Paid Plugin-Reviews & Refrom. HS Need to Regulate

[MrMxyzptlk]

Thanks Bob!

I use many of your plugins, and your support for myself has always been excellent!!!

[Pete]

It is stuff like this that really questions the future of my participation in plugins. I really do not need any added stress in my life. I do the plugins because I like HomeSeer and have fun playing with it. I think my support has been very good and like I said that now that things are slowing down at work I should be able to get back to things.

Thank you Bob for the response.

It is nice that you support and have written nice plug ins for Homeseer.

If you chose to stop supporting your plug ins it would be your decision.

If it is too stressful your health matters more than anything; really.

[Blade]

I do my best guys - that is all I can say. I know I have been slacking - believe me - it is not by choice. Maybe I need to teach my son to code so he can help me out.

If you feel I am ignoring you that is not the case. It is not in me to ignore people when they ask for help. There are going to be times when I just have too much on my plate to effectively support everything.

I may have to end up only keeping certain plugins and put others on my site as open source to do with what you want. I try to give priority to the paid plugins over the free ones.

I really wish I could work on the plugins full time but that is just not feasible. I still have a regular job to go to everyday

[Rotech]

Balde, I fully understand your situation. I was not targeting you at all, I just accepted the situation the way it is and did not want to add more grief on the on the issue. My intent in posting my experience was by no means to target you, it was a meant to implement a reviewing method that would provide info to new users and for those who want to purchase future PI.

[Automated]

No worries Blade. I have many of your plug-ins, and you have supported them pretty well through a few bug resolution situations and even requested feature additions. I appreciate your dedication to the projects immensely. Don't let any naysayers discourage you. Everyone here (except maybe the HS team) has a "real" job, families, and deserves downtime and vacation time.

[attx2000]

It is stuff like this that really questions the future of my participation in plugins. I really do not need any added stress in my life. I do the plugins because I like HomeSeer and have fun playing with it.

It is statements like this that keep the community in fear and takes rights of consumers away from the normal buyer seller relationship.

Second this isn't a charity or donation ware. The current inventory of 36 plugin, at avg price of $29(some at $39), equals over a base inventory over a $1000, which is can be essentially sold endlessly. Also you have quickly sought to obtain new plugin when there has been lapse in others plugin makers, such as BLRFID, so you're actively expanding, but yet say you do not have the resources(time, energy, etc) to support.

This is the same complaint some make about Homeseer, when they expand to a new area and don't have time to fix existing issues. I believe homeseer has become more aware of this and is doing their best to prevents situations like this. I know some may disagree about this.

About "asking your son to code". I don't think statement like this are helpful. Are anyone of the dissatisfied users listing to you how hard they have to work to make money or how they have to bargain with their spouses to find funds for a plugin. Or how many users have to take time away their children to fidget with a problematic plugin. We all have our hardships, but this is a simple buyer seller relationship.

Going back to your the first statement " really questions the future of my participation in plugins". I believe in the free market system. Yes, you may close your doors, but others will open. Markets always adjust themselves, supply -demand relationship will find equilibrium. If you don't sell others will step in. This is not something I nor anyone else I've communicated desires, but understand if that is yours or any plugin makers decision.

[donstephens]

Come on!

Give the guy some slack. He has as much right to say this as you have to keep up this campaign.

you have expressed your opinion, we have seen it and commented on it.

How about moving on?

It is statements like this that keep the community in fear and takes rights of consumers away from the normal buyer seller relationship.

[Guest]

It is statements like this that keep the community in fear and takes rights of consumers away from the normal buyer seller relationship.

Second this isn't a charity or donation ware.

@attx2000
I believe you brought up a valid point that we all could consider. It also appears that it is now devolving below where it needs to be.
Consider that your point has been heard and perhaps let it rest and resonate with the community.
Any further attacks at this time won't be productive. Blade has already indicated and admitted he had had time issues and isn't perfect. (Who is?)
I don't feel a further negative campaign will do your cause any favours.

[enigmatheatre]

It is statements like this that keep the community in fear and takes rights of consumers away from the normal buyer seller relationship.

Second this isn't a charity or donation ware. The current inventory of 36 plugin, at avg price of $29(some at $39), equals over a base inventory over a $1000, which is can be essentially sold endlessly. Also you have quickly sought to obtain new plugin when there has been lapse in others plugin makers, such as BLRFID, so you're actively expanding, but yet say you do not have the resources(time, energy, etc) to support.

