Well now that Textra is charging I'm going back stock/Hangouts

[Almeuit]

Ok, let me make sure I understand your position. As far as you are concerned these situations are not relevantly different:

1. App is advertised as an ad-supported app with an ad-free paid version.
2. App is advertised as a free non-ad-supported app but then switches to ad-support with an in-app purchase to remove ads.

It seems to me that your second paragraph is making my point for me. You're ok with a dev raising the price on something you already have. You hope that they won't do it often, but you're fine with it.

I'm not fine with it. The only way you can defend the idea that I should be fine with it is if scenario 1 and scenario 2 above are equivalent. It's fairly obvious that they're not.

The same could be said with your statement though. You can't say they're going to start ads up again after buying the ad removal. You're just speculating as well.

Either way my stance is this .. I will gladly pay $1 for an app that I use thousands of times a month so it stays updated and working great. I pay this $1 to support the dev. I do not have to pay this as I could just live with ads but I would rather no ads & I don't mind being supportive so devs keep making great apps.

Also... It is fine if you're not fine with it. .

 

[Martin Rios]

People complaining about a dollar are funny. If you don't like that a person is putting their hard work and time into an app then leave somewhere else. They have the right to charge for the app after all its probly the only way he can keep updating it. Those are the only options. Let's say everybody thought like the people saying its bad business and he just wants money(you guys are being cheap) because let's say nobody paid for the app by having ur thought. Then next thing you know there are no more updates because he can't afford to be putting free time into the app. Then let's say android updates to a new OS in sometime, then the app stops working because of bugs. Oh look now the app is dead because cheap people don't want to pay or don't want adds because they think they are entitled to something they never even bought.

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[deeb215]

What I've learned here is that I should release my app with limited features to charge for later, from launch force users to experience ads while I improve my apps so I'm not working for free, mimic large companies and give an "option" for you to be data mined for my software, and please don't say charge in the beginning without a free version because the same people complaining will be the same people that won't look twice at an app if it's not under the free column. Reminds me of people that won't support the mom and pop store in their neighborhoods because they put a $.25 mark up on 20 oz. soda,s so they happily ride out of the neighborhood to (insert your favorite big name store) just to quasi-save $.50 on a few bottles of Pepsi.

 

[clevin]

Just paid, I think if you never click to read their notification txt , the pop up warning of free or pay won't occur.

Tried evolve, first thing it asks is to pay to get night mode.... Lol, uninstalled right away.

 

[Aquila]

I wonder if the dev of a great app could use funds earned from one great app in order to spend time developing a second great app....

 

[morphish]

I wonder if the dev of a great app could use funds earned from one great app in order to spend time developing a second great app....

I think that's what was supposed to happen. ChompSMS was the full-featured SMS client with all the bells and whistles, and Textra was stripped down, simple, and elegant (and free). However, Textra kept getting more and more features, and maintaining all that (and adding things) takes time and effort.

And Clevin, I'm using Evolve right now. It asks, up front, for payment for various features. Great - you got it. Paid and happy.

 

[morphish]

What I've learned here is that I should release my app with limited features to charge for later, from launch force users to experience ads while I improve my apps so I'm not working for free, mimic large companies and give an "option" for you to be data mined for my software, and please don't say charge in the beginning without a free version because the same people complaining will be the same people that won't look twice at an app if it's not under the free column. Reminds me of people that won't support the mom and pop store in their neighborhoods because they put a $.25 mark up on 20 oz. soda,s so they happily ride out of the neighborhood to (insert your favorite big name store) just to quasi-save $.50 on a few bottles of Pepsi.

This is a problem in mobile apps at the moment. So many things are free to download, but with a bunch of artificial payment areas, in-app/game currencies, etc... I don't think the "FREE" category means much now since some of those supposedly free apps are some of the most aggressively monetized (Like the mobile Dungeon Keeper).

But your comment shows the same lack of understanding that so many others in this thread have had. It's not about the money - it's HOW the money is asked for. WHAT am I paying for and what KIND of relationship I want with the dev. We notice this in other contexts. It's like the people who will shell out $15 a month to play World of Warcraft but won't pay the equivalent of $7 a month in in-game microtransactions in the F2P games. They don't have a problem paying money (in fact, they're paying MORE than they would with the F2P game). They just don't want the experience of pay2win or constantly being nickel-and-dimed all the time. They want an all-u-can-play pass to a game world and they don't mind shelling out for it. It's not the money, it's the business model.

Evolve SMS looks to have done this right (at least from my perspective as a new user). Free SMS, no ads, but some cool features that cost extra. Textra could have done this, too. If the dev wanted to add a new feature and put it behind a paywall, that's fine. I'd probably buy that feature. What I (and others) won't support is the dev purposefully making the app WORSE, then charging money to get it back to the way it was earlier. He's within his rights to do so, of course. But I don't like paying ransoms.

All the talk of "It's only $1" obscures the real issue, which is - what KIND of business do you want to support with your money?

 

[Kalvin Kerns]

please tell me you're joking? do u have any idea how hard, and what goes into the excessively competitive app business? if you're a consumer of the product, ESPECIALLY if you've been using it awhile, you should be more than happy to fork over the $1. and "bait and switch" isn't what they did, nor semantics, you're just wrong.

Posted via the Android Central App

Well I need to disagree with you when you say I'm wrong. Again it's clearly a question of perception and/or semantics or else we wouldn't be having this discussion because you seem to think it's ok for a company to operate this way and I clearly don't.

Perhaps the business of app development is handled differently from normal business as I'm familiar with, but it just doesn't seem like good business practice. Although I suppose it could be similar to a paid service simply raising their price.

I don't know, but again as, as I have said before; for the cost of the device + monthly fees I'm paying my position is that all apps should be free (as unreasonable as that may seem to some).

