Opinions on Software Support?

[AlTech]

So I recently ran into an area where I had to make support guidelines/policies for a project. It got me wondering, what kind of support policies are people actually happy with? I'm guessing people hate most of them (considering the backlash against XP's end of support as well as Windows Vista's)

 

So here's a poll (but you can also feel free to post below).

 

Mainstream support generally consists of new features, bug fixes, improvements and changes.

Extended Support generally consists of bug fixes and security patches.

 

I think that developers and consumers need to explore this topic further as many people on both sides of the fence don't fully understand the other......

 

Personally, I think that pre-release software should have vastly shorter mainstream support and extended support than stable releases. Especially if the rate of new builds coming out is high (e.g. once per week or once per day).

 

So what do you guys thinks ?

 

EDIT:

 

It seems as if the first person who voted misunderstood this.

 

Mainstream support for a version of a program can be from version 1.0 to 1.1 to 1.2 etc .

Extended support for a version of a program could be in the format of 1.0.5, 1.4.16 etc ,

 

Multiple versions can have overlapping mainstream or extended support. This doesn't necessarily mean that both need ridiculous amounts of extended support.

[Bananasplit_00]

Depending on the software tbh. But as long as it's still used, bug fixes should be made if the problem is major enough. 

[AlTech]

Just now, Bananasplit_00 said:

Depending on the software tbh. But as long as it's still used, bug fixes should be made if the problem is major enough. 

Yeah but I'm talking more or less Per Version (cos that's how support policies go).

 

It doesn't make sense to make a 1.5.30 update if 40.9.4 is available.

 

Maintaining different versions requires an understanding between the developers and consumers to agree on what versions will be supported for how long.

 

E,g, Version 1 is supported until 2020

Version 2 is supported until 2035

Etc,

[Bananasplit_00]

1 minute ago, AluminiumTech said:

Yeah but I'm talking more or less Per Version (cos that's how support policies go).

 

It doesn't make sense to make a 1.5.30 update if 40.9.4 is available.

 

Maintaining different versions requires an understanding between the developers and consumers to agree on what versions will be supported for how long.

 

E,g, Version 1 is supported until 2020

Version 2 is supported until 2035

Etc,

Well if 1.5.30 is still the most widely used version it does, otherwise yah, but as long as it's still used and relevant it should be maintained IMO 

[dizmo]

I see it the same as @Bananasplit_00. It depends on the software. You can't blanket everything with the same policy.

 

[Akolyte]

If your software is a utility or something small support isn't as necessary as if it's something people rely on and is highly affected by security flaws.  I think support for major versions should be provided for at least one year. 

 

If you are writing a service and an API, then those require lots of support. So does libraries. If you are writing a gui of netstat for example, that doesn't require any extended support. 

 

I would add a survey into the application.  For example before the application exits it prompts them to go to a survey.  If your application is commercially targeted, it's worthwhile asking product managers who no doubt could determine whether extended support is going to benefit you or the app's users.