What is the long term strategy for iMatch development?

[LateJunction]

My profound apologies if the community finds this post offensive: that is not my intention.

I'm currently running iMatch in trial mode. One of the questions I have concerns its longer term support:  life is more shaped by unexpected events than by the planned ones, under our control. I have long been concerned that the sustainability of raw file formats is more of a commercial decision than anything else, so I convert my raw images to DNG on the basis of it being an open format (correct?).  How should I protect any investment in iMatch (which is not open software under a GNU-type licence), bearing in mind that all development, and much support, seems to be the intellectual responsibility of just one, albeit obviously very capable, person?

[thrinn]

Well, nothing is for ever. But I use IMatch since 2003. There are many examples of software which had a much shorter lifetime than 17 years.

More to the point: IMatch does not try to lock you in. Most of the information IMatch stores about your files is exportable. IMatch adheres to metadata standards. You can decide to store the metadata in or along side to your pictures. Then, even without any IMatch at hand, your precious Metadata is embedded in the pictures and available.

In theory, open source software might have the advantage that it does not depend on one person. But there are many examples of abandoned projects, too. So it does not help in all cases.

Regarding DNG, I do not want to discourage you, but we had some recent discussions about variants of DNG that are not fully compatible with each other or third party software. And it might be an open format, but it is also patented. This is not the same as a GNU type license.

I can only say: I am very happy with IMatch.

[thrinn]

This FAQ, by the way, shows that you are not alone with your concerns.

[Jingo]

That's the beauty of a system that uses standards and allows you export your data into your images as well as to numerous external forms...  if I want to play with a different software, all I do is import my images... my data is there and if that software can handle standard XMP, then off we go.  I don't think I've given this question a 1st thought... but rest assured, your hard work is available to metadata so long as you embed is properly back into the images.

[LateJunction]

This FAQ, by the way, shows that you are not alone with your concerns.

Ah!, thanks for this: I was looking for just such an FAQ immediately before submitting my post, but failed to find it. The FAQ item deals with 2 concepts: the longevity/continued access to data and the longevity of the developer. Having some background in risk management, the discussion in the FAQ reduces my perception of the risk to the long term availability of my digital data.

However, the FAQ does not substantially change my view of the risk to long term support or development (2 quite different activities in this context) of iMatch, based on a 'single point of failure', in which a bus is usually cast as the villain.

In absolute terms of course Mario is correct: the application will continue to work (the probability of it displaying a Severity One bug at the same time as Mario becoming unavailable is ignorably small) and so a 'bus' event would not be a show stopper. On the other hand, from a principle point of view, I have always counselled those small businesses that used my services that they should have a succession strategy in place. By this I mean they should have decided if and how a successor could carry on the business or how the business could be terminated in a controlled (and documented) manner that reflects the ethics and pattern of behaviour that customers of that business had come to rely on and value.

Just returning briefly to the data aspect: yes, I am very well aware that open-source software is not a panacea. I have seen too many examples of software offerings disappearing abruptly and sometimes painfully as the developers walked away. In the commercial world I have long since reached the limit of my patience with CEOs who suffer from a terminal lack of ethics, hence my quest to find a replacement for LightRoom 6. DarkTable as an alternative has all the risks of LightRoom. And your comments on the potential emerging issues with DNG are new and attention-grabbing news to me. The solution appears to be consistent: commit my photo edits to a known and accepted standard, such as JPG, TIFF on the risk-assessed basis that there will always somebody around who can convert these to what ever format has replaced them in the future.

[Mario]

Software and Longevity

I have seen many photo organizers / catalogers / DAMs and other software come and go in the past two decades. From small vendors and big vendors (think: Apple Aperture).
Google is dropping products and services all the time ("sprint cleaning"). Even Adobe will drop products no longer fitting into their portfolio without a second thought. Lightroom Classic (without the enforced link to the Adobe clould and Sensei AI) is one of the most likely candidates.

There is never a guarantee. So make sure you don't let an application lock you into proprietary formats or cloud-based services. If you follow the tech news, you know how quickly a software or device can become junk just because it is no longer profitable for the vendor to keep the servers running.

Future of the DAM / Cataloger / Organizer Market

As the 'bulk' of people moves from classic digital cameras and the associated workflow to 'smart phone only' photography - with a quite different workflow (upload every photo I take to Google / Apple and let them take care of it), we will also see disruptive changes in the DAM and image editor business. I foresee many companies fold.

Me? I don't really care.
IMatch was never a mass product, and the more of the others give up, the better for IMatch and its future development and customer base.
There will always be enough demanding users around to finance a workstation-class software like IMatch. Especially with my low-cost business model.

Future of IMatch

Most users are not aware of the massive changes introduced in IMatch in and since version 2017. How their tried and trusted software has been ripped apart, split up and re-combined by me. From a monolithic software IMatch was transformed into two separate parts: The IMatch Engine. The