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If they aren't mining data from your stuff, why are cloud based options cheaper than self hosted options? Why is it cheaper for them to do more for you?

Quickbooks has REALLY been pushing their online crap for many years. It's to the point now where you have to pay a HUGE mark up to keep it out of the cloud. For payroll, it costs me $10 more per month to have them NOT file and pay my payroll taxes for me each month. They file them, pay them, then I reimburse them. And they pay me $10 per month to do that. Sure. My data is secure and isn't being used for something I don't want it to.

I used to buy QB for about $250 and would use it for 3 years or so. Now, it's a subscription of $650 per year (for now. I'm sure it will go up next year). What used to cost me about $84 per year, now costs me $650+ per year. Or I can go with the online version for $360/year (or less depending on what sales they are running. Right now, I would save $60).

People who say cloud based stuff is safe and they aren't looking at your shit are delusional! The only reason I'm saving $522.50 this year,for them to hold my info, build a server for me, do some of the accounting work for me, loan me money, back my shit up, etc, etc, is because they are taking info out and selling it! How else can you justify it?

Because they don't have to support people who are running their own stuff. They know the "computer" is running, they don't have to worry about your stupid admin privileges, your hacked machine having data stolen from it (well, ok, kinda do still). But deploying packaged software, updating it, etc, is such a pain the ass compared to running + updating cloud software. Everyone's always on the same version.

That's just what they want you to believe. . .

But seriously, they don't have to worry about my machine. They state the minimum specs, and I have to meet them. They write for Windows. They don't write for my video card, CPU model, RAM type, printer, etc. This isn't the 90's. They write one program and ship it. Yes, they have to update their online and their desktop versions. But I would argue the cost for that is the same.

I don't see how hosting a server farm, buying guaranteed Internet service, dealing with network security, doing my taxes for me, loaning me money, etc, is cheaper than . . . not doing that.

People pushed the cloud/saas shit because they wanted residual income. They could charge more, but a little at a time so we wouldn't notice we are paying more, or just straight up force us. They didn't like writing the app, people bought it, then they didn't hear from us again for 3 years when we decided to upgrade to their latest, better version with stuff worth buying. Because there was no upgrade path. You paid full price for the software each time. . . But anyway, they saw it as a way to charge their customers more because we didn't get to own the software any more. We had to pay for as long as we were using it. Now, they are forcing the subscription stuff on the desktop version too. So, I still have to pay yearly, or for as long as I want to use it. I just have to pay more.

It's because they are mining and selling my data.



I wonder when car manufacturers will figure this out. You never own your car. You pay a monthly fee to drive it. If you don't pay, they turn your car off. You can never 'pay the car off' and just own it. You pay a subscription to be able to use it. No mater how old it is. You just pay less for an older car.

Cakedaddy wrote: ↑Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:26 pm That's just what they want you to believe. . .

I've support distributed software, cloud software, and internal software. I know.

Cakedaddy wrote: ↑Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:26 pm It's because they are mining and selling my data.

Oh sure, that, too.

Cakedaddy wrote: ↑Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:26 pm I don't see how hosting a server farm, buying guaranteed Internet service, dealing with network security, doing my taxes for me, loaning me money, etc, is cheaper than . . . not doing that.

Developers + support are more expensive than hardware. We used to charge punitive pricing on self-hosted customers at my last job, because supporting them was so terrible.

TheCatt wrote: ↑Sun Feb 11, 2024 7:10 am Cakedaddy wrote: ↑Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:26 pm
It's because they are mining and selling my data.

Oh sure, that, too.

Why are people ok with this?

Cakedaddy wrote: ↑Sun Feb 11, 2024 2:51 pm

TheCatt wrote: ↑Sun Feb 11, 2024 7:10 am Cakedaddy wrote: ↑Sat Feb 10, 2024 9:26 pm
It's because they are mining and selling my data.

Oh sure, that, too.

Why are people ok with this?

Like you said, it's cheaper.

People are stupid.

Cakedaddy wrote: ↑Sun Feb 11, 2024 4:20 pm People are stupid.

Correct.

Having been working on an app that I can self host, or host on the cloud, I would say it's not that hard. Pretty much every change I make applies to both versions, etc. You must be doing something wrong.

Cakedaddy wrote: ↑Sun Feb 18, 2024 6:19 pm Having been working on an app that I can self host, or host on the cloud, I would say it's not that hard. Pretty much every change I make applies to both versions, etc. You must be doing something wrong.

Having users changes things