User Prevention is _so_ annoying

So... Directory Opus has been bugging me for weeks to upgrade from 12.2 to 12.3. I've tried this several times. AFAICT, it has never taken. Several issues. 1. For some inane reason, you guys haven't followed everyone else on the plannet (even Microsoft or nVidia) and require a reboot for a small version upgrade. 2. Even with the reboot, this is broken for me. I end up with version 12.2 libraries and 12.3 executables and help. Broken. Then on deleting my install and reinstalling from scratch, I encounter the user prevention brigade:

... so apparently (likely due to how poorly you label it --- likely to encourage people to spend more money with you ... shameful act #1) I downloaded pro. After installing pro, it's poorly explained that while I have a valid and installed lite (shameful act #2: misspelling the word light as if that excuses anything), I lack authorization to use pro. Fine. I figure this out after serveral minutes of wasted time online to find: (shamful act #3: the user prevention brigade) the stupid code you wrote for "hit ok to restart in "lite" mode" is broken. So I seem to be screwed and have wasted 20 minutes (2nd or 3rd time around) on your stupid application rather than getting work done.

Thanks for your feedback. I'm not really sure what "user prevention" means, but anyway...

Reboots are necessary because dopuslib.dll gets loaded into other processes on the system and there's no way to effectively get them to release it. If the reboot doesn't "take" for whatever reason, the simple fix is usually to reboot, reinstall, and reboot again. You'll notice the forums aren't completely full of people complaining about this issue so it's actually not something that happens all the time, and we didn't make it behave that way to spite you. It's quite likely to be related to something else on your system (e.g. your anti-virus software).

Regarding our shameful acts:
1 - Pro and Light are the same installer and program, the feature set is determined by which certificate you install
2 - As far as I can tell we use the correct spelling ("Light") everywhere - if you can let us know exactly where you've come across the incorrect spelling we can get it fixed
3 - As above, I don't know what "user prevention" means I'm sorry.

User prevention is an act of limiting the user that ends up limiting the user more than intended. Most commonly associated with DRM, but in this case, I cannot get your software into light mode... pressing the OK in the dialog does not reset ... it simply closes the dialog. Closing the parent dialog does close the software, but restarting the software ... has it still in broken pro mode.

Have you installed your Light certificate? Once that's installed you will be prompted to restart in the new mode and it should just happen automatically.

well... I tried that, but it wouldn't let me type in my registration code. After typing in my registration code, the "OK" box is ghosted.

You don't need to type in your registration code at all to install your certificate (there's not even a space for it). Click the Install New Certificate button, then use Load or Paste to load it in and click Install to install it.

Or are you trying to use the Retrieve option? In that case, you need to enter your registration code and your email address.

Hrm. Bad interface design. I had written off that field because it was grouped with the other input box and separated by an "-or-" ... you might want to put in some grouping elements there. Proper interface grouping and I never would have got this far.

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You just click Install New Certificate on the left, then click Load on the right. What's confusing here?

You can also drag & drop the certificate into the dialog.
Or paste it into the dialog via the clipboard.
Or double-click the certificate (if it was downloaded as a .opuscert file) and it all happens automatically.

Unbeliveable. @Jon and @Leo are doing best they can to help us and deliver us the best software and support via this forum. I don't recall anybody who ever accused their team of misbehaving, and on the other hand I believe everybody else here will testify on their behalf.

Fact: Directory Opus is one of the best Windows software ever. I don't know about the others, but they have my respect ever since good old Amiga floppy days (anybody else rememer Amiga Directory Opus 4.12). :slight_smile:

So, as you can see - they can't be blamed for something you don't understand. And I believe, if you are not satisfied with the software they would gladly return your money. There is no point in satisfying an everlastingly unhappy customer. I think you should reconsider your words.

Well... thank-you from the cheering section. But I don't need that, really. Have I been anything but civil? I admit the title was designed to be provocative ... and I'm surprised that nobody got it.

That said: best designed windows software ever? You have pretty low standards. I've already posted here before. The last time was a confusion where something that windows treats as a file an directory thing (phones, android and whatnot) is further grouped by DOpus for the pro version. That in and of itself is confusing. I realize the difficulty in monetizing software, but that line being confusing is what "user prevention" as a concept is all about. That-all-said, it's a statement of personal judgement, that nether of us are likely be convinced to re-evaluate.

That said, I do remember (and did own) the Amiga version. If I looked, I think I could come up with the physical disk. My Amiga even has a chance of working...

