plugin download????

e_patsellis · Post by **e_patsellis** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 11:32 am

Ok, while I can understand Scott's decision, how will it affect those of us using 2.15 and before? where can we download existing plugins? at this point, I'd prefer to download the entire set, just in case....

erie

Post by **ScottBot** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 5:04 pm

Erie,

Sorry about the switch-over blues. Unfortunately with the release of Meedio, their new web site, and the HouseBot transfer, some things are still pending. Before long we hope to have a new branded version of HouseBot available. Since you're an existing HouseBot user, you will get the next 2.x version for free.

AndyK · Post by **AndyK** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 7:14 pm

That doesn't really answer the question. OK, I know that the majority of plugins were developed by Scott and are therefore his intellectual property but what about those plugins, scripts or configurations developed by others?. What is their status and why can't they still be downloaded? Are those third-party developers aware that their freely provided efforts are no longer available and in future may well be applied toward the profits of a commercial enterprise?

There are a lot of very disillusioned HouseBot users out here who can't help feeling they've been somewhat deserted. I really think this whole thing has been rushed and ill-conceived. Within a matter of days Housebot has gone from being a freeware application in which an enthusiastic community had made a significant committment, to being an application which is no longer (officially) available. To continue down the HouseBot path that user community will be asked to pay an unknown amount for a yet to be developed version with an unknown delivery date. This uncertainty is not going to do anything to encourage the existing user base to stick around.

I really think that HouseBot has dealt itself a fatal blow here ... at least as far as existing users are concerned. Any new commercial version, it's pricing and a clear path for the future should have been in place BEFORE the freeware version was suddenly withdrawn. Something more than a couple of days notice probably would have gone down well too!

Yes, we feel abandoned and yes, it hurts to have lost what was almost certainly the last Windows based freeware home automation program. I accept that as the author of HouseBot, it is entirely up to Scott to do whatever he wants with the program but the way things have been done has destroyed a lot in the way of trust.

Post by **ScottBot** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 7:49 pm

AndyK,

I know the change was sudden (for me too), and it would have been nice to let you all know something more specific in advance. The somewhat vague notice that was posted on the forums a week before it happened was hopefully enough to let folks know that there were changes coming. Even if I had provided all of the details in advance, I'm not sure what anyone would do differently.

If a user has created their own plugin, they own the copyright and it will not be included with the Meedio HouseBot package. Actually, none of the user contributions (except one) were ever included in the HouseBot install. Once we get the site setup for HouseBot downloads, there will be an area for downloading additional plugins. If users would like to contribute (or recontribute) their plugins that’s great.

I'm not quite sure how I lost your trust or how you were disillusioned... I realize that it's disappointing that HouseBot has moved off the freeware market, but I'm sure that Meedio will price it fairly.

I'm not crazy about the fact that there is no place to download any of the software either. This is just a side-effect of the transition. If you would like a particular plugin, let me know and I'll see if I can provide it for you.

AndyK · Post by **AndyK** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 10:10 pm

Trust? ... well I guess I mean that if the rug can suddenly be pulled out from under user's feet once, it can happen again. After all, we're no longer talking about something which appeared to have been created by an enthusiast and provided at no cost for the benefit of the home automation community, we're talking about something which has the sole purpose of generating money for its new owners. The future now extends only as far as the black ink on the balance sheet.

Functionality, features and development are dictated by what is profitable and unfortunately the dollar rules. I know ... 200 spams a day from the good old USA keep telling me that profit is the path to true happiness. :)

acheslow · Post by **acheslow** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 10:48 pm

Andy, please don't think that we at Meedio are not HouseBot enthusiasts. I have been a very dedicated user of both myHTPC and HouseBot for well over a year, and have contributed free plugins to both communities (I wrote the weather plugin for HouseBot). Earlier this year I had the very fortunate opportunity to turn my passion for home theater and home automation into a position with Meedio. One of the first things I did was contact Scott to see how we could work together because it was obvious to me that Meedio and HouseBot would make a great fit together.

Meedio is not a big company with short-sighted goals of just making as much cash as we can. We are a small group of people that came from this community as users first. Pablo, our CTO, contributed 24 releases of myHTPC for free before he was laid off and decided to try to make this his job. We're doing this because we love it and if we can pay our mortgages and feed our kids along the way then we'll be happy.

I'll admit that we haven't handled this transition as well as we would have liked. Being a new and small company we are prone to mistakes, just as any of us are. Please give us just a little bit of time and another chance to prove to you that our goals for HouseBot are not different from yours.

Thanks,

Alan

Kairos · Post by **Kairos** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 11:45 pm

we're no longer talking about something which appeared to have been created by an enthusiast and provided at no cost for the benefit of the home automation community, we're talking about something which has the sole purpose of generating money for its new owners.

I'd first like to say that these guys here at meedio are not trying to release a product and suck the money from it. They listen to the community and take action on what they hear. Originaly meedio esentials was to be used on a singal computer but after hearing our thoughts they changed it to two.

I could list tons of software that benefitted from going commercial; zoomplayer, girder, netremote, and the list can go on. Once netremote changed from an enthusiest sole author programming for free to a comercial app, progress was made in weeks instead of months. I've been waiting for over a year for netremote 1.0 to come out and now as it comes close I see an opertunity to have housebot replace it.

