Cigraph Paranoia

[gpowless]

I spent part of my day trying to log on, download and update a number of Cigraph products. The "new Cigraph dongle will make it easier" they say.

I disagree. I see no need for such elaborate protection on an add-on for Archicad.

Is this really warranted? And how many people would steal the add-on if it was made available? Our USB ports are already overloaded and complicated protection systems for moderately useful products are a waste of resources and a waste of my time. I would rather see Cigraph put better quality into their products.

[Dwight]

You are hopelessly naive.
Just search the internet, see what is there and imagine yourself having developed those products:

Bitter tears falling in latte.

I am only surmising that the new dongle is only a finger in the floodgate.

[gpowless]

I am hardly naive. The fact is that two-bit add-ons don't ever stand alone. Archicad has every reason to offer key-based software protection. A product like Archistair or even Architerra does not - especially since it can't be used with anything other than Archicad.

It was bad enough that we had to fumble through a web based serialization for Cigraph products before but going to a dongle is the most absurd thing I have encountered in my 35 years in the industry.

[Dwight]

I absolutely agree with you about the dongles, but just look at what is out there to steal!

[Karl Ottenstein]

I, too, am short on USB sockets and have to wonder about the need for another dongle vs the protection methods employed by Encina (OBJECTiVE, FrameWright, etc) and CadImage (CadImage Tools etc) and Abvent (online movable electronic license).

Cheers,
Karl

[gpowless]

As of this date 84% say Cigraph's days are numbered.

What say you Cigraph?

[gpowless]

87% and rising.

Does Cigraph even care?

[Karl Ottenstein]

Let's not get annoying by posting the percentage every day...for how long?

Only 18 people have voted - a statistically uninteresting number. Give it some time.

I'm still in the "too many dongles" camp ... I don't want to have to deal with yet another USB hub in order to have enough sockets, and to remember to carry around so many things.

It would have been nice if there had been some coordination with GS so that people who wanted the Cigraph licenses loaded onto the existing ArchiCAD dongle could have done so. Most useful for the solo practitioner. In an office setting, the separate Cigraph dongle is kind of useful since you can pass it around... which in the end would seem to lower sales, I would think?

Cheers,
Karl

[gpowless]

If I remind people to vote, or solicit Cigraph's response it is only to instigate open and thorough discussion to what I consider a serious issue.

I appreciate that you are concerned with the dongles too but that is not the only issue. I think that being held hostage to software / add-on products is criminal....in fact that is why I choose Archicad in the first place - to have greater flexibility than the other competitors offered. And if being subject to Cigraph's paranoia is "annoying" then I suggest that you skip over future posts in this thread...or just hit your ignore button so you don't have to participate.

[Karl Ottenstein]

In any case, if you continue to make a post here every day, I'm going to delete this thread. Let things flow normally please. Your postings are bordering on abusing the forums.

Thanks,
Karl