sortie

I think I may make tubecgi a free open source script.

Why?

Because to free me up from support.
So, if I make the script free you cannot get support from me you
will get it from each other.

Is this a good idea?


Explanition:

The people who use my script are competing for my traffic and sells.
Yet, despite that they get 1000s of dollars of programming for $50 , and now can compete with my sites,
a few of these people in their ungratefulness have made me consider never providing anything ever to
other webmasters.

This last person has sent me over the edge.

He just told a big lie in another post that I blew him off when it came to
helping him with my script.


Here is a screen shot of my support email for all customers during this
time frame. Not a single email from "Knockboots" resulted in a fix or change
to the script because none of his problems were with the script.
He basically kept asking me to do his server admin duties and webmaster
duties. I did a lot of it because he was my customer, but there has to
be some limit of this on a $50 script.

Every last one of his emails were answered and every last one of his
problems were solved and none had anything to do with tubecgi.
I recommended he try another script when he asked me to write new code
to "tweak" the script for him. That pissed him off evidently.
The script is the script. It does what I claim it does and not things
that I do not claim it does.

I provided him with unreleated coding solutions and recommendations
even a free .flv player that does not even come with my script;
showed him how to implement it etc...



Look at my email screen shot.
Did he get his "fair share" of support or not?




He offered me a job to code a custom pay per view site and I declined because
He is the most troublesome customer I have ever seen in my life.
No amount of money was worth dealing with him on a daily basis.

I spent hours and hours and hours helping him with totaly unrelated
server issues and just his pure clumsiness as a webmaster and remained
polite the entire time and yet he comes to the board to make this claim
that I didn't help him.


I don't bring customer issues to this board but he chose to and was
unfairly negative so this is just my reply to that.
I only think I have a right to rebut such unfair postings but I don't
bring up customer issues on my own.
I don't complain about my customers. They bought something and they
have a right to complain if they choose but the complaint should
be true and fair or I reserve the right to issue a rebuttal to it.

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LeRoy

Some are like that and some just buy and leave you alone. so you have to take the good with the bad.

There is a limit to 50 dollar script. Just make a forum and let the techies go at it

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Babaganoosh

I learned my lesson last time I sold scripts. Free support for the first month, then charge after that. Some of these assholes that buy your scripts will be nothing but a drain on your patience and sanity.

You'd be surprised how many of the "big players" are whiny little bitches too. Just because you recognize a name doesn't make them better to deal with. Make everyone pay for extra support...bro or not.

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I like pie.

sortie

Oh, I took it all. But he got all bent out of shape when he asked me to
do something that I simply could not do for him.

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gideongallery

hell yeah open source it
with cheaper alternatives you could actually start making money by having a per insident support charge

charge like $20 a pop for support contacts and make money from people like this instead

__________________

“When crimes occur through the mail, you don’t shut the post office down,” Steve Wozniak

sortie

It wasn't even a money issue for me, I bent over backwards.

But then he comes here and post that I didn't help him.

That is insane.

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sortie

Yeah, that's a good idea.

I gave this guy $2000 worth of support for free on a $50 script and this is
the thanks he shows me.

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Barefootsies

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Enough Said.

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CyberHustler

Twig

Do a 1% skim free version and keep your paid version.

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Miguel T

LOL, he looks annoying...!!!

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Full Stack Webdeveloper: HTML5/CSS3, jQuery, AJAX, ElevatedX, NATS, MechBunny, Wordpress

junction

I think its a great idea!


Best idea I have heard in a while.



It should have been free to begin with.




So can I have a copy?




I might need some help with the install, I am kinda stupid.



After the install, can you spend a couple of hours running me through how to use the software?




If you don't want to help me.....I'll just start a post on GFY about what an asshole you are, and what a piece of shit your script is.

Nookster

While I'm a HUGE fan and supporter of open source software, I also think (as a developer myself) and know that there's some parts of your softwares/work that you should keep yours. Like, if you've made something original, or close to original and know that few others have (say, a piece of code that does something special), encrypt those pieces if possible. If you need to, re-write that portion in a dumbed-down way. I'm rambling...bottom line, make sure to keep YOUR CODE as just that, your code.
And, about the ss. He most definitely got his monies worth. lol

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sortie

But if I make it open code it all has to be open or people are going to say
"what does this part do?" and I have to tell them something I make up
on the spot.

