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The Future of Big-O Software and AIM+

Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2002 10:01 pm
by Big-O Mark
Unfortunately for everyone anticipating the next release of our popular AIM+ application (including us), AIM+ 3.0 has been indefinitely postponed. Big-O Software has two major reasons for this decision, one that we have been attempting to work around, the other is simply unacceptable.

First, a huge difference between Big-O Software last year and Big-O Software this year is that both Ryan and I have completed college and have been thrust into the real world. In order to survive in the real world, we have both taken jobs that consume massive amounts of our time that in the past at least partially could be devoted to the support and development of our software. Spare time has been scarce, and it is key for Big-O Software, as it is a hobby that pays us nothing. This part, however, we were willing to work around, so that we could continue to provide quality software for ourselves and our users.

Second, over the past few months, Big-O Software has been attacked repeatedly in various ways, including telephone, email, and through the website. Recently, with the impending release of AIM+ 3.0, the individuals responsible for these attacks have taken the liberty of posting personal information about us on the internet, and the frequency and intensity of the attacks have grown exponentially. We have had a lot of fun working with the users to develop AIM+, but if this price we have to pay for our effors, then it is simply not worth it to us. We have invested a lot of time and effort into AIM+, without expecting or getting anything tangible back. There is nothing wrong with that, as we never expected anything other than our own personal use of the software. However, we are now experiencing very tangible negative effects. This is the unacceptable part; it automatically made up our minds for us.

In conclusion, Big-O Software has indefinitely postponed the further development of AIM+. We plan to continue to work out bugs in the current version, including AIM 5.x compatibility, but at this point these are our final plans for the future of AIM+. (edit: this statement is wholly incorrect, see below)

hkSFV will continue to be fully supported, and we already have plans for future releases. Big-O Software also has plans and ideas for other new applications that we expect you will enjoy even more than AIM+.

To those who have supported us, in any way, throughout the development of AIM+: thank you, you made it very fun while it lasted, and we're sorry for the disappointment that this must bring. It certainly was not the way we had planned on celebrating AIM+'s 1 year anniversary. Unfortunately, the recent negativity and personal invasions have made this troubling decision an easy one for us to make.
Ryan wrote:I wrote the above with Mark, but somewhere along the way one important part got misleading.

Contrary to what it says above, we don't have plans to release any more AIM+, including bug fixes or compatibility updates. What the above should have said is that it's something we're considering. But I think that, at this point, another 2.x release of AIM+ would simply be a huge disappointment to all.

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 4:16 pm
by SkatePhilly
Hey guys hope you do good in the real world. . . I will be waiting for the new release. Take as much time as you need. You guys are still the best and AIM+ is still the greatest. Thanks for your time.

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 4:35 pm
by harra
I would just like to thank all those Gen-x'ers who have once again "brought down" a wonderful software group who was providing the community with a quality product FOR FREE.

I really worry about the future of this country when you have kids growing up believing that they are entitled to everything for free and if they feel slighted they slander them on the internet.

I'm sorry we've lost another great product. Good luck in your future endeavors Mark and Ryan

Ray

Open source?

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 5:16 pm
by AnyoneEB
If you aren't going to continue devolpment (after AIM 5 support) could you please release the source code (under [L]GPL?) and your notes on how AIM works? Then those of the community who know enough to work on it and have the time to do so could continue the effort.

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 5:23 pm
by iamvoyager
i cant say i am completely surprised considering how evasive you guys are to any questions relating to it.

its too bad if ppl harrass you, but that a horrible thing to do. i find it unlikely that there ever was going to be an aim+ 3, was this all just a big game? make them wait 6 months, tell them its going to be dec 11, then have a messed up site waiting for them

nice.

very nice.

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 5:23 pm
by Soccer55
harra wrote:I would just like to thank all those Gen-x'ers who have once again "brought down" a wonderful software group who was providing the community with a quality product FOR FREE.

I really worry about the future of this country when you have kids growing up believing that they are entitled to everything for free and if they feel slighted they slander them on the internet.

I'm sorry we've lost another great product. Good luck in your future endeavors Mark and Ryan

Ray
I couldn't have said it any better. Thank you for all of your hard work in developing AIM+ and making it available for free to those that lack the ability to do something similar on their own (translation: me). It's unfortunate that a few jackasses with a sense of entitlement had to go and kill the fun. Hopefully some day we will see AIM+ 3.0, but until then, good luck in the real world guys :)

-Tom

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 5:26 pm
by bfavre4
I just have one question. If AIM+ 3.0 was already made and done and made ready for release on Dec 11, why can't you just release it? It was done and ready anyway.

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 5:28 pm
by buster
Thanks for everything and good luck guys!

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 5:34 pm
by iamvoyager
or is this to get everyone to come and say sorry, and praise you, and beg you for it?

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 5:34 pm
by AnyoneEB
bfavre4 wrote:I just have one question. If AIM+ 3.0 was already made and done and made ready for release on Dec 11, why can't you just release it? It was done and ready anyway.
It probably wasn't made and still isn't made. They set Dec 11 as a deadline for themselves to finish AIM+ 3.0. They were unable to meet this deadline because of the unexpected conditions described in Mark's post.

hmm

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 5:37 pm
by pdykstra600
something sounds kind of weird about this whole thing, and to be honest it almost sounds to me like the people their talking about who were harrasing them was AOL. I mgiht be wrong, but its just a thought.

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 5:44 pm
by Michael
Nice of you to hype the release and then suddenly cancel it after the release date. Time to switch to DeadAIM or MyIM, I guess.

Don't Let AIM+ Die

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 5:52 pm
by asmily1
Granted this may be my very first post on the forum, but I don't think it could come at a more opportune time.

Now it may be that people slandering your personal lives is not acceptable, and I agree with that. But must everyone who loves AIM+ suffer because of a few upset and disgruntled people.

By giving in, don't you allow those who slandered you to win? Their only goal was to get you upset and give up - and here you guys are, doing exactly that, giving up.

Why don't you guys win, and continue developing AIM+. Everyone who uses and loves AIM+ has waited for this new release. And we can wait some more, because we love the program. Granted, yes, we are impatient, but that's only because we love it. I searched on google while the site was down and found tons of forums discussing the downtown in which HUNDREDS of users complained that they could not wait for the new release.

My opinion, and I'm sure thousands of people agree with me, don't waist all your hard work and effort developing AIM+ 3.0. Make AIM+'s first birthday worthwhile. A belated birthday present prehaps?

Don't give in, continue developing AIM+ and ignore the people who have just ruined a great piece of software for hundreds of thousands of people.

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 5:54 pm
by BoFiS
Michael wrote:Nice of you to hype the release and then suddenly cancel it after the release date. Time to switch to DeadAIM or MyIM, I guess.
Or maybe there's more to this than we know about and we should just leave them alone. They made a great program in the past, and we'd all love it if they could make more in the future, but unfortunately at this time, for whatever reasons, they cannot.

I just want to say I hope that maybe they can work stuff out and continue development of AIM+, but if not, I truly hope this is not a sign of things to come for AIM addons.

???????????

Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2002 5:56 pm
by sdh587
[/b] really whats up with all of this? the day it was suppose to come out the site gets all messed up? and why dont you just release it?