will continue to work` Which is nice. Of the above, the only thing I might take issue with is the stranding of legacy Basecamp customers. Why don't they want to migrate? What can 37signals do for them? Answering these questions is important, and if they are already working on this then I see no problems.
- geekfactor 14y ago
  Fried discusses some of these issues in a recent mixergy interview: http://mixergy.com/basecamp-build-products-that-people-love-with-jason-fried/ http://mixergy.com/basecamp-build-products-that-people-love-...
- damncabbage 14y ago
  Why don't they want to migrate? In our case, it's the price hike ($29 -> $50). We're a not-for-profit and have a tough time paying for this stuff; we need to stick with Basecamp "Classic" for the time being.
  - xutopia 14y ago
    I thought they had a free plan for non-profits... you should ask them.
    - damncabbage 14y ago
      http://help.37signals.com/basecamp/questions/156-do-you-have-special-pricing-for-non-profits-universities-or-other-groups-in-need http://help.37signals.com/basecamp/questions/156-do-you-have... http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2580-why-non-profit-pricing http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2580-why-non-profit-pricing Nope. (We're not helping hurricane victims or the like, more a club that only just breaks even running an event once a year.)
amerine 14y ago
Nearly everything you said here is false. They have disabled new signups for Tada list and writeboard. Disabled creating standalone writeboards and new lists... Backpack isn't listed on their site anymore, but seems to work perfectly for me. Though, I'm not sure how useful it is now that most of the functionality seems to exist in Basecamp in some fashion. I also have plenty "Legacy" Basecamp projects and am not being "stranded", they work fine. Please elaborate.
pbreit 14y ago
Basecamp and Highrise both have free tiers so 2 of its 3 services are freemium.
- maguay 14y ago
  Actually, the new Basecamp doesn't have a free tier now. Cheapest is $20/month. But, for teams I manage, we've found Basecamp was actually cheaper than the competition because every tier has unlimited users. That alone makes it cheaper than competing apps that charge per user.
  - pbreit 14y ago
    My bad...I mistook the "setup a free project".
brandoncapecci 14y ago
I don't think you understand what freemium means. I have some reluctance to believe this but, as the stories go, it's akin to a drug dealer giving a free hit to "see that the product is worth paying for". It is not perpetually providing you free bongs. Clear?

kenn 14y ago

The title is misleading. They will no longer accept new signups, but continue to work.

technel 14y ago

Jason Fried talks about decommissioning these products here: http://www.inc.com/magazine/201207/jason-fried/when-to-kill-a-product.html http://www.inc.com/magazine/201207/jason-fried/when-to-kill-...

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]

jongos 14y ago

It's called 'free market'. Whether it's because sales are declining across the board, or those products aren't as profitable as they want them to be, I see nothing wrong with charging people to use what they make. They're a great company, with great products, more power to 'em.

Smudge 14y ago

This title sounds so indignant. 37signals can do what they want. I'm sure they'll give existing users plenty of warning & time to migrate content elsewhere before they shut down these services for good. For now, sign-ups are closed. Carry on.

gooddaysir 14y ago
37 Signals can do what they want because their product is so good. Look, I'm not a fanboy by any stretch, I'm not even a subscriber (yet), but I've been testing the new Basecamp and it is excellent. There is nothing else that comes close. I've tried many so called alternatives. Why is that? How come only 37 Signals gets it so right but nobody else can?
- Smudge 14y ago
  I wouldn't say nobody else. (IMO 37signals gets these things right because that's their business. Getting these things right. When they don't get things right, they rework it until they get things right.)
  - sneak 14y ago
    > they rework it I see what you did there.
nc 14y ago
Existing users still have access, not sure why you'd need a warning in that case.
ricefield 14y ago
Title is now: 37signals Tada-List is now closed what was the original title?
- Smudge 14y ago
  Can't edit my comment anymore. Original title was "37signals kills: Backpack, Tada, Writeboard. You must PAY for all products now."

briandear 14y ago

Oh my gosh! A company wants to make money? This is horrible! We should black out Wikipedia to protest. Give me a break, 37signals doesn't owe anything to anyone. Don't like them, don't use them.

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]

jgv 14y ago

The horror. I can't imagine why 37signals thinks its a good idea to charge for their products and services.

pooriaazimi 14y ago

Stupid, stupid title. They had an (apparently) free service since 2005, and you're angry they've started charging for it after 7 years?!