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sortie

But I can always respond with "Hey dude it was free, ya know?"

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tiger

Fuck that is a lot of emails.

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Va2k

YEA I agree it is and was too bad I had to send that many emails just to get shit worked on and fixed..

quote=sortie;13884107]He does a million hits a day.
But he dosen't tweak his server and instead ask me to tweak the script.
He goes from sites with static content to one where he's serving the
video himself and using dynamic pages and expects the same cpu load.
No way.

Daymn dude pick and choose the emails why don't you, You gave 100's of $$ for support but for got to say I gave you over $100.00 for your shit script and your shit support!

"He does a million hits a day."
Is this too hard for you to belive? Sad tevs never bogged my server down and Ole dean knows how much traffic I sent to that script!
*But he dosen't tweak his server* You're right with the play server for galleries and shit that isnt on jupiters system, Thats why I put your shit ass script over on Jupiter! Jupiter support and tech's tweaks and runs the server just fine! TEVS NEVER HAS BOGGED DOWN THE SERVER"He goes from sites with static content" Then I went back and same thing! YOUR SCRIPT IS SHIT IT SUCKS and you showing customers personal emials really shows they type of person you really are!

All them email
If I was such a problem customer as you say I was I can almost bet I would have the same out put with ole say tevs/Dean But ya know what I DONT HAVE TO RUN TO HIM EVERY 5 fucking min's to find out why his script has done this and done that! You sad little boi!

Damn posting customers personal info um whats next from you? I was going to charge back since your shit sucked so much, then I decided not too, well um

Ps I aint the only one that has had or had problems with your shit script!

sortie

The thing about it is that if he had legitimate issues then he would
have been the best cutomer alive because he would have reported
every single problem that needed to be fixed.

But he never managed to find a single problem except his own
server and his own incompetence.

He made insane accusations that my script was sending out spam and
I spent almost 8 hours that day proving that it was impossible.

The reason it took so long for me to prove it is that he said his server
admin claimed the script was sending spam. So I dug into my scripts
real hard looking for the hole and when I absoultey could not find a
hole, I challenged his server admin to show me logs where my script
accessed /usr/lib/sendmail. It can't send email without that.
Then he relented and admitted that he didn't really have a server admin
and a friend suggested that.


See the actual email exchange :



----- Original Message -----
From: "knockboots"
To: Sortie
Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 10:13 PM
Subject: Re: tubecgi


> thats just it I don't have a server admin it was one of the guys from the
> hosting company EV1Servers don't know how he came up with what he came up
> with but it stopped once the vlist.cgi was renamed..
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Sortie
> To: knockboots
> Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 3:16 PM
> Subject: tubecgi
>
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I'm not really a "server" guy so your admin can go thru this a lot faster
>> than I can.
>>
>> Can you send me some of the emails in text form only.
>> Can you send me the urls that are requested when the script does this?
>>
>> The script uses cpu resources when it run normally.
>> If you have 100k videos or a ton of categories this will increase the cpu
>> usage.
>>
>> Your server admin needs to send me something to go on.
>> He made the case that it is the vlist.cgi script sending email, so he
>> needs
>> to provide something to back that up.
>>
>> I will do whatever is needed to my script to help you, but I can tell you
>> that there is very little possibility that the script is hacked.
>> It's plugged tight as hell.
>>
>>
>>
>>

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farkedup

why do you feel the need to complain about a CUSTOMER in a public place like this?

I have my share of troublesome support BUT it comes with the territory for every 1 troublesome person there'll always be plenty of people who you never even hear from again.

Here's what you do either jack up the price of the script OR limit support to something like first month's free then pay extra for support beyond that. Also having a forum on top of that is really important. I plan on changing my support around in the near future. I can either spend time developing the script or get eaten up by support

Also outline exactly what your support covers and EXCLUDE anything server related.

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ucv.karl

No. It's going to be more trouble than it's worth.

