Unhappy with version 2

[SvanteSpectator]

Hello,

As Daniel has already pointed out, you clearly state an equivalence between “f…d up” and “monetizing“.

All I can say is that after 15 years of trying and hoping for change, I can definitely state that having 10 million people using my software for free did not pay my bills. AxCrypt 1, at it’s best, earned about 10-20 dollars a week in voluntary donations. That’s from 5 000 to 10 000 downloads a week or more.

But, even so, we continue offer AxCrypt 2 for free with a feature set that is almost identical to AxCrypt 1 (which we also still have available for download). Click-by-click and keystroke-by-keystroke, AxCrypt 2 works just like AxCrypt 1 in the most typical scenarios. It looks different, but it works pretty much the same – with some additions of course!

Since you feel so strongly about this, I suggest you take the source code of AxCrypt 1 (or 2 for that matter), which is free and available under GPL and do something about it! Perhaps pay a team of developers and designers, or do it yourself, so it works like you want it to?

[Jack C.]

My solution to the multiple passwords issue was to install the old AxCrypt2Go standalone app for custom passwords and use v2.x for everything else. If one is constantly wanting to use multiple passwords it’s clunky, though.

[BBJS]

I have changed to using AESCrypt, you can use whatever password you like and it is available on Windows and Android, so I can use anything I store on my NAS which I can access form any device.

[Jack C.]

I just tested AES Crypt and it’s dirt simple. But it lacks a password retention option (ease of use) and won’t wipe the original files for you. You also have no option to show the password, which can be useful for longer ones typed twice. I’d call it a bit too crude, but interesting.

I could see using it along with AxCrypt2Go but I’d have to convince several relatives to install it first! I installed AxCrypt 1.x onto their PCs years ago and they’ve never once sent me an encrypted file (testament to perennial novices or apathetic users).

[Jack C.]

“AxCrypt2 is awful!  You took a really good simple product and fucked it up (monetized it)!”

That reads like a Trump tweet. Yuuge exaggeration of reality. Bad!

Yes, 2.x is more complex, but mainly in the initial setup, plus it has more settings overall.

The issue of wanting to monetize software is tricky since people have come to expect free things online. One tends to assume freeware is done as a side hobby but much of it’s a work in progress toward shareware, plus they have to deal with cracks (GoldWave was/is a prime example; very good program). My sympathies are with the programmers, not armchair gripers who won’t post detailed context.

[Author]

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