Ben Rosengartfivetonsflax@tilde.zone
Oct 14, 2026, 7:37 PM@bynkii You’re not wrong! So who can be trusted to not turn around and demand unsustainable rent as soon as one is locked in? That’s why people are so table-flippy, I think.
Replies
Bynkiibynkii@mastodon.socialOct 14, 2026, 8:19 PM@fivetonsflax part of the problem is the economics.
So you’re nanoleaf and you sell people a nice smart bulb. You get that one-time price, gives you a nice bit of profit, people never have to send you money again.
For them, it’s great. That light bulb costs YOU money forever. Updates for newer standards versions, vulnerabilities, etc. The more light bulbs you sell, the more doing those updates costs you because you have more people downloading them, and every download costs you money.
- Ben Rosengartfivetonsflax@tilde.zoneOct 14, 2026, 8:37 PM
@bynkii Yeah. This is why I don’t hate subscription software like some people do. I see it as a service, not a thing.
From a consumer’s perspective, the difference between “aligning revenue streams with costs” and “rent-seeking” is not always easy to spot.
I think the distrust you see is driven by out-of-control rent-seeking. Too many worms turn out to be lures, and the fish get suspicious.
- Bynkiibynkii@mastodon.socialOct 14, 2026, 8:46 PM
@fivetonsflax agreed. I tend to look more at who wants the money and what it gets me. Like, is it literally just for ongoing updates and maybe some free shit? That’s one thing.
Do I need it to use the thing at all or is it only for “special” features?
There’s no one right answer, but I think “ALL SUBS ARE BAD” is not it.