there are many sides to that coin and seems like everyone has a story to tell.
lets tell a little tale.
when i came to honorbuddy, the community was hopping. there were a multitude of developers and every day there were profiles posted, many times two or three of the same zone would pop up daily. some profile writers would record hotspots and throw their creation up on the forums for everyone to download. many times without any testing at all. besides, if there were no issues while recording the hotspots, obviously they didn't need to be tested, right?
some developers made super profiles, and elite profiles, and premium profiles. often two or three versions of the same profiles, one frontways, one backwards, one side to side. it was the wild west out there. then people started complaining there were too many using the same profiles. 'make us some private profiles' they said. 'we will pay to keep the profiles out of the hands of the common people' they said.
and it was so. developers created two versions, one free profile, little testing, you get what you pay for, right? and a second profile, often with the same hotspots, but with more rigorous testing. and there was much rejoicing. until the common man cried out in agony 'where have all the free profiles gone?' honorbuddy took pity on their pain and demanded everything on the forums be free, no more separating men by the profiles they could afford. but the developers felt betrayed. 'but what about our time invested?' they cried. honorbuddy staff replied 'go forth developers, go forth and charge your money elsewhere. we arent saying you cant charge for your profiles, you just cant charge for them here'. and there was much rejoicing.
'But where have all the profiles gone?' cried the common man. honorbuddy replied, 'go forth and seek your paid profiles elsewhere. we aren't saying you cant purchase profiles, you just can't buy them here'. developers advertised their websites and there was much rejoicing.
'but where have all the free profiles gone?' cried the common man. they searched high and low on the forums and there was none to be found. They went looking for developers to make new profiles and there were none to be found. the developers had shed the chains of their oppressors and were living like kings in the wide open web. The developers were charging for profiles to support their coding habits, men with coin were buying quality products, and honorbuddy had thrown the money changers from the temple. There was much rejoicing and great parties were thrown in this rich time of honorbuddy's history. the common man cried softly 'where have all the developers gone?'.
then a wise man spoke up 'we are disappointed, we thought the developers would continue to make profiles if we gave them what they wanted'. the developers replied 'we did exactly what you asked, we moved from the temple and we continued to produce quality products which we supported even after we spent the money'. the wise man pondered ways to lure the developers back into the fold and still give them what they have come to enjoy. 'how do we solve this?' they asked each other behind closed doors. wise men gathered and a plot was formed. plans were made and deals were struck. papers were signed. honorbuddy threw a great feast, the killed the fatted calf and welcomed the prodigal sons back into the fold. and there was much rejoicing.
the common man rebelled, lies were spread, rumors bloomed. 'what is this store, how does it work, how can we convince ourselves we are somehow getting taken advantage of' parties formed in the street, torches were lit. 'destroy the monster!!' the common man screamed. 'tear down this store!' proclaimed the people. 'we did what you asked' came from honorbuddy 'we brought back the profiles' they cried.
and the common man wept in remembrance of a simpler time. 'where have all the profiles gone' was the whispers heard on the wind.
