Subscriptions aren’t the only sustainable model. Linux, Blender, VLC are actively maintained without requiring every user to pay a recurring fee. They rely mostly on donations, or one-time funding. And it works

A subscription may be a good model for some apps where they have high user-level server cost. But anywhere else I refuse

I think there’s a distinction to be made between solutions which are client-side, versus those that are server-side, or at least have a server-side component that is functionally necessary.

For the first category, the termination of a subscription shouldn’t lead to denial of access to the current build of the software: it should remain functional in the absence of lower-level updates. Ideally this software is sold as a one-time purchase, having life-time free updates bundled, or sell upgrades on a versioned basis; but a subscription fee for future updates seems perfectly reasonable too, if the previously stated conditions are met.

For the secondary category I believe it’s in the service’s right, to provide it’s products on the basis of its own terms and conditions; that is, if it doesn’t employ morally questionable practices, like: outpricing other services using venture capital, for the purposes of attracting a user-base for future exploitation (by raising fees, or by turning the user into the product; despite an ever decreasing value proposition: i.e. venture capital enshittification).

Eleven downvotes, great to get the hairs up 🤭

Halfway through the 2nd paragraph & he’s wrong on almost every point being made. Stopped reading as it was making my piss itch

Let’s be fair: subscriptions are everywhere. Netflix, arthouse , MUBI, Deezer, Spotify. But also cars, bikes, the heat pump -anything that needs maintenance has a regular reoccurring maintenance fee, which can be seen as a subscription, to keep the thing running. Apps need updates (maintenance) too, to keep them running and secure. One reason for the criticism against subscriptions is that people lose sight of all the things that they are subscribed to, as an individual you need stringent subscription control.