Changing my buying habits
nicstt
Posts: 11,715
in The Commons
Well after reading the threads on beta 4.9, I realised that I may not be buying another gift card. I use it to regulate how much I spend; the credit I have was to last until the end of the year.
So instead of buying $35 worth of content, I bought $3.
I need to save what I've got to purchase some items I'm expecting. After that, well we will see.
This isn't a rant or hate post, it's a worried post; a wait and see post.
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I just read through some posts about 4.9. Not everything, but I did run across "am I required to use the new features?" From what I saw, plugging into the new system is optional, even though a user might switch to 4.9? Surely they will make 4.9 practical for everyone. I hope so anyway! :-)
I had the same thought actually. My Daz computer is not online and will never be online. I use manual download and manual install. If items vanish in the cloud I will just stay with Daz 4.8 and be happy with freebies. Or I will have another look at Rendo or Hivewire.
Awe tell me about it. Every month I start with the mantra, I already have enough cool stuff. I don't need to buy anymore for a while. I always try to focus on converting old content for IRay, then this or that which feels like it's marketed directly at me will come along and my will power is crushed. CRUSHED!
I'm thinking, after reading posts in the 4.9 thread, that the new features aren't mandatory. I THINK they're optional. I hope I'm right. :-) I saw, in the thread, DAZ people say, more than once, "yes, you can do it the old way." But I'm glad I was directed to read that thread. I'll be sure to read the fine print before I boost up from 4.8 :-)
I saw that new content that requires 4.9, will be on the new system; presuming I understood. It's a concern. I like backups, the ease of restoring when I mess something up when I'm experimenting. 100GB of backups; I use an SSD for them, and it's getting fullish, and I don't want a system downloading something I've gone to the trouble of saving.
I bought the product, I own it, it's mine; I object to anything that opens up the possibility of turning buying into licence to use. That is why I've changed my buying habits. I don't use steam, and haven't upgraded to Windows 10 for the same reason; I was a tester of it, and liked a lot about it. But not enough.
I have followed that 4.9 thread from the beginning. It's been like pulling teeth, but finally the truth is out.
All new content will be migrated towards delivery via DAZ Connect and you will need DS 4.9.
OK, but will there be a way to control what's download and when? It won't just be automatic, will it? And will we have to use the Cloud? Shoot...I am so confused.
WHAT? oh hell no. my buying has tapered off significantly anyways.
What exactly is Daz Connect? I certainly hope it isn't what I'm picturing in my head. I really hate this new trend in software. If it turns out that I can't control and save products that I have purchased so that I have a backup on my physical computer then I won't be buying in the future and I won't be upgrading to 4.9. If needed, I will uninstall the download manager and take it off my computer. I have backups of all my downloaded files and don't need Daz or anyone else to babysit them for me. I don't understand why software companies have gotten the idea that all users want or need this type of thing so it becomes mandatory. If I lose control, I'm done. I'll stop buying here and make due with other sources for products. I really hope that Daz decides against this type of maneuvering.
I use my content on multiple computers. Can I still do that?
Products can be installed and used on multiple computers, but you can only be actively logged in on one computer at a time. In fact, using Daz Connect makes this easier than before, as any computer you log into will have access to your purchased products directly within Daz Studio. There is no need to carry around your installation files—simply login and download your products on any machine.
I have multiple people in my household who share content with each other. Can we still do that?
No. Using content for more than one person is not allowed by the Daz 3D End User License Agreement (EULA). When you log into Daz Connect through Daz Studio, you will see and be able to use products that are tied to your account but not products that are associated with someone else’s account.
Nicsst you don't own DAZ products, they are not yours, they are still DAZ's and/or the vendors that made them, what you do own is a license to use them.
There goes the "family friendly" un-official policy that did say it was fine to share in a household, I'm going to unofficially blame that one on lawyers.
I do as it stands; I download them, so I own them, the new system requires me to download them to every computer I use - so that is multiple times. Only I use them in the household, no one else is much interested in computers, never mind 3D.
I know that there are restrictions on how I may use them, and I accept that, this new system in affect changes what I can and can't do; or the ease and convenience of how I do it.
Wait. Will Daz Connect only let me use content if I'm online?
Oh, from the other thread:
'You are never required to be online in order to use your content. You only need to be online to download updated metadata or to download and install a product from the web store.'
And at least once, to verify the computer is allowed to use the content.
And that once is only needed if you are downloading Daz Connect content, if you are downloading zips through DIM or Product Library you won't even need to connect Daz Studio that once. Although, on new installs I would recommend connecting the first time so it can automatically fetch your serial number instead of having to track it down in the account page and copy and paste it in, but that is just me.
I have an encryped hard drive; I keep passwords seperately encrypted. I'm not very trusting. (I used to think the tin-hats were paranoid; after reading the Snowdon revelations, I realised they weren't paranoid enough.
)
I don't mind having to prove (that is actually reasonable and understandable) i'm entitled to download the content; I do object to having to prove I'm entitled to use content I've already bought and downloaded.
I have three kids in my household, good luck with that because I don't care what the EULA says, I am not buying 4 copies of anything. Right now, they are lucky that I have been keeping everything on one computer. If my kids show an interest, which they are, I am not going to insist that they stick only with the free content that we have managed to download with a second account. The only concession I make is that any content they want to use that I have that isn't on their computer has to be used and rendered on my computer where I keep all of the stuff I have actually paid for and downloaded with this account. Companies need to be flexible when it comes to family sharing which I view as different than a household where groups of adults reside in roommate situations where might be sharing content might happen. If my kids were older and out of house, then yes, I can see not sharing my content, but not at the age they are now.
This seems like fair usage to me; of course laws all over the world only consider what's fair to multinationals.
I won't be buying any DRMed content. I won't be using any versions of Studio that phone home. I won't be using the cloud to store MY stuff. If the proposed changes make it into Studio 4.9 and beyond, Studio 4.8 will be the first and last Studio version I use, and I won't buy any DRMe'd cloud only content from DAZ. Time to stock up on the .zip filed stuff now I guess.
You don't have to log in to USE content you've installed, you only have to log in to download it.
No, you do not need to download them separately for each computer, you can copy your content folders from one computer to another. To use content downloaded through Daz Connect you need to log in once to confirm that it's your account (there will also be a completely offline method, but that isn't available yet). Content installed manually or with DIM does not require login.
You don't need to. Once you've confirmed that this computer is yours you never have to log in to use content you've already installed.
It does not phone home.
You don't store your stuff in the cloud, it's all local to your computer.
Content that is available in zips now will continue to be available in zips.
I have my Daz Libray content installed onto my son's personal server. How will that effect this Daz Connect? I use my main PC and my laptop and they both share this Library via wifi.
To use content installed with Daz Connect you will need to log in once on each computer to confirm that it's your account, after that you're all set.
The EULA had to change a while back to not allow for household sharing because defining what is and isn't a household made our lawyers wake up in cold sweats and you don't want to see the hourly rate for cold sweats from a lawyer.
While I can't tell you to go ahead and break the EULA by sharing content among your family, I will say that Daz Connect allows you to download content to as many of your machines as you want. If you want you can also download to one machine and share the files to other machines on the local network to avoid having to download the content multiple times, as long as all of your machines are logged in to your account they will all be able to access those same files without redownloading.
Also, the notice in the FAQ about only allowing one connection is also a worst case scenario, the actual number of simultaneous connections allowed on an account depends on other factors but for almost all users will be more than just one connection.
Locking this so DAZ_Rawb has not quite so many threads to follow.