And they can be held accountable for something someone doesn't understand. That's what user interface design is about. The dialog in question is confusing, and far from just being a complainer, I suggest a different arrangement of elements that may make it less confusing.

I'll tell you what does annoy me, however, is people that jump in for cheerleading practice. Other then potentially telling me that you love (and you believe many love) the deveopers, you offer no information while do you do offer a veiled threat.

Seriously: look at my post. A confusing user interface regarding the licensing led me to post. That is User Prevention (by definition: software designed to limit the user over-limiting the user). At all times I engaged in civil discourse. I intended (but I see that I did not) to recant on the lite vs. light thing. At this point, it's from memory --- as I no longer have access to the dialogue and memory (everyone's memory) is faulty.

Lastly, and in the end, I offered not only a complaint, but a constructive complaint ... offering (from one software developer to another) some advice on the interface... to be taken at face value, I suppose.

... so no... not unbelievable. Simply civil.

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heh... before someone gets the flamethrowers out, be clear that while I don't think DOpus is "best windows software ever" ... it's certainly good. I tend to be terse... but I feel ... given the level of cheerleading, that I should say that... to keep the severs cool, at least.

While you do offer constructive criticism, your language tone about the "stupid" software, "cheering section," and "level of cheerleading" (what? one single person gave you that impression?) are not necessary in a civil discussion. If you want a "Simply civil" discussion, then act civil. Don't get surprised when someone called you out for your harsh tone.

And about the "Bad Interface Design", Help -> License Manager -> Install New Certificate seems straight forward. So what's wrong with this again? I do think, however, that a dedicated page on how to install the certificate should be on the website at http://www.dopus.com under the Support menu instead of only being in the manual.

But yes, the "best" is very subjective. I really like Directory Opus but it's definitely not the best to me. But of course it's definitely up there in the "Really Good" list.

Anyways, "User Prevention"? Learned something new today.

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It doesn't get much easier than this.

Also, the email I received following the purchase (subject: Directory Opus Online Purchase) had these instructions:

To activate your registration using your Program Certificate:

  1. Locate the "Directory Opus Program Certificate" file attached to this email, and using your email program, save it to disk.
  1. Double-click the file, or right-click it and choose 'Open' from the context menu.

I'm not sure if your purchase method afforded you that email, but I copied that straight from my version 11 to version 12 upgrade email.

I wish you success with Directory Opus and hope you'll surmount and not succumb to these lite hurdles.

Well... I called one specific person out for being a cheering section. And I said stupid code and stupid application, not stupid software --- although that, admittedly, is splitting hairs.

Why was I angry and was it justified? I dunno. I was somewhat angry. nVidia manages to replace a video driver (that is in use) without rebooting. That sets a high bar for the amount of effort to avoid rebooting. I think that if you applied your effort to it, there would be a path. You might, for instance, need to lay down an alternate library and switch external functionality to the alternate after a reboot.

Rebooting is expensive. Then to have it not work after rebooting? So... what then... I can't see these now ...and... I don't want to risk unregstering... but from memory a dialogue came up saying everything was expires. I don't believe help was a choice (no top bar menus, for instance, from memory). Leo's picture looks almost right, but I think there were five left hand choices. But I was faced with a load, paste, and retrieve choice.

Now... a quick google and/or a click on the load button didn't reveal the location of my cert, but a mail search did show a key (is it called a key... I don't have it up). The retrieve interface has a box for a key and an -or- spacer followed by two boxes ... one for something else I didn't have and one for email.

The interface understanding that I got from this was provide a key or (a something else + email). I added brackets there to emphasize. What I didn't get until it was explained was the intent was (key or something else) + email. The interface grouping doesn't lead me to this conclusion, only this forum eventually did. My comment back was that an inteface grouping element boxing the two "or" options would have prevented the whole thread ... as I would have "got it".

User Prevention? Everyone learning? I'm an anti-DRM type guy (even though I develop software). Not that DOpus has a lot of DRM ... but that it does have some. DRM is doubly annoying to me as a paid user. Not that I don't put up with it, but that preventing people from using stuff they paid for is where DRM is working against both the author and the user. Anyways... that's just politics.

That said: best designed windows software ever? You have pretty low standards.

What software do you consider to be better in terms of customisation, flexibility, customer support etc? I'm interesting it trying it.

The dialog in question is confusing, and far from just being a complainer, I suggest a different arrangement of elements that may make it less confusing.

How do you suggest we should rearrange it to make it less confusing? If you have any good ideas, I assure you they will be considered.

Guys, I think this has gone far enough. Hopefuly zBeeble is back up and running, let's all move on to more important things :slight_smile:

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