Reading stuff on the Practical Machinist CAD/CAM forums the last few days where Autodesk continues to be brought up by various people. Seems to be running about 5 to 1 regarding Autodesk with loathing in a big lead. Another company I despise is AT&T. Masters of lobbying corrupt government officials so they can get out of promises made like when they bought out Bell South and said they would continue rural broad band roll outs as a condition to buy them. To this day some seven years later I have fiber to the top of the ridge around 10,000 feet away where Bell South ran it and AT&T left it. I am lucky to get 75kbs and AT&T has ordered no new DSL equipment for years so when things break it is harder and harder for techs to even get us service.
So why mention AT&T today? I received an ad from them that was priceless and I will show you a couple of screen captures from it.
We will love you forever—-promise!
I included the intellectual property section so you know all these logos and junk belong to AT&T. I thought it was a nice touch that they would show a stone fool liberal idiot as an incentive to buy into their mess.
What is a promise worth these days with these big outfits? I think of Inventor Pro with Autodesk over the last year. There were a ton of extra programs I could access a while back. Just before my perpetual seat ended on 12-15-17 I went to download all I could and much to my amazement there was about a 75% reduction in aps Inventor Pro now had rights to even though the price was going up 25% by 2019.
I propose a new addition to anything anyone says at any time from Autodesk. I like the way AT&T said it and the intent behind it. “Offers, programming, pricing, terms & conditions subject to change and may be discontinued at any time without notice.” The famous old price creep everyone who has ever had satellite TV has experienced as soon as they can get away with it.
Just like Autodesk who has now had ten declining income quarters in a row now AT&T is losing subscribers left and right because bait and switch is not a viable alternative when other options become available. Neither is subscription only industrial software to industries when other options are available and I look with glee to Autodesks upcoming eleventh down quarter in a row and wait to see how mercenary evil guy Anagnost spins it as a plus THIS time.
My opinion for what it is worth is that AT&T and Autodesk share common values and avarice towards customers. Their promises are worth the paper they are written on only and of value just like the rolls of paper we all buy and use most every day. AT&T has my business because I am forced to go there. Autodesk does not have my business because they had no ability to force me there but they wanted to try doing so. Autodesk has lost my business forever and as soon as I can dump AT&T they will too.
Machined Audio Horn Lens 