Separating Bugs from Features

[Acorn]

Dear Xara...

This point, up to now, has been hypothetical.

My XDPX Update Service expires in 10 days. I have managed to download and use Xara Designer Pro X 15.1.0.53605 DL x64 May 3 2018.

v15.0 had the most annoying "feature" built-in by you: the inability to squash or stretch text or images. This was not a "feature" request (c.f., "OUR MOST SOUGHT-AFTER USER REQUEST"), it was a company decision to constrain functionality.
This has been 'rectified' in v15.1 with a perverse kludge.

This reversal strongly suggests this "feature" is actually a software bug: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_bug.

I am now forced to renew as, at some point, I cannot predict when, my version may have to be re-installed at its purchase version of v15.0. I would then be stuck with an unworkable bug.

How are you intending to deliver the correct functionality that people purchased, in good faith, for this and other bug fixes that arise in the year following purchase?

Acorn

[Rob-Xar]

Personally speaking, taking the Xara hat off...

I wouldn't call it a bug. It was a deliberate decision that was made in the best of intention but perhaps had little foresight, consideration or thought about letting users have the tools to do whatever they please.

Yes, it was a silly decision, but not accidental. But a feature has been put in place - the ability to lock aspect ratio deformation so you can switch between smart transform / scaling and stretching / distorting, depending on what you are working on, which I would say is, not only a reversal of that decision but an improvement to previous behaviours too.

Things have been put in place to ensure these sort of changes get better exposure to everyone in the company so we can discuss it more beforehand.

And yes, I don't agree with the update service either partly for this reason that some bugs get fixed and released but then the update service runs out. Alas I wish I could do more.

Xara hat back on.

[Acorn]

Cheers Rob, a discussion at last.
A flower growing in the wrong place is a weed.

Let us buy a DVD on expiry with the right to use that final version.
Xara gains and we get peace of mind.

Acorn

[ss-kalm]

Thanks Rob.

[Egg Bramhill]

I like Rob with his hat off. There should be more of this honesty within TG.

[Boy]

I appreciate your openness and honesty, Rob. Thanks for that.