Feature request: Permanent license for SmartTemplates Pro, if using Thunderbird without Supernova

[SILENT-da]

I have been using SmartTemplates Pro for several years and am very happy with it.
Many thanks for this very good extension for Thunderbird.

However, I am one of those people who do not like the new Thunderbird-version "Supernova", so I use the last version before that, 102.15.1.
For this version of Thunderbird, the highest (available/compatible) version of SmartTemplates is 3.18.

I can well understand that if Thunderbird is constantly being developed further, SmartTemplates must also be developed further, and that a paid license is then required for the Pro-version of SmartTemplates. However, further development of SmartTemplates for people like me is not necessary, as version 3.18 of SmartTemplates will continue to be used.

My question is:
Would it be possible for SmartTemplates Pro 3.18 to be made freely available for download, that people could install and use this for Thunderbird 102.15.1 without a license?
I, and probably other people who use Thunderbird without Supernova, would be very happy about this.

Alternatively, my thought is that it might also be possible to buy a permanent free license for SmartTemplates Pro 3.18 once - but I would prefer to be able to download SmartTemplates Pro 3.18 directly and use it that way, if I ever change my e-mail address in the future.

[MarkyMarkDE]

this is not possible.

1.) ATN didn't allow us to upload legacy versions anymore, so 3.18 is really the last legacy version on ATN.
2.) to remove / modify the complete logic of key handling is horrible work
3.) due to immensely of work and time required to keep the add-on up-to-date, we should actually switch to monthly subscriptions - other add-on developers do this for the same reason since a long time 😉

[SILENT-da]

@MarkyMarkDE, I contacted RealRaven2000 over email to this before. We have exchanged ideas for this and he mentioned possible solutions and then asked me to start writing it here.
Please reopen it here and maybe contact him. Thank you.

Beside that:
to 1) Maybe you can "fork" it (?), make the Pro version 3.18 separately available (as Legacy) for every "Legacy-Thunderbird-users".
to 2) Instead of removing, the consideration is an unlimited license, especially for Thunderbird without Supernova (version 102.15.1).
to 3) A yearly license is basically a good choice. If i were a user of the current Thunderbird (with Supernova) I would continue to prefer this (as I have done for the last few years). - But as a user of Thunderbird without Supernova (version 102.15.1), which I am, SmartTemplates (with version 3.18) does not need to be up-to-date for me.

[MarkyMarkDE]

1.) to fork a legacy version upside the regular version, would need additional work, Axel have with the regular version itself really much work. If we forked such a version, then comes user a, b, c, d so on and would like to have a fix for something or new functions, this would be a never ending story, and we would have an additional add-on keep up to update, so long it is technically possible.
2.) unlimited licenses are not implemented, so the work is the same as removing or extend it's logic stuff
3.) the problem is the really immensely of work and time to keep the CURRENT version always up-to-date, we don't talk about the legacy one, this is beside this.
From the customer's point of view, an annual license is of course a good thing, but for the developer it is no longer a good thing, as a lot of core stuff really changes from Thunderbird to Thunderbird. Even with Android, there are hardly to find any apps without a monthly subscription with often horrible prices.

[RealRaven2000]

Thanks @MarkyMarkDE for your input. I will still look into this and am thinking of protyping a version that can give indefinite access based on the following conditions:

• User had a valid license (Standard or Pro)
• Its expiry date covers the date range of ESR102 (to be specified)
• Thunderbird version <115.0

I would release this version here on Github exclusively as a service for my licensed users, because this would be a good argument for a transition to permanent licensing. If people want the support for "latest and greatest" version they can always renew their expired licenses (and they get a full year from date of purchase as a matter of courtesy). I think it's a great idea!

[RealRaven2000]

this is not possible.

1.) ATN didn't allow us to upload legacy versions anymore, so 3.18 is really the last legacy version on ATN.

that's why I suggest I upload here to Github on the releases page only. An added benefit is that I can then link users to the page who demand permanent licenses, they can use the version as long as they "stay back", with no need to charge them for future work. (hours caused by support work is debatable, but all other new features only go into the current release versions anyway)

2.) to remove / modify the complete logic of key handling is horrible work

let me look into it. If I pull it off, documenting it for the end user is the more horrible part!

3.) due to immensely of work and time required to keep the add-on up-to-date, we should actually switch to monthly subscriptions - other add-on developers do this for the same reason since a long time 😉

Yeah, although I can see the benefit of monthly subs, the administrative effort would pretty much eat up all the earnings, so I happily stick with annual licenses. Thinking of offering multi-year licenses but it's very hard to change the shop accordingly.

[RealRaven2000]

I modified the title, let's say "permanent" instead of "free" - as I still would like people to have had a valid license at one stage. I don't think this is unreasonable. They could even buy one now (Standard or Pro), and it would still be supported

[RealRaven2000]

@SILENT-da

to 1) Maybe you can "fork" it (?), make the Pro version 3.18 separately available (as Legacy) for every "Legacy-Thunderbird-users".

it is already, it's call a "branch":
ESR102

this covers all changes between ESR102 up to ESR112...

I have to do these branches once in a while for technical reasons and abandon backwards compatibility - hence it is hard to backport bug fixes or new features. The code base moves forward always!

[MarkyMarkDE]

is okay, at least it is your decision and can only point out my view.
I See how much work you have with the current release cycle and the compatibility forward, so I think, an annual license do come to a limit on a time. You did more or less spend 8 hours a day to develop and have to pay your bills, and Europe is quite expensive, you know 😉.
Sure, I do prefer also yearly or "lifetime" licenses, but this isn't always possible at these times.