This whole Voice Dream subscription discussion is a perfect reminder of why we can't have nice things and also of why pretty much every single one-man development shop that starts out making things for the blind community eventually quits.
This whole Voice Dream subscription discussion is a perfect reminder of why we can't have nice things and also of why pretty much every single one-man development shop that starts out making things for the blind community eventually quits.
@acarson If they were fixing bugs, and making it worth the money I think more would pay for it. As it is. I got my money’s worth, but it’s not worth 60 to 80 a year.
@sapphireangel OK fine, so don’t pay for it. But honestly if they’re doing anything to maintain that code, and they are, that’s a recurring cost. Tapping into most APIs is also a recurring cost. Plus developers deserve to get paid just like everyone else for ongoing work, and this whole thing where “they should only get paid if they’re writing code I approve of” is bullshit. And it constantly comes up every time blind people are asked to adapt to a changing app landscape.
@acarson @sapphireangel The problem is that they really shot themselves in the foot by saying that those of us who paid wouldn’t ever have to pay again. If I used it more, I would totally pay the $5.95 a month, but since I don’t use it often, I just don’t have to worry about it until I want it. Yes, API access for developers usually isn’t free, which is why you have to pay for an Apple Developer account, for instance.
@GamingWithEars @acarson @sapphireangel Yeah, they fucked up by stating that people who bought the app would not have to pay. They cannot take that back obviously. Now, for Amanda and me, sure, we’ll pay for the app as we use it daily. That’s how I read my audio.books, read my manuals I get for my products, newspapers, and other shit I get that I want to store in a convenient location. If I want to pick this up on my iPad, bang! Got it!
@acarson I do wonder if the sighted VDR users are expressing similar outrage. It’s hard to tell on Mastodon.
@evilcookies98 @GamingWithEars @sapphireangel Yes and I would like a pony. But that’s just not how any of this works. Prices are what they are and if someone has a problem with the price then don’t pay the price. But don’t constantly bitch about it. Which is all this community seems to do every single time it doesn’t get its way.
@Bruce_Toews I’m sure there are a few, but probably not nearly as many.
@acarson I like to think that people are people, but maybe that’s just me being polyanic.
@evilcookies98 @sapphireangel @GamingWithEars And what are the VoiceDream developers supposed to do about this?
@wiljames @GamingWithEars @acarson @sapphireangel But amanda is right, every time something comes where blind people have to pay, they start acting like toddlers. And like one person said, We don’t mind having netflix, or hulu, or amazon prime video, or audible or disney pluss or anything like that. Those prices keep changing, and the interface keeps changing, but at least I know with Voice Dream reader, I’m getting a good experience.
@Bruce_Toews I’d like to think that people are people on this two. But this isn’t the first time the blind community has thrown a fit when asked to pay above whatever token price they initially paid for some app, and it’s always the same stuff that essentially comes down to “that’s not how any of this works and you keep expecting the world to accommodate this worldview and it’s still not going to do that”.
@evilcookies98 @GamingWithEars @sapphireangel Yeah that’s business. This is how business works. Businesses want money to continue development of a thing so they can continue development of said thing for everybody in something that is close to a sustainable manner that ensures profitability. This isn’t some large corporation, it’s a small shop. And everybody’s still hopping mad because Oh no they might have to pay the equivalent of a cup of Starbux coffee per month for an app they probably use constantly. So yeah this kind of stuff is why we can’t have nice things because the developers who start out making things for this community eventually quit.
@evilcookies98 @GamingWithEars @sapphireangel OK so they’re a corporation. Doesn’t change anything I’ve said.
@vol4life8657 @GamingWithEars @acarson @sapphireangel And it will keep going like the Energizer Bunny. The mentality will just keep going and going and going and going and going…
@evilcookies98 @GamingWithEars @acarson @sapphireangel On voicedream.com, the corporation you are talking about is comprised of two developers. https://voicedream.com
@evilcookies98 @GamingWithEars @sapphireangel Corporations exist to make money. They’re just businesses with a different tax status at the end of the day. They’re doing what they’re supposed to do, make a profit.
@evilcookies98 @wiljames @GamingWithEars @sapphireangel OK I’m done. Because you keep trying to treat this like it some sort of barter relationship with a friendship component, and it just isn’t. That’s not how any of this works. This is not about promises or going back on your word or any of the taking it personally bits you want to shove into this. It’s about making a profit in a capitalist system. If you don’t want to participate, don’t pay the subscription price. It really is that simple.
@evilcookies98 @acarson @GamingWithEars @sapphireangel Six bucks a month ain’t bad at all. I understand the subscription is family sharable.
@wiljames @evilcookies98 @GamingWithEars @sapphireangel Yeah that’s what I thought. We’re essentially talking about a small shop with a different tax status.
@evilcookies98 @GamingWithEars @acarson @sapphireangel Hey look, I know you got burned by Apple, your words not mine. This is not the same type of corporation.
@evilcookies98 @sapphireangel @GamingWithEars No they’re not. They’re supposed to care about their bottom line.
@wiljames @GamingWithEars @acarson @sapphireangel Yep, I have absolutely no problem with the fact they’re charging a subscription. People, it’s 2024 and these things cost money. However, my use case senario means it’s not as much of a priority for me as other things are, and I have limited funds. When that changes, I’ll subscribe.
@evilcookies98 @sapphireangel @acarson @GamingWithEars We got a bunch of feringi as corporations. Wheeeeeeeee!
@wiljames @evilcookies98 @GamingWithEars @sapphireangel No it’s not. And if its family shareable that makes it even less bad.
@technocounselor @acarson Well, actually, didn’t he already sell out and isn’t it this new company that’s charging the high annual subscriptions? What do we know about the new owner and their intentions? I could really understand and get behind all this if it was still the original dev or if it was owned by a company with a trusted track record in our community.
@evilcookies98 @sapphireangel @GamingWithEars @wiljames You’re entitled to that view, but it’s just not how the world works, and if you’re going to continue to insist on this you’re going to find the rest of your life incredibly difficult.
@evilcookies98 @sapphireangel @GamingWithEars @wiljames This is not about fun, on anybody’s part. Not even the evil corporation made up of two people. It’s about business and how the world works and how the remedy for not liking something you’re being asked to pay for is to not pay for it. That’s the beginning and end of it.
@evilcookies98 @sapphireangel @acarson @GamingWithEars You’re in your early twenties, correct? You have a lot to learn my friend.
@evilcookies98 @GamingWithEars @sapphireangel Be angry all you like. That doesn’t change any of this.
@charvor @wiljames @GamingWithEars @sapphireangel This is the adult way to deal with this.
@darrell73 @technocounselor This is not a high subscription cost by any stretch of that term. You likely spend three times this at least on one streaming service.
@darrell73 @technocounselor @acarson I would recommend going to https://voicedream.com and find out.
@acarson @evilcookies98 @GamingWithEars @sapphireangel Amen and amen and amen Amanda.
@acarson hear hear and damn straight and ain’t that the truth!