This is the same complaint some make about Homeseer, when they expand to a new area and don't have time to fix existing issues. I believe homeseer has become more aware of this and is doing their best to prevents situations like this. I know some may disagree about this.

About "asking your son to code". I don't think statement like this are helpful. Are anyone of the dissatisfied users listing to you how hard they have to work to make money or how they have to bargain with their spouses to find funds for a plugin. Or how many users have to take time away their children to fidget with a problematic plugin. We all have our hardships, but this is a simple buyer seller relationship.

Going back to your the first statement " really questions the future of my participation in plugins". I believe in the free market system. Yes, you may close your doors, but others will open. Markets always adjust themselves, supply -demand relationship will find equilibrium. If you don't sell others will step in. This is not something I nor anyone else I've communicated desires, but understand if that is yours or any plugin makers decision.

Well it is always good to know your views but remember they are yours and many others have very different views. Please don't drag the community down because you are unhappy. How about seeing if this resolves it's self as your point has now been said out loud.

Greig.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

[Blade]

I have heard you - I do the best I can - that is all I can do.

You do have 30 days to trial the plugin before you buy it. For cases where I cannot get to issues before the trial runs I have gotten another trial for users - Many users can attest to this.

My humour about my "son learning to code" was just some humour... It was not meant to upset. I guess you would need to understand me more to get that - I know how hard people work - I am one of those people too.

[attx2000]

Please don't drag the community down because you are unhappy.
Greig.

Greig, I replied to at statement that was made by Blade to statements made my me earlier, so did Pete and many others. I nor you speak for the community at large. If someone makes a complaint, lets let that voice be heard, rather than quell it down. The reason I've received 4 HS users emailing me directly about this thread in the last 48 hrs is EXACTLY because they don't want feel isolated and singled out.

[Pete]

@rob

Blade responded:

I have heard you - I do the best I can - that is all I can do.

Personally here and over the years have been involved in business - sort of ingrained here from a very long time ago.

I think now Bob knows that he should treat all of his customers the same way as it is the right way to do things in the business world if he is to attain credibility relating to his selling of his stuff here.

You have now brought that up and Bob has responded.

Personally your OP was a good thing.

@Rob, now rather than continue here it might be better to see the results of your OP.

Action always works better in these matters.

[Krumpy]

Let's move away from this being about Blade.

Other than that, there is merit here in general that the service levels of plugins do need some revising. Whatever we define levels at, the higher tier should present the users (or dealers!) some leverage such that terms are known ahead of time.

Some people here are dealers and such have customer service commitments and a business at stake.

[jetkit]

I agree with a lot of what attx2000 stated. Thank you for it.
I also know how much Blade has helped me on resolving many many issues.
Are there other authors that placed so many plugins free of charge?
If Blade's son is as good as he is, I hope to see nice plugins in HS5.

We really need to focus on HomeSeer.

HomeSeer is a bit hands off here, with low QA methods for his own products. Not surprisingly even less on PIs.

There are many things HS should do (as the owner of all this) to help users and plugin authors.
We have a good thing here. The best home OS available. But most of us still treat it as a hobby, and look for all types of silly, non-business excuses to justify it (...we only have two guys and a dog to help...)

I would like to see a bit of compromise, where we are still friends, HS grows as a business, plugin owners make money and customers are happy and become ambassadors for all this.

Perhaps plugins should have a tiered support system and include paid support. It is unrealistic to expect free support for life.
Plugins should be approved by HS to go on sale. Period. The same with hardware. Not approved, not supported.
If a plugin is too old or not worthy to be maintained, release its code. HS did that before. Measure satisfaction.
Perhaps HS could really place proper standards for plugin development, including centralized user access management, proper technical guides, branding and UI standards, etc.
As a business person, I do not work for free.
As a customer, I want what I buy to work, and I do expect appropriate support.
If you sell something for beer money, it is your problem, and not an excuse for poor service. I pay for things, and I am not asking for favors.
Charge whatever is needed to support it, and make me happy. I will buy more.
But can we all please tone down the "hobby" thing just a notch?

[jetkit]

Let's move away from this being about Blade.

Other than that, there is merit here in general that the service levels of plugins do need some revising. Whatever we define levels at, the higher tier should present the users (or dealers!) some leverage such that terms are known ahead of time.

Some people here are dealers and such have customer service commitments and a business at stake.

+1