I registered for a significant numbers of years based on the assumption that it would continue to be in the language it currently is available in, Perl, especially given that the Perl code-branch was the "main" branch, with Perl features being later added to the PHP version. Changing things this radically at this stage of the game is, to me, a breach of the agreement.

If the perl version is permanently discontinued, as the FAQ seems to indicate, what do I have to do to obtain a refund for any licensing fees I've already paid from this date forward, as "having a license" at this point is completely useless to me.

I would stress that my ideal solution is to continue the parallel development of the PHP and Perl versions. Anyone who is claiming "Perl doesn't scale well" needs to take another hit off the crackpipe, so I don't buy that as a reason. For most sites, Perl scales just fine, and (since I make my living as a Perl programmer) it is a language I understand and can easily bugcheck and modify to my needs.

And on that note, can anyone suggest alternative products written in Perl?

D

[:blue]If the perl version is permanently discontinued, as the FAQ seems to indicate, what do I have to do to obtain a refund for any licensing fees I've already paid from this date forward, as "having a license" at this point is completely useless to me.

Being realistic... unless InfoPop is going to offer refunds to those who don't want the PHP version and are happy to stick with the final PERL version and never upgrade the PHP or have access to the download area, you're probably not going to get your money back.

I too would like to see the PERL live on but I think the decision has been made by both Scream and InfoPop, for various reasons.

The decision can have been made by whomever, doesn't matter. I'm paying for regular upgrades to the codebase I paid for, and if such upgrades don't exist, then a refund is in order.

If the company (any company) felt they might switch codebases at some point in the future, they should not have accepted payment for periods beyond that which they were 100% certain they could/would honor.

Like I said, though, I hope the solution is "continue parallel development", but if not, I'm willing to make a fairly big stink to get my money back, on general principles, and would encourage others to do the same. []/testimages/icons/frown.gif[/]

It may not be fair, but that is the way it works for most software. I use the perl version and do not intend in the very near future to switch to the PHP version (for a variety of reasons) so the balance of my upgrade license will be of little use. But I can not say that I expect any kind of prorated amount on the original license either.

color me confused.

If you ordered HBO and prepaid for it for a year, and then suddenly HBO wasn't available any more, you wouldn't expect to get your money back for the remaining time from the cable operator?

Surely you can't be serious.

D

But what you have still works -- it did not shut down as of today. There will still be some support on the infopop board, though probably not as good. Bug fixes will still be posted, so it is not the same situation where you loose service. You still have your software and it still works. Or at least mine did not crash this morning on my server. Actually I am still using 5.0.9 but am going to "upgrade" to 5.4.4. Downloaded all of that stuff the other day.

But that's not what you're paying for. You're paying for "future development upgrades". In that respect, what I am paying for HAS ceased, completely, and (so it would seem) permanently. []/testimages/icons/frown.gif[/]