WHEN IS FREE EVER FREE? IS THERE NO HONOR?

I went quite a while without getting my panties in a knot, but now within two days of each other someone else just has to get right up my nose. I won’t rest until I let this one out. Remember the only reason that a normally calm, un-opinionated person like me, would get on such a rant is to save you from doing it. I sacrifice my sanity to keep you stress free! So let me set the stage, I’m happily going along and preparing an old home video to try and load onto this blog. Now let me tell you this was problem enough, I was stretching my old failing brain to its limits. I soon found that the software I had available, with which to edit and produce my movie, was sorely lacking in capabilities (or rather I was not smart enough to make it work).

So never being one that had a problem making dumb decisions, I decided I would go on the internet and find a “free” application to help me with a simple task. I quickly located one that I had used for some other conversion type work in the past. It was right at the top of the list. Well, says I, I’ll have this one, thank you very much.

I downloaded it and got underway. It did not seem that difficult and after a few minor struggles, I have something I could live with as a test case. Ahhh finally I thought, now let’s post this onto my Blog. So I saved it to a file and receive my first indication of pending issues. A little popup, pops up and politely asks me if I want to purchase a license or just want to continue using the free version. I just as politely declined to pay these people (who had offered the free program in the first place) and continued on. I loaded everything onto my Blog and after a few more issues, I believe it is good to go. Ok, let’s launch it and take it for a spin. It loads, it starts to play and just when I am about to give out a fist pump, a great huge WATERMARK appears right across the middle of my video.

I can feel the gas welling up and my ears starting to tingle. This watermark is not coming off! It sticks like crap on a blanket. After spending a little more time I realize that unless I buy a license, then I can edit my video, I just can’t use it! Back to the drawing board.

Any of you remember the old saying, trick me once, shame on you, do it again, shame on me? Well not yet defeated I get back on the internet and search for a “truly” free video editor. like magic one pops up and in big letters declares NO WATERMARK. Wahoo, hallelujah, you the man and other things come to mind. My gas seems to recede a bit and back to work I go. Again, a couple of hours later, I have produced a workable test video for my blog. I save it to my file and am feeling very pleased with myself. I even have a couple of kind words for ol’ Bubbaloo as she passes.

I load it onto my blog, which by now I am getting quite good at (this is my third time). It loads and sure enough pops onto my blog in all it’s majesty. Only problem the “play” button seems to have a big red X thru it. What can this be, thinks I. Well I give it a confident tap and a message comes up “would you like to purchase permission to use this edited video, if so that’ll be $69.99 USD, let’s call it $100 CDN.” Well sure enough there was NO watermark. Bastards, wnvvorizdbseufhse, zzznzndkcos,. I have been had again! Shame on me. This time I was not quite as friendly when that cursed cat came past.

So there I am about 6 hours in, and back to my original program that I now figured I had better make work. I have a major geyser pumping up from the pit of my stomach, spots in front of my eyes and a serious bout of stress diarrhea looming. I’m also swearing mildly. Now I think everyone will agree that I am entitled to a righteous rage over this. I don’t go looking for these little people to piss me off. I’m just like a magnet, to them. Everyone wants to poke the big guy in the eye and see if you can make him swear right? Geezus! .