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[Kalvin Kerns]

... It's not about the money - it's HOW the money is asked for. WHAT am I paying for and what KIND of relationship I want with the dev. We notice this in other contexts. It's like the people who will shell out $15 a month to play World of Warcraft but won't pay the equivalent of $7 a month in in-game microtransactions in the F2P games. They don't have a problem paying money (in fact, they're paying MORE than they would with the F2P game). They just don't want the experience of pay2win or constantly being nickel-and-dimed all the time. They want an all-u-can-play pass to a game world and they don't mind shelling out for it. It's not the money, it's the business model.

All the talk of "It's only $1" obscures the real issue, which is - what KIND of business do you want to support with your money?

THIS, EXACTLY! You get it.

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[getbretweir]

What I've learned here is that I should release my app with limited features to charge for later, from launch force users to experience ads while I improve my apps so I'm not working for free, mimic large companies and give an "option" for you to be data mined for my software, and please don't say charge in the beginning without a free version because the same people complaining will be the same people that won't look twice at an app if it's not under the free column. Reminds me of people that won't support the mom and pop store in their neighborhoods because they put a $.25 mark up on 20 oz. soda,s so they happily ride out of the neighborhood to (insert your favorite big name store) just to quasi-save $.50 on a few bottles of Pepsi.

lol ... these are the type of people that "forget" their wallets when they go to a bar, or show up empty handed to a friends super bowl party and complain about the food!

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[getbretweir]

THIS, EXACTLY! You get it.

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I'm glad I don't get it. I don't over think things, it's a $1 and I'm happy to support the developer, case closed. if it was $20 maybe I'd think a little harder. this type of logic comes from people that show up empty handed to fights, and leave with the leftovers. unbelievable

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[Kalvin Kerns]

lol ... these are the type of people that "forget" their wallets when they go to a bar, or show up empty handed to a friends super bowl party and complain about the food!

Posted via the Android Central App

Lol!

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[getbretweir]

the fact that we have 6 pages on this ridiculous post shows how 1) people just like to argue and 2) people that won't pay $1 to support a developer they use and enjoy, then try and justify it, are just lowlifes. not the type of people I have in my circle, that's for sure

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[Kalvin Kerns]

I'm glad I don't get it. I don't over think things, it's a $1 and I'm happy to support the developer, case closed. if it was $20 maybe I'd think a little harder. this type of logic comes from people that show up empty handed to fights, and leave with the leftovers. unbelievable

Posted via the Android Central App

It also pains me to tip waiters and waitresses because they already get paid by their job. Sounds bad, but that's how I think. I mean, I can't recall the last time someone came to my office to give me a tip for doing a good job.

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[morphish]

I'm glad I don't get it. I don't over think things, it's a $1 and I'm happy to support the developer, case closed. if it was $20 maybe I'd think a little harder. this type of logic comes from people that show up empty handed to fights, and leave with the leftovers. unbelievable

Posted via the Android Central App

Have you ever decided not to purchase something because you didn't like the way that person did business? Have you ever walked away from a salesman because you thought they were being pushy?

Probably so. Most people have. I don't think it was because you were a cheap miser who mooches off of your friends. I'll bet you did it because you didn't like their business and you can take your business elsewhere.

But hey - maybe it was because you were a cheap miser. According to you that is the only reason anyone would refuse to purchase something.

 

[Kalvin Kerns]

the fact that we have 6 pages on this ridiculous post shows how 1) people just like to argue and 2) people that won't pay $1 to support a developer they use and enjoy, then try and justify it, are just lowlifes. not the type of people I have in my circle, that's for sure

Posted via the Android Central App

So because someone disagrees with your perspective they are lowlifes? Well at least us lowlife's didn't resort to insults to make our points.

Thank you for your input on this thread though. It is interesting to see different people's perspectives.

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[deeb215]

It's not about the dollar it's about the developer having the right to monetize his work in some form whether it's ad, nickel and dime features, time trials, data mining etc. We have the choice to support whomever we want but the free ride has ended on the Textra train.

 

[Aquila]

It also pains me to tip waiters and waitresses because they already get paid by their job. Sounds bad, but that's how I think. I mean, I can't recall the last time someone came to my office to give me a tip for doing a good job.

They're paid less than half of minimum wage because the business model is that customers pay the staff directly for the difference. The real crummy part for them - even if they don't make enough in tips to meet minimum wage, they still have to pay taxes and whatnot as if they were making minimum wage. I'm assuming that you make substantially more than the federal minimum wage.

the fact that we have 6 pages on this ridiculous post shows how 1) people just like to argue and 2) people that won't pay $1 to support a developer they use and enjoy, then try and justify it, are just lowlifes. not the type of people I have in my circle, that's for sure

I'm sure that you weren't trying to jump into name-calling, but let's please try to stay as far away from that line as possible.

All:

This seems to be a disagreement on the value proposition inclusive of the presentation of value and presumed agreements. It is fine for us all to disagree and we can do so while being civil and respectful to each other..

 

[Aquila]

Funny off topic story - I ran a kitchen at a local bar and grill for awhile a few previous lives ago and happened to be studying classical economics at the same time. I put together a proposal that I had found that raising the wages of our server staff to above minimum wage would lower our turnover and attrition to a point where the decrease in new hire sunk costs and ramp up opportunity cost would fully offset the increase in payroll and allow us to grow a better bench strength and ultimately a better customer experience. The response that I received was, "stop sleeping with the waitresses". I say that this is funny, because at the time I had not ever slept with any of the waitresses, however very soon afterwards I met my wife, who was a server/bartender while she finished school. There is no moral to this story.

 

[Joe the Insider]

How do you expect these guys to make money. I am always willing to pay for something that works well. Textra is a phenomenal messaging app and would be worth paying for.

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