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User avatar
By Luc Volders
#78771 @PeterN

>It did work well until WHAT?<

Not trying to start a flame war but this has to do with the licensing
scheme CiccioCB came up with and that is the rerason I stopped
with being a beta tester and do not recommend Annex Basic for any project.

Annex Basic works until Ciccio comes up with a new version.
Then the old versions cease to work and you MUST update to get
them working again.

Really annoying and not do-able.

This is the reason why I stopped as a beta tester when the new versions came along and stopped
using Annex all-together. Also the reason why I removed my posts on this forum about Annex Basic.

Luc
User avatar
By Electroguard
#78777 To prevent the possibility of Annex being pirated and leaked into the public domain before being released or even finished, each version was given a finite lifetime which was seemlessly superseded by subsequent updates. This also provides incentive for beta testers to actively participate and contribute, by regularly updating rather than just installing for their own purposes then not having any further involvement.
All beta test members requested access to Annex on the agreement that they would contribute towards it, but not everyone kept to their side of that bargain once they got their hands on it.
After a purge of non-contributers, all remaining beta test members were given 10 free lifetime licences to allow installed versions of Annex to work indefinitely without timing out. These were not essential, they merely offered testers the ability to install embedded versions of Annex which did not have to be updated. The licenced version also allows embedding for profit if wished.

If Annex is ever released to the public, and if it gains sufficient popularity, and if CiccioCB chooses to take on board all the required hassle involved... he may at some stage offer the additional benefit of licences to the public, permitting 'fit and forget' convenience for both private and commercial use. The licences would cost less than 5$, and would help fund new developments and administration costs... but they would be a convenience, not an obligation.
If and when Annex is released, the version timeout would still protect against piracy and unauthorised commercial use, but Annex will always be free to anyone who wants it, and the updates will always be free to anyone who can bothered to do them. Initially the licences may also be available for free, but increased popularity may increase the required commitment enough that licences may need to be charged a nominal amount - but that will be entirely optional... for anyone who prefers to pay a pittance to 'fit & forget', or profit from Annex.

But the main purpose of version timeouts was to protect Annex from abuse, which it is doing, and only someone expecting everything for nothing and ending up with nothing (ie: some non-contributing beta testers) would have any gripe against CiccioCB's outstanding unfinished masterpiece. I hope for everyones sake that Annex does get released to the public so that anybody who wants to can have opportunity of it again if they wish.
User avatar
By PeterN
#78779 @electroguard
Thanks for your efforts to explain what CiccioCB intended.
I read many "IF"s in your answer. I am not expecting everything for nothing.
But that is a very strange behavior of cicciocb and that was NOT made clear when he asked for help in his FREE project (please see one of his early posts here).
He explained that he was disappointed about the missing contributions - That is ok.
I am disappointed about wasting my time without having been informed about the rules and about him changing the rules while playing.