Housing Knowledge Community

Does your software vendor feel more like a partner - or a parasite? 

A decade ago, I didn't mind paying what at the time seemed a fairly high price for unfriendly but workable software.  After all, it's a necessary tool.  Back then, expensive professional tools used to last a long time.  No more it seems.  These days, software from companies like Autodesk 'expire' after a few years - meaning you can't reinstall the software if your computer crashes.  In fact, a 'subscription' (yearly fee whether you want updates or not) is now required.  To make that stick, the file format is intentionally not backward compatible.  And of course software costs continue to escalate - even as business continues to be poor.

Am I the only one shocked at $13,000 for a 'required' upgrade for 3 seats?  Buy by March: 'or else'!

Am I the only one that cringes at being asked to sign up for an annual subscription for upgrades that I don't need or want?

Am I the only one with a feeling that if a fraction of the 86,000 members of the AIA put up a fraction of what we are each spending each year on software, we could buy or develop our own tools - and control our destiny and costs? 

Fees down, costs up; upgrades forced by threats of being orphaned. 

Am I the only one with a creepy feeling that we have a parasite infesting our profession?

Does your software vendor feel more like a partner - or a parasite? 

A decade ago, I didn't mind paying what at the time seemed a fairly high price for unfriendly but workable software.  After all, it's a necessary tool.  Back then, expensive professional tools used to last a long time.  No more it seems.  These days, software from companies like Autodesk 'expire' after a few years - meaning you can't reinstall the software if your computer crashes.  In fact, a 'subscription' (yearly fee whether you want updates or not) is now required.  To make that stick, the file format is intentionally not backward compatible.  And of course software costs continue to escalate - even as business continues to be poor.

Am I the only one shocked at $13,000 for a 'required' upgrade for 3 seats?  Buy by March: 'or else'!

Am I the only one that cringes at being asked to sign up for an annual subscription for upgrades that I don't need or want?

Am I the only one with a feeling that if a fraction of the 86,000 members of the AIA put up a fraction of what we are each spending each year on software, we could buy or develop our own tools - and control our destiny and costs? 

Fees down, costs up; upgrades forced by threats of being orphaned. 

Am I the only one with a creepy feeling that we have a parasite infesting our profession?

Does your software vendor feel more like a partner - or a parasite? 

A decade ago, I didn't mind paying what at the time seemed a fairly high price for unfriendly but workable software.  After all, it's a necessary tool.  Back then, expensive professional tools used to last a long time.  No more it seems.  These days, software from companies like Autodesk 'expire' after a few years - meaning you can't reinstall the software if your computer crashes.  In fact, a 'subscription' (yearly fee whether you want updates or not) is now required.  To make that stick, the file format is intentionally not backward compatible.  And of course software costs continue to escalate - even as business continues to be poor.

Am I the only one shocked at $13,000 for a 'required' upgrade for 3 seats?  Buy by March: 'or else'!

Am I the only one that cringes at being asked to sign up for an annual subscription for upgrades that I don't need or want?

Am I the only one with a feeling that if a fraction of the 86,000 members of the AIA put up a fraction of what we are each spending each year on software, we could buy or develop our own tools - and control our destiny and costs? 

Fees down, costs up; upgrades forced by threats of being orphaned. 

Am I the only one with a creepy feeling that we have a parasite infesting our profession?

Does your software vendor feel more like a partner - or a parasite? 

A decade ago, I didn't mind paying what at the time seemed a fairly high price for unfriendly but workable software.  After all, it's a necessary tool.  Back then, expensive professional tools used to last a long time.  No more it seems.  These days, software from companies like Autodesk 'expire' after a few years - meaning you can't reinstall the software if your computer crashes.  In fact, a 'subscription' (yearly fee whether you want updates or not) is now required.  To make that stick, the file format is intentionally not backward compatible.  And of course software costs continue to escalate - even as business continues to be poor.

Am I the only one shocked at $13,000 for a 'required' upgrade for 3 seats?  Buy by March: 'or else'!

Am I the only one that cringes at being asked to sign up for an annual subscription for upgrades that I don't need or want?

Am I the only one with a feeling that if a fraction of the 86,000 members of the AIA put up a fraction of what we are each spending each year on software, we could buy or develop our own tools - and control our destiny and costs? 

Fees down, costs up; upgrades forced by threats of being orphaned. 

Am I the only one with a creepy feeling that we have a parasite infesting our profession?

Does your software vendor feel more like a partner - or a parasite? 

A decade ago, I didn't mind paying what at the time seemed a fairly high price for unfriendly but workable software.  After all, it's a necessary tool.  Back then, expensive professional tools used to last a long time.  No more it seems.  These days, software from companies like Autodesk 'expire' after a few years - meaning you can't reinstall the software if your computer crashes.  In fact, a 'subscription' (yearly fee whether you want updates or not) is now required.  To make that stick, the file format is intentionally not backward compatible.  And of course software costs continue to escalate - even as business continues to be poor.

Am I the only one shocked at $13,000 for a 'required' upgrade for 3 seats?  Buy by March: 'or else'!

Am I the only one that cringes at being asked to sign up for an annual subscription for upgrades that I don't need or want?

Am I the only one with a feeling that if a fraction of the 86,000 members of the AIA put up a fraction of what we are each spending each year on software, we could buy or develop our own tools - and control our destiny and costs? 

Fees down, costs up; upgrades forced by threats of being orphaned. 

Am I the only one with a creepy feeling that we have a parasite infesting our profession?

Does your software vendor feel more like a partner - or a parasite? 

A decade ago, I didn't mind paying what at the time seemed a fairly high price for unfriendly but workable software.  After all, it's a necessary tool.  Back then, expensive professional tools used to last a long time.  No more it seems.  These days, software from companies like Autodesk 'expire' after a few years - meaning you can't reinstall the software if your computer crashes.  In fact, a 'subscription' (yearly fee whether you want updates or not) is now required.  To make that stick, the file format is intentionally not backward compatible.  And of course software costs continue to escalate - even as business continues to be poor.

Am I the only one shocked at $13,000 for a 'required' upgrade for 3 seats?  Buy by March: 'or else'!

Am I the only one that cringes at being asked to sign up for an annual subscription for upgrades that I don't need or want?

Am I the only one with a feeling that if a fraction of the 86,000 members of the AIA put up a fraction of what we are each spending each year on software, we could buy or develop our own tools - and control our destiny and costs? 

Fees down, costs up; upgrades forced by threats of being orphaned. 

Am I the only one with a creepy feeling that we have a parasite infesting our profession?