Note:  I had originally submitted this for the 2019 Top Ten List on November 9, 2018.  It was originally titled:  Avoid Ransomware - Entitlement to SP5.0 Regardless of when purchased.  Despite my objections the moderators forced a change to the title.  There was something about it they did not like.  Go figure!

I am posting this here because I realized the only place it had been posted was in the TTL and those are unfortunately temporary.  Also, I am posting this in response to the  thread and some comments of the last couple of days.

Anyone that knows me also knows I am a passionate SWX user, but am also not pleased with the consequences of bugs.  I have posted many complaints, but also many suggestions with my VARs, here on the forum, in the Enhancement Request system, the TTLs, directly to my contacts at SWX, and anywhere they might get some traction (which excludes the 3DSwamp!).  Some of those are details and examples of problems and some are ideas on how they might be fixed or for a work-around.  One only needs to look at my profile to see the threads I started regarding how to improve the software to see I put a lot of thought and consideration into them.  

I am posting this here because:

A. I think it is a good idea and could go a long way to rebuilding some of the good faith that has been pi\$\$ed away in the last couple of years.

B. This forum is a good place for such discussions and the WHY? thread made me realize this idea is still valid, but was never posted on the open forum so it never got much exposure.

C. It was totally deleted from the 2020 TTL by the moderators, even under the non-inflammatory title I'm using for this thread.  It makes me wonder what DSS is afraid of.  Well, it is time to confront that fear!

If a person/company buys any version of SWX then they should be entitled to the most bug-free version, regardless of when they made the purchase.  That means entitlement to SP5.0 (plus any hotfixes such as the one that came out for SWX2016 SP5.0).  Yes, even if a subscription "expires" mid-version.  Without this proviso SWX has at times been called "Ransomware", where we are sold a buggy program and must buy the next version to get those bugs fixed, even if it introduces new bugs!!!  SWX2016 and even more dramatically, SWX2017, are good examples of this.  Stated another way, if a person buys SWX in April then the latest SP they would have access to under the current situation is 2.0.  Even without the maintenance subscription they should be entitled to every SP for that version.  Period.

We understand that bugs happen; that is what the Service Packs are all about.  Sometimes there are crippling problems that occur with early SP's and they aren't fully resolved until SP4.0-5.0.  Currently, if we are off subscription we are out in the cold.  Even if we have a definite and acknowledged problem with an SR/SPR assigned to it we have no recourse to get the problem resolved.

And frankly, I'd rather have access to SWX2018 SP5.0 than SWX2019 SP0.0 because SP5.0 is the most solid version of that release and SP0.0 is by definition the least solid.  I don't want to be forced to "solve" a problem by moving to a new version that has new sets of bugs related to the new functionalities.

I paid for MS Office once and still get updates, even though newer versions of Office are out.  I was not forced to buy the newer version in order to get the fixes for the version I do have.  SWX should be the same way.

When a person buys a car and there are recalls or safety bulletins they get these things fixed for free, even if they bought the car used.  The car is brought up to a safe condition and put into the correct operating condition.  Providing access to SP5.0 regardless of purchase anniversary is the only way to resolve the problems of earlier service packs.