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ICQ: 263079754

sortie

Something must be wrong with GFY since your post is all jacked.
It can't be you right?

Look at your own email.
You lied to me about having a server admin look at the script when I was trying to provide you with support.

What was the point in making up this lie when I'm already doing everything
I can to help you.

Your post here threatening to charge back will be used as evidence to charge you with theft of services.

You should have gotten a clue when I politely turned down your job offer.
Anyone would have to be crazy to work with you.

Why would I turn down an easy $2000 grand???

The answer is in the fact that you insist on telling lies and after I help
you, you come to the board claiming that I didn't.

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LeRoy

He needed to be told that enough is enough and there is a price for these extra things you did for him. Especially if the jobs are unrelated to your script like server issues. His/her hosting should be able to manage those thing for you to go in there and do your thing.

I host at colo and when there needs to be an addition the server they do what is needed for any script install.

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sortie

Hey, he brought a false complaint to the board, not me.

He's not the only customer I could complaing about, just the only
one to make false complaints on the board.

I have never complained about a customer. That is not smart!

Dissatified customers are just part of the game and anyone that wanted to rant
was free to do so.

But no other customer made up lies while I was trying to find his problem and
provide support and then came to the board and lied that I didn't
provide support.

He posted a blantant lie and I reposnded with the evidence of it.

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1off

Hell Yeah! Open source that bad boy. I've made enough tube sites with that thing, I'll do installs for free with any tube site design order

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Va2k

Where is the lies? Why on earth would I want to stoop down and lie about a shit script? If your shit script worked I wouldn't of ever had issues! 2nd Why am I not having issues with Tevs? Go a head give your script out for free!! IF im the one that broke you im more then happy to take credit! I would advise anyone that does take your shit script to watch it!

Matter of fact Ill put my money where MY mouth is little boy!

Give you script to 5 people here that are
1st well known,
2nd Have them install your shit script for free!
3rd have them send oh 800 hits to the script every 10 mins if it don't crash their server I will pay YOU personaly the cost of each one of their scripts and will pay your Rent for next month! Dont want you broke while this goes on! Now the challange is in place put your fucking money with your mouth is or stfu boy!

sortie

True,

the thing is that he would lie about his server admin doing all these things
so the problem would have to be with my script. I don't charge someone
if the problem is with my script.
Then he finally admitted that there was no server admin.
Then he finally realized that there was no problem.

It was like he'd get paranoid about something and then email me and send me
on a "wild goose chase" for hours. But no problem, this stuff happens.
I'll do it again for anybody.

What ticks me off is for him to say I didn't give him support after all this.

Then he claims my script is crap.
But hey, it was only crap after he couldn't bleed me dry anymore.

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Va2k

Then he claims my script is crap.
But hey, it was only crap after he couldn't bleed me dry anymore

hahah bleed you dry??? I paid you extra for your shit script support sent you extra thinking maybe you can get your shit fixed but was way wrong! Now come on and take me up on my offer!! Show everyone that im wrong and that your script is wonderful!

wizzart

Best tube script on net is already free !

sortie

Yeah, you paid maybe $0.68 cents per support email and about
$0.00013 cents per support hours.


> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "knockboots"
> To: Sortie
> Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 4:52 PM
> Subject: Re: tubecgi
>
>
>> You have sent $40.00 USD to Sortie. An email has been
>> sent to the recipient.
>>



But it's not about the money, it's about lying about the problem when I'm
helping you and then lying that I didn't help you.

You are a compulsive liar.

I will help anyone for weeks/months/years for free if they are not lying
about the problem.

I want to fix any problems, it helps my script get better!!
But I don't want to fix your lying.
See a psycho-therapist for that.

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Va2k

ok I called my psycho therapist and he/she tole me to say 50 times tubecgi dont suck tubecgi dont suck...

it didnt work it still sucked!

Also nice way to dodge the little contest!!

Ps I NEVER said you DID NOT help I said your script oops I mean your SHIT script sucked Never once did I say you didn't help./.. you did help you help to make it worse, you help Dean from tevs to make a sale!! Im done with you little boy my offer stands I got band prat. I will be back in a few hours Have fun and enjoy the thread!

hungry hungry hippy

only if it's php ;)

sortie

Yeah, I suck. But how stupid are you to try and hire me after you know
how much I suck?

