I can swear that the following conversation took place in the Stardock offices, but I can't prove it.

-Hey Let's update fences.
-Ok, What are we improving this time?
-Nothing.
-Are we adding a few new features, then
-No!
-Then why are we updating the version?
-'cause for MONEY. Let's take people's money for nothing!
-Ok, here is an idea for more money. "subscription system"

Anyway, many thanks to the stardock team for this update that does not change anything.

I first purchased fences in January 2018. 6 years have passed so far. I used it with pleasure, but I think we have come to the end of the road. I'm not giving a single penny until Microsoft or a better and cheaper developer makes the current feature or the Stardock team adds a "real" feature!

This doesn't sound right. If you renew a classic subscription under your downloads ect. it should still be a classic subscription with only 2 changes. 1) 5 download limit and 2) an auto renew which can be turned off immediately.

I can see fully why people are upset with the 30 dollar permanent upgrade / buy fee. I have already expressed interest in that changing somehow myself.

However, anyone with a "classic" OD subscription really is still getting a great deal. If there is only one area that Stardock got right with all these changes it is with this one. The classic OD sub is a must buy imo.

I've been a fan of Fences since v2 and will continue to use v4 for as long as it's supported.  However, on the face of it, the move to SaaS for a minor OS utility that originally cost less than $10 for a full license with minor updates between major versions is clearly not in the interest of the customer.  That, or SD has a problem with its business model and they've been poorly pricing for years.

The upgrade paths are, IMO, too expensive for the utility of the software and the SaaS model isn't justified for the usefulness of the product.

I realize software development is not free but I'm severely disappointed in this new direction.  I have no doubt that it was made for financial reasons (only because I believe there's no viable technical reason to do so) but the consumer is poorer for it.

Sorry, but I will not be upgrading until the cost-benefit improves.

I bought permanent upgrades to Fences 3 (£5.49), and Fences 4 (£7.49) - so it's not unusual for me to regularly pay for upgrades when they're available.

Really disappointing to see the permanent upgrade price almost 4 times the price, and I won't be taking out a subscription on principle.

Lmao, they nuked Fences 5 Upgrade FAQ  and replaced it with locked thread, because they got called out there. They put Feedback thread linked in the nuked FAQ, but that link goes nowhere:

And I just got an email from them about Fences 5:

Shouldn't it say "Starting at 9.99$/month"?

Any comment on the fact the feedback link goes nowhere? And why are you editing forums posts?

You don't like links to Archive? Sure, but deleting whole sentences?

You dodged a valid question.

There is no crusade from me. I was just raising a concern about the removal of feedback that was given by your userbase. There were more than few people who were even more loyal to Stardock than me and felt bad about these changes you are making.

This is a forum, right? People can raise their concerns, give you feedback (even if it's negative one) and having a two-sided discussion, or am I wrong?

It was a criticism. I wasn't using explicit language, nor was going around insulting people. But it seems nowadays anything like this is easily labeled as antagonistic and insulting.

I wouldn't even spend my time on this topic again, if you wouldn't delete the FAQ thread, point people to dead link, edit my posts and then partially quote something from me that cannot be found in it's full context (as you deleted it).

I just want to clarify that I do NOT want to start a fight here.

I am just defending my name, my and many others' view on this.

Here's the thing...if you don't need the new features, if it doesn't fulfill a need, don't purchase it as your "old" software will continue to function as is.

Actually, it is unless the point was to whine.

Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Wish you can create your own thread so we can try to help you from there.

Thanks
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

No the point is to tell a company what we are and are not willing to pay for a product and what we expect as far as support. I don't blindly support any company. But I go out of may way to support a company that makes good products and give them a reasonable price. Here the reasonable price aspect is not what the community expects so we are letting them know. 

Hi,

A Discord user (Knox[knox5508]) is having problems with its Fences 5 licensing. He comments he can't create an account to post to these forums nor have the option to contact the e-mail he have when he acquired their Object desktop subscription.

This is the message he posted on discord:

Knox

— Today at 9:51 AM

Maybe someone here could help him.

J.

I need to amplify the messaging here.

I just had to double-check... I've been an Object Desktop subscriber (sometimes reluctantly) since 2014.

In case the Stardock folks are bad at math, that's TEN years.

With the addition of Steam purchases like GC and Sins, I've given you folks well over $500. Most of this spend was simply for the ease of installation and bundling of sparkly utilities that I can find elsewhere (or develop myself, for that matter).

You mean to tell me you can't honor the Object Desktop subscription model by including a MINOR update to ONE of your bundled offerings as part of the subscription I've been paying for a decade? You want another ten bucks for that?

You guys have lost your minds.

And a customer.

I'll use the remainder of my subscription time to migrate to alternatives.