Earlier today, My JS-KIT dashboard for the Echo Comment system popped up with a little banner "Your Echo license expires in 29 days, click here to renew".
So, I clicked to see the renewal details... and then I saw the pricing...
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLARS A YEAR!
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!
Yeah, not just no but HELL NO.
So, I start investigating how to get rid of Echo comments... not so good... Apparently, nobodies comment service will import the XML file Echo exports to. The only way to migrate to another system without losing comments, is to resync back to blogger comments, then migrate from blogger.
In theory, Echo comments should be automatically synced to blogger comments... except they aren't.
In theory, this is because I'm using a legacy .css template for my blog, rather than the "new" blogger "advanced layout" templates (well... not "new" four years old now).
In theory, "upgrading" my template to a blogger advanced layout template will allow Echo to resync comments with blogger. Once that happens, then I should be able to add Disqus, or Intense Debate... or for that matter just migrate the whole damn blog (which I may do, to wordpress).
In the mean time, my template is hosed up. I've got it edited to the point that I can tolerate looking at it.
Now, as to the title above...
This is what happens when people who aren't too bright about doing business are put in charge. "Hmm... we're not making enough money here, lets make more by making this service that most people don't much like anyway, cost 12 times as much... Yeah, that'll be a great success".
First, they forced us into a paid upgrade. Next they screwed up our import and export capability. Then over the course of a year they give us an unreliable service with no support and dozens of failures. Finally they jack up the price to 12 times what we agreed to originally.
That is about the clearest case of corporate suicide I've ever seen.