----- Original Message -----
From: "knockboots"
To: Sortie
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 5:59 PM
Subject: Re: tubecgi flv player


>I want to do a pay perview for my paysites how much will you charge us to do
> this including setting up shopping cart and billing gateway?

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Babaganoosh

Sortie,

This guy clearly has issues. Frankly what I would do is offer to buy him a competing product. By doing that you accomplish two things.

1. You get a congenital dipshit off your case...forever!

2. You make him your competition's problem and he WILL be a problem. Your competition will likely spend several days trying to appease the windbag thus wasting countless hours of their time. They'll likely take a few days off to simmer down after eventually telling the customer to piss off. Then the idiot will come to GFY or whatever board he is victimizing with his drivel and badmouth your competition.

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I like pie.

sortie

True dat.

Zorgman can probably handle him because he is probably younger than me
and doesn't have PTSD yet. (Programmer Traumatic Stress Disorder)

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The Sultan Of Smut

I love open source projects but even if the product is licensed under the GPL any alterations/fixes that some of these guys make would never be contributed back to the project because they're greedy toss offs.

wild_jayx

hey sortie can i get one

Zorgman

I can handle him because he doesn't have any problems with TEVS. A perfect customer.

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---

Yngwie

I'm all for open source. I'll take a copy.

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Pics Traffic

there is no such thing. I guess you haven't been around long enough.

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GrouchyAdmin

As much as we lock horns (for the purposes of amusement): There's no money in open source. You may say 'no shit', but you'll get nowhere. If you want recognition, that's one thing - but unless you want to do Open Source, it's not usually going to find you work.

You'll still have people begging, whining, and requesting features, but who won't even put up the $50/license you were getting before.

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John.

Is it going open source then?

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Sig too old.

sortie

Still thinking about it.

Some good points were brought up.

Mainly thinking that I will not have to do a lot support could be way off.
I could end up doing more support based on some of the comments.

I can say "hey it's free, so no support" but that may not be realistic.
I would still have pride in my code and want it to work for everyone.
So thinking I will not respond to a question or problem is way off.

I'm leaning toward open source.
But in any event I would have to do some recoding to make it open source
so it wouldn't be ready for a week or more.

I'll think real hard about it for a few days.

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Multimedia

Interesting thread. I get what you are saying, but I dont understand why you put their info on the board.

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Zorgman

You guest wrong.

I look at a "perfect customer" as someone that buys my script and knows exactly what it can do. A webmaster that work with me, not against me.

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farkedup

I've had a few open source projects and simply put you won't have anybody capable of handling support until it becomes popular, it can't become popular without support so if you won't get help with support until its popular you're sitting there supporting people who haven't paid you a dime crossing your fingers that others will come and help with support....

If support is the problem jack up your prices. Its better to get fewer sales and higher profit margins. Modify your support so that the first month is free and then charge after that. I'm going to change my support from what is currently stated as lifetime down to something considerably less than that.

I've also been steadily raising my prices. When I was in the testing stages I was giving it out left and right, then I jacked my prices up as the product improved. I'm planning on having a few different pricing tiers, have lifetime support, copyright removal and installation at a high price and go all the way down to an at least partially encoded system and release a few addons.

I'm also putting out a free system that ONLY supports embed codes and will have some paid addons for that once I get a chance to cleanup some things in that system which I coded most of it over 2 years ago and it was used by some of my arcades back in the day.

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gideongallery

open source works if you use the model of pay per incident support in fact when you are starting out and the script is not popular you actually make more money

after a little while when the script becomes popular people will jump in and offer support for your script at a lower price (since they can see the problems)

the key is to make it clear about the pay per incident / custom mod pricing up front

there are dozens of examples of this model working from the very big (red hat to the very small phplists)

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“When crimes occur through the mail, you don’t shut the post office down,” Steve Wozniak

$5 submissions

Why not? Besides the support advantages, there's also the proof of concept advantage. Also, allow it to accept plugins (to increase its popularity) and you might make a bit of money from customization deals with big companies.

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