maybe i overestimate. maybe i just appreciate the difference between the product and support for the product. for support, i understand a more-bespoke pricing model, but it'd be nice if there was at least some upfront inkling of how much i have to open my organization's veins in exchange for a working implementation.
interacting with capital is a cynical act. capitalism is predatory but it's necessary to interact with it. if you're not cynical, you risk being taken for a worse ride than you have to be. this isn't me handwaving things; it's a fundamental aspect to how i see the world. cynicism doesn't have to be a simple doom-and-gloom "well, everything is bad, end of discussion" (regardless of my personal feelings about it) - it can be a tool to make sure you're able to interact with systems in ways that benefit you and others while retaining whatever modicum of control you can - because even if you aren't, your vendor is (or they're on their way to being out of business as a profit-motivated entity).
> maybe i just appreciate the difference between the product and support for the product. for support, i understand a more-bespoke pricing model
I'm trying to frame this sentence so it doesn't sound like a jab because that's not my intent, but based on what you've written, I don't think you understand the kind of software I'm describing.
In your mind, what is the distinction between the two, especially for an enterprise solution hosted by a vendor? In my experience, the two are often not so different at all, and the clean lines you imagine here are not lines that exist in practice. This will depend on the nature of the software, and the kind of support customers need (i.e. infrastructure vs. implementation).
> but it'd be nice if there was at least some upfront inkling of how much i have to open my organization's veins in exchange for a working implementation.
You are assuming this is not part of the model, but it is. Not publicly listing a pricing sheet does not in any way mean a customer doesn't have clarity about how much their deployment will cost before they sign a contract.
> interacting with capital is a cynical act.
Your use of "cynical" is in a different category than what I was describing above. If we go with your definition, there is no reason to differentiate between bespoke pricing and up-front published pricing.
interacting with capital is a cynical act. capitalism is predatory but it's necessary to interact with it. if you're not cynical, you risk being taken for a worse ride than you have to be. this isn't me handwaving things; it's a fundamental aspect to how i see the world. cynicism doesn't have to be a simple doom-and-gloom "well, everything is bad, end of discussion" (regardless of my personal feelings about it) - it can be a tool to make sure you're able to interact with systems in ways that benefit you and others while retaining whatever modicum of control you can - because even if you aren't, your vendor is (or they're on their way to being out of business as a profit-motivated entity).