OK, so the sky isn't falling, but AD isn't marketing SI well

[Hirazi Blue]

Well, I don't completely disagree (and I don't completely agree either!!!). Training material has "always" been a weak point of the software IMHO. There is however a lot more available then one would think. One of the biggest problems is our "shattered" community as a whole (with many different dedicated websites - which is IMHO actually a good thing in most respects, but that's besides the point here) and the lack of an appealing company-run website like the former Softimage|NET (anyone who claims the Area to be an adequate substitute for that site hasn't visited either IMHO), where everyone and everything could "come together", making it hard to find the stuff that's most definitively out there. And there really is.
The ICE Vimeo Channel is one great example of a valuable resource (among many others) that's out there,
but I doubt most users are even aware it exists.

In defense of the XSIBase (and our own, I hasten to add): interviews are fun to read, but they are a lot of work to get out of the door. That's probably the main reason, why there ain't so many. And I don't know about the people of the XSIBase, but I'd imagine they're unpaid volunteers like we are, here at the si-community and to run a true portal-like site or even produce a magazine requires other skills than those generally available with the community (you're all invited to prove me wrong on this one) We do, however, try to provide a place where people can present their work & have installed our little gallery specifically so that these works can be found easily.

I think you're right, blaming the company isn't always fair in this respect, but a little more "love" from the company would probably motivate the users even better to spread the word, that Softimage is worth considering...

(and now for the disclaimer: my personal view, mine, mine alone...)

[McNistor]

I think we should be a bit more optimistic about XSI's future as it's exposed to new users constantly and being the great software we long term users know it is, I have no doubt that it will conquer the hearts of all who will come in contact with XSI.
If AD doesn't do something really stupid (like discontinue it) I believe XSI will be the next Maya - in terms of popularity of course.
You can milk a good cow for as long it's young and well, alive, and AD knows that 3dsmax and maya are past their youth. XSI is still young and hasn't reached its full potential. Even if the development of XSI began about the same time as Maya's, it suffered many great overhauls - gigacore 1 and 2, ICE - thus having the most modern architecture. If they discontinue it, they'll be left with two old cows that at some point will die as all the things in this universe and the big ugly monster - the competition - is lurking in the shadows waiting for a sign of weakness from the dying behemoth (or cow?).

p.s. I grew up in the country side and at some point in time I had two cows hence the repeated analogy to cows .
Did I mention that I'm currently working on a cape buffalo which is in essence a cow? LOL

(Moderator note: I mistakenly locked this thread, now it's unlocked again, as it should be - HB)

[Hirazi Blue]

Today I found the following in my inbox:

header2 (2).jpg

This is the dawn of a new era of Digital Entertainment Creation, and it's fueled by the 2011 releases of Autodesk® 3ds Max® and Autodesk® Maya®.

Each of these releases are packed with new features and offer significantly enhanced productivity over earlier versions. With refinements to tools, improved processes, and productivity gains you could save up to $16,000 per license, per year*.

Visit Autodesk.com and to find out how to accelerate your creativity, save money, and access free trials to both programs. Because you can't live in the past and hope to create the future.

Join the Future Now(...)

What I find shocking, is that we cannot convince Autodesk to send us proper notifications when there has been a new release, but they always find time for this kind of stuff and that there is no way for me (as far as I can tell from this email) to opt out of this spam (for that's what this is, as far as I am concerned).

edit: maybe if they were to include some nice side-grade offer it would be taken more seriously ;)

edit: on closer inspection this wasn't sent directly by Autodesk, but some entity calling itself "Autodesk", but sporting the return address of a (but not my!!!) reseller, but that makes it no less shocking, as this isn't mentioned in the mail itself, which seems a genuine Autodesk mail, and seems to mean my email info gets passed on to everyone who wants to make a buck...

[xsisupport]

Almost all sales of Autodesk products are through resellers.
The whole sales channel, with a few small exceptions, is based on channel partners aka resellers.

[Hirazi Blue]

Yes, but if this mail came from my own reseller, I could (sort of) understand it. The fact that it comes from a firm I haven't had dealings with before is what disturbs me... (without even an "opt out")

[Pooby]

You got the, somewhat misleading, cropped version of that ad.

[Hirazi Blue]

[Rork]

[Hirazi Blue]

Well, I've looked into some more, seems like both the US and the EU have regulations in place to ensure commercial bulk mail like this includes

an easy way for the customer to stop further messages (opt-out).

quoted from here

Now I'm wondering, where do I send my complaint to? Only sending it to this specific reseller, who mailed this to me, won't prevent Autodesk supplying others with my mail address for the same purposes?
I could really use some advise, please...

BTW: this isn't a "show stopper", obviously, merely an annoyance. Especially in the context of the first post I placed on this subject: "we never get mail to announce releases, but..." But it's an annoyance, nonetheless...

[xsisupport]

Find one of the other e-mails from Autodesk that has the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the page.
For example, if you registered for the Autodesk Seize the Opportunity Virtual Event, the confimation e-mail has an Unsubscribe link. That will take you to a page where you can unsubscribe from Autodesk marketing emails.

EDIT: That's probably not what you want. The Unsubscribe link I referenced takes me to a page that says "You are unsubscribing from Autodesk marketing emails. Please note that unsubscribing from these emails may not remove your name from other data sources maintained by Autodesk or its partners"

[Hirazi Blue]

Thanks for the response...
Another problem I'm facing is: I clean up my mailbox once in a while (not very often, I must add), so there is no other/earlier Autodesk mail in my inbox ATM...

[xsisupport]

See section 9 here.

[Hirazi Blue]

Thank you, great job!