My recent Weblog item about QuickBooks nagware elicited a number of comments from readers pointing out yet other shenanigans they've seen from our friends at Intuit.
"I know they are trying to get into bigger businesses, but I think their various anti-consumer business practices are going to keep it from happening," wrote one reader. "My father's business uses QuickBooks, and I long ago blocked all outbound traffic to any of their domains. They constantly tried to phone home and do who knows what ... [but] I know downloading updates to disable features once you get a couple of versions behind is one of them."
"Intuit's QBDAgent software -- used for communications with Intuit servers for upgrades, etc. -- refuses to shut down when you close QuickBooks, and a similar agent runs with Quicken," wrote another reader. "There is no sane reason for this software to be communicating with Intuit's servers that much."
Many readers still haven't forgiven Intuit for their TurboTax copy protection debacle. "After Intuit's little flirtation with DRM in TurboTax this year, I quit buying anything they produce. I wrote them a civil letter letting them know I objected to the policy and being someone who always pays for the software I use, I do not like companies I do business with assuming I'm a criminal from the very beginning. What I received in return was a form letter explaining ... well, I'm not sure what it explained, but it certainly did not address my concerns. I see the same practices in new releases from Macromedia and DRM is rumored to be in upcoming software from Adobe. If this is the case, both of these companies will lose my business as well. The great thing about being a consultant is I get to steer others away from such companies as well and relish doing so."
11:18:21 AM 
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