Hi all, If you can't be bothered to read some text, the important bit is in bold a few paragraphs down.
Now that the worst kept secret EVER has seen the sunlight, while everybody is still shell shocked, I think it's worth posting this. I'd like to say I'm surprised, or emotionally drained, but I'm actually barely upset. Writing's been on the wall for entirely too long. Deciding to not use Maya just because it's an AD product, at least for me, is like cutting one's own nose to spite the face; then in my domain (character work) Maya is too significant a player to just outright ignore it out of principle, not to mention I've been using it professionally or personally since v1. That said maybe some of you work in a different domain, and for you Modo, or Houdini, or C4D are a viable option. Coming from there, and more on topic, I have little faith in all these petitions, rage posts and the such, so I thought I'd start a different line of efforts to help a community I've been part of for Idon'twanttothinkhowlongitsscary. More on topic, if I had to find issue with this announcement and all it entails it's how badly it was managed and conceived. Not only it's an incredibly ponderous decision with inevitable gravity, it was also announced with barely any time to spare between its intended date and some hard dates on its effects. Of everything I heard and read insofar it's not so much the killing of Soft I find unacceptable (I guess I was well resigned in those regards, not that it doesn't sadden me enormously), as much as what picture it paints of AD customer management when they do such a thing, and proceed to aggravate the issue with nebulous information and an unacceptably short window of time for the user base to make some rather consequential decisions. But are the competitors any better? Any more accessible and transparent in their communication and dealings? Well, I was having an exchange in private with Brad Peebler, founder of Luxology, and I put to him whether the Foundry/Luxology would have the flexibility and agility to do something about short term. Turns out they do. In a few hours they set up everything for a *50% discount on Modo*purchases. No strings attached, just because I jokingly challenged him to. *Go to the online store and use the coupon "raffofkahn" for half price check-out.* I'm not a Modo user, nor have the time or inclination right now to become one. I'm not going to suddenly wish AD any ill or stop using their products, though they sure did their damnest to make me even more guarded when dealing with their PR and promises. I did really enjoy dealing with the Foundry in the past though, and I have now to extend that respect to its Luxology arm. At the very least they are willing to act transparently and unconditionally on matters all the way from the top of the product chain. Cheers, Raff P.S. The actual coupon's text was Brad's idea, not mine! I imagine he read my signature and thought I was a Trekkie or something like that. P.P.S. I'm not getting anything out of this. I'm not a modo user, I'm not getting freebies, it has nothing to do with my employer, what the hell, it barely has anything to do with me outside the last few hours and this e-mail itself. I simply thought it was a nice and significant gesture on Brad's side and decided to help him reach out on account of his personality and display of good will. -- Our users will know fear and cower before our software! Ship it! Ship it and let them flee like the dogs they are!
