Opinion on the License Lounge

[Mesh]

As a quick mention, I find that downloading the Betas through the License Lounge is an unpleasant inconvenience.

As I don't like authentication cookies remaining active, I basically need to login every single time I want to grab a beta. Not only that, but I can no longer download earlier betas, the way I could when it was done through the board.


That aside, while I understand Don's reasons for wanting the License Lounge, I find that it has the secondary effect of punishing legitimate users by requiring extra time and effort to download routine (for power users, anyway) items.

If I may recommend a better way to accomplish this, Don, I suggest you integrate the license authentication with the board user accounts. That way, anyone can sign up to have an account on the board (as is the case now), but there will be additional fields in the User Profile to put the license information. Accounts that successfully validate this information will be allowed to download attachments. That will also restrict non-licensed users from downloading scripts as well. However, you can always limit this restriction to attachments in the Beta forum only. Or, make the License Lounge a seperate sub-forum, and restrict downloading attachments from there as well as the Beta forum.

This way, there's only one place users need to log in to, and one place to find everything.

[avsfan]

The new method also prevents Jacky's automatic updater script from working. If we were somehow able to have our licensing credentials integrated into the script, that could be a good solution for many of us, too...

I really like being able to use that script when updating, so if we can figure out a way that we can use it again, I'd be very grateful (and I'm guessing many others will as well...)

Thanks!

andy

[dope smoker]

Eh, could you make the login HTTPS, please?
I'm not so keen to enter my registration details over an unsecure connection.

OT: Am I the only one who sees these psychedelic effects here?

[admin]

OK, thanks for the feedback!

Integration of the license authentication with the board user accounts is not possible for technical/practical reasons.

But what you get in the license lounge is just the download link. You can store as bookmark and no need to come back to the LL. The updater script should still work (I'm not sure though how it works - no time to look at the code now).

I don't have SSL. A solution would be an alternative way to open the LL directly from the app using (2-way-) encrypted credentials. Then it would just be a click from running/registered app to LL!

[j_c_hallgren]

But what you get in the license lounge is just the download link. You can store as bookmark and no need to come back to the LL. The updater script should still work (I'm not sure though how it works - no time to look at the code now).

I pointed avsfan to that "info" via PM as you/I had discussed before...

I don't have SSL. A solution would be an alternative way to open the LL directly from the app using (2-way-) encrypted credentials. Then it would just be a click from running/registered app to LL!

A variant of the "Help>Check for updates" maybe?

[jacky]

The updater script should still work (I'm not sure though how it works - no time to look at the code now).

Because the "layout" of your posts on forum changed a bit (no more "Download the latest...") A new version is up, should now work fine

[Creat]

Well, I'd love to report something about the LL here, but for some reason I can't login...
My registration is from May 06, has the key format changed since then? I keep getting "Key Invalid"
Also I do have a somewhat uneasy feeling sending my registration details through an unencrypted connection, but I guess that can't be changed, at least for now...

I don't have SSL. A solution would be an alternative way to open the LL directly from the app using (2-way-) encrypted credentials. Then it would just be a click from running/registered app to LL!

A variant of the "Help>Check for updates" maybe?

Ohhh yes PLEASE, that would be totally awesome, one-click update to latest beta (and showing the changelog[s], including all skipped versions, would also be kinda crucial)!

[admin]

Well, I'd love to report something about the LL here, but for some reason I can't login...
My registration is from May 06, has the key format changed since then? I keep getting "Key Invalid"
Also I do have a somewhat uneasy feeling sending my registration details through an unencrypted connection, but I guess that can't be changed, at least for now...

I don't have SSL. A solution would be an alternative way to open the LL directly from the app using (2-way-) encrypted credentials. Then it would just be a click from running/registered app to LL!

A variant of the "Help>Check for updates" maybe?

Ohhh yes PLEASE, that would be totally awesome, one-click update to latest beta (and showing the changelog[s], including all skipped versions, would also be kinda crucial)!

You need the "new" key (from Jan 2007), it starts with xy01-... or xy02-...

The changelog will stay in the forum. It's just too much work to update the LL each time I upload a beta version. So the process in future will be:
1) you read about a new beta in the forum and check out the change log
2) then you press a button in XYplorer that will bring you directly and securely into the LL (if you are registered)
3) you click the download link in LL

Ok, I might also make a button to directly download the BETA... but NO, this is a touch too "official". hey its just BETA = BUGGY!!

[jacky]

Ok, I might also make a button to directly download the BETA... but NO, this is a touch too "official". hey its just BETA = BUGGY!!

Well, or one could use XYAU which can show you the latest changelogs, and then you're only one click away from automatic download/update/restart of XY
</plug>

[Creat]

Ah right, got it... forgot about that
Just picked it out of my .ini, no idea why I didn't try that the first time around ...

[Mesh]

OK, thanks for the feedback!

Integration of the license authentication with the board user accounts is not possible for technical/practical reasons.

But what you get in the license lounge is just the download link. You can store as bookmark and no need to come back to the LL. The updater script should still work (I'm not sure though how it works - no time to look at the code now).

That doesn't help if you want to download earlier versions.

I don't have SSL. A solution would be an alternative way to open the LL directly from the app using (2-way-) encrypted credentials. Then it would just be a click from running/registered app to LL!

Personally, I would never use that method. I refuse to allow apps to call home, and I make very rare exceptions to that. If you implemented this, I would still be downloading them manually via the website.

[Mesh]

Ok, I might also make a button to directly download the BETA... but NO, this is a touch too "official". hey its just BETA = BUGGY!!

Well, if you look at it that way, just let the pirates have them.


In all honesty, piracy isn't all bad. In many ways, it gives you better advertising than is practically affordable, and a trained and enthusiastic user base, which can transfer over to purchases from their places of employment.

I've seen it work out well for developers time and time again - they just don't know it. The only type of piracy I feel is fully bad is the type where people are selling counterfeit copies for profit. But personal piracy can do as much, if not more, good then it does harm. It's how Adobe got so big, and they know it.

[j_c_hallgren]

But what you get in the license lounge is just the download link. You can store as bookmark and no need to come back to the LL. The updater script should still work (I'm not sure though how it works - no time to look at the code now).

That doesn't help if you want to download earlier versions.

Personally, I would never use that method. I refuse to allow apps to call home, and I make very rare exceptions to that. If you implemented this, I would still be downloading them manually via the website.

Mesh, did you see the PM that I sent you about this?

And I also hate apps that call home automatically but if it's one that can do so only when user requests it, I'm fine with that.

[admin]

In all honesty, piracy isn't all bad. In many ways, it gives you better advertising than is practically affordable, and a trained and enthusiastic user base, which can transfer over to purchases from their places of employment.

I've seen it work out well for developers time and time again - they just don't know it.

Oh, I know (and said so numerous times in the forum). The LL is not an anti-piracy thing, but adds some value for the paying user.

Nevertheless I will implement a key verification system soon. It's so bloody easy to get XY for free that it's quite demotivating for the potential customer to actually pay.

[Mesh]

Mesh, did you see the PM that I sent you about this?

I did, but it seemed to be more directed towards the other user.

And I also hate apps that call home automatically but if it's one that can do so only when user requests it, I'm fine with that.

I still won't do it. Even if it only happens at your request, you don't know what information it's actually sending. It's a significant security risk, and a vulnerability I do not allow.