If you feel like you've been betrayed... well then thats how you feel. I've seen this happen many times and too felt betrayed at first. Give these guys a chance and you will not be dissapointed. I mean they are giveing you the pay version for free and not making you pay untill there is some significant increase in functionality... and then you only have to pay half. It might not be totaly free, but it is pretty damn close.

AndyK · Post by **AndyK** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 12:10 am

Thanks Alan. If the folks at Meedio are indeed enthusiasts and actual users then the hope for the future of HouseBot looks much brighter. The "About us" section of the web site conveys a rather "corporate powerhouse" impression, far removed from the comfortable familiarity of the HouseBot community. Perhaps I'm just over cautious about the motives of Corporate America ... probably doubly so as I've just finished reading "Power Failure ... The Rise and fall of Enron" :shock:

I think you'll agree though that it's hardly surprising for existing HouseBot users to feel disenfranchised. They have gone from something to nothing other than a vague indication of a new version at an indeterminate time and an indeterminate price. I still feel that it would have been far better to wait until something tangible was available before removing the freeware version and replacing it with nothing other than uncertainty.

I also can't help feeling that the inevitable delay between removing the freeware version and the release of a commercial version isn't going to help the situation. And there will be delays because while HouseBot is a wonderful application there are certainly issues which need to be addressed. Things that could be tolerated in a freeware application may not be so easily overlooked when users have to pay for it. To entice users to purchase HouseBot there will need to be something demonstrably better about a commercial version.

Anyway, I look forward to seeing how things evolve. If the commercial release of HouseBot is offered in a timely fashion at a reasonable price and provides benefits justifying the cost then I'll certainly be using it. If not, I'll probably end up writing my own application ... which of course will be published as freeware. :)

Kairos · Post by **Kairos** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 12:29 am

I also can't help feeling that the inevitable delay between removing the freeware version and the release of a commercial version isn't going to help the situation.

Agreed. I reformatted my computer for the release of meedio and updated all my old versions of software and as I got to housebot it was no longer there. Can't find my old executable so this is a real pain. I have lights but no way to use them (well, I could use a switch but what is the fun in that).

Many people are lost right now as this was not handled well from the viewpoint of housebot users. The meedio team is bussy supporting the esentials package right now, but in a week when things settle down I hope to see some more support over here as well (and maybe even a download

)

AndyK · Post by **AndyK** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 12:42 am

Kairos wrote: ... I could list tons of software that benefited from going commercial; zoomplayer, girder, netremote, and the list can go on.

I agree ... but by the same token I could list dozens of freeware applications that have been "acquired" simply to remove them from the marketplace because of the competition they present to commercial applications. It is obvious however that Meedio does not fall into this category.

As a freeware author I know only too well the time and commitment required in developing and supporting applications ... but that is the nature of freeware. If an author isn't willing to make such a commitment and the users are not willing to tolerate anything less than warp speed development then freeware isn't the way to go ... for either party.

It has always been my personal philosophy that if an application is released as freeware then it should remain as freeware as an act of good faith toward those who use it and have often contributed toward it in one way or another. Perhaps that's what this is all about from my perspective. I could never contemplate giving people something one day then selling it to them the next ... but that's just me.

sbass · Post by **sbass** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 12:55 am

I think Pablo has intimate knowledge of the problems of Enron. :lol:

sbass · Post by **sbass** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 12:59 am

AndyK,

Here's my perspective on your complaint.

1) It's totally valid.

2) It's shared by just about EVERY single myHTPC user who was bummed out by the fact that myHTPC was being replaced by Meedio (a commercial offering).

3) Has been all but eliminated in said user's minds after they got their hands on Meedio and the power that it brings to the table.

Granted, what changed between myHTPC and Meedio is more drastic than the changes you might see immediately in HouseBot, but I'm sure that having a team of 5 developers working on HouseBot versus 1 very busy person will surely bring much more to the table. Besides, your plugin community has just quadrupled! All I'm saying is hang in there, you're in good company.

Shawn

AndyK · Post by **AndyK** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:14 am

.... and

4) Now costs $AU 88.67 :)

Sorry, couldn't help myself. I can't really comment on the changes or improvements that commercialization brought with the emergence of Meedio Essentials as my only interest is in pure home automation which doesn't include home entertainment equipment. I've never used Meedio and probably never will but I'm happy to accept that users eventually found it all to be a positive experience.

... and Kairos, If it doesn't infringe anyone's rights I would be happy to put the HouseBot 2.15 download on my server and provide a link ... I took the precaution of downloading EVERYTHING last week from the HouseBot site as soon as I read Scott's original message about going commercial.

Kairos · Post by **Kairos** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 3:23 pm

If it doesn't infringe anyone's rights I would be happy to put the HouseBot 2.15 download on my server and provide a link

With a little bit of searching it can still be found out there on a few mirrors. Thanks anyway.

Automate · Post by **Automate** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 11:51 pm

Back to the original question. What is meedio's plan for allowing downloads of the plugins? I have 2.15 but not all the latest plugins.