Service

[Chris M]

I am highly reluctant to throw money at a subscription model at the best of times, and it's a huge testimony to Xara that I consider doing so quite regularly.

I'm probably in a unique situation where I don't need to subscribe as I do freelance work for a small business who has a subscription, and I have after hours access through remote desktop. However, It would be handy to have my own copy, and I would like to contribute funds to the development of the program. And it's the 'development of the program' bit that stops me pulling the trigger. If I thought my yearly, not insubstantial, donation (remember I don't need to subscribe) was helping to fund improvements, I'm sure I would have. But, I see no evidence of that happening.

I would like to highlight my opinion on a customer/provider relationship...opinion... If I buy the product outright, the providers' obligation ends there. They would be foolish not to support the product because they want me to buy again. But essentially the transaction is done once I part with payment and receive the product. If you want me to rent the product, I expect you to keep that product in working order and/or repair integral parts of said product. And you don't have to look far to build a list of broken parts in the software.

My 2 biggest gripes are not being able to apply a reveal animation to objects in a layer, where quite clearly you can, because there's a 'workaround' for it.
The second is making anything sticky on a layer breaks the animation. Both of those have been reported on numerous occasions, and were ignored. Completely ignored. Not even an acknowledgement.

Blocks are new, and teething problems (I'm being kind) are expected. Blocks 2 was released which made things infinitely worse, again, new, the solution to Blocks 1 wasn't what was expected.

If you want to be the software equivalent of a landlord, I, for one, expect you to keep your property (you've made it clear it isn't mine) in good working order. Will you supply a timeline, or even a road map, as to when repairs to the broken parts will be addressed?

Out of the last 5 listed improvements in your own 'What's New' section, three of them are more templates.
I don't want new curtains when the roof leaks and the sink is blocked.

If you've read this far, you probably think I'm on a 'bash Xara' rant. I'm not. I'm genuinely teetering on the brink of throwing money at something that I have no need to, because I like the product, and I'd like to support it. But, like any donation, I want to know my money is going to the right place. I don't want to fund 15 colours of the same thing. I don't want to fund photo frames I can make myself in a matter of minutes. I want to know that much need fixes are, at the very least, on a to-do list.

[DanFelix]

I must say, your landlord analogy is excellent. I think Xara has gotten caught up in a strategy of 'try anything' and we'll (hopefully) clean it up later. I don't see much clarity or focus in much of any software today. Let alone subscription. IMHO

[Chris M]

And, of course, the very next day, the Xara team slaps the 23.8 release in my face that has 'Fixed' written on nearly every line and no mention of the Elements content.

I can visualise the Xara team watching the forum:
'wait, wait, wait for it. He's typing'...
"I am highly reluctant..."
'Now! Go, go, go. Release 23.8!'

[bwood]

. But I do consider a road map a very good idea. Since they’re really on the Blocks sell, I wonder if yourself, acorn, egg and other notables can get together and make suggestions for Blocks 3, or fixes on Blocks 2. Lately I’m obsessed with phone variants and perhaps that can be a direction that Blocks 2 or 3 could take.
Your tip on hiding pics on the phone variant is remarkable, but Xara has to explain how to take apart, and make flex groups and blocks for novice users on the tube.
Blocks should have the ability to be placed independently on different variants if they’re to be used by designers like yourself. I play with another site maker on the Mac platform and they encounter the same problem. Everything on the large variant has to be duplicated on the small one.
Sorry for the detour Chris. As you were.

[Chris M]

Sorry for the detour Chris. As you were.

Not a detour at all. You're still firmly in Block discussion territory.

I'm in the last stages of a site I'm making for a customer, hopefully finished today, ready for approval tomorrow. I very, very nearly went the Blocks route, but went the traditional way purely because of familiarity and habit. However, all the way through the build, I was thinking: 'that would be the content of a Block, that bit would be easier to line up if it were a Block' and so on.

I fully intend to redo the site using Blocks. I'll use your suggestion of starting with the phone variant and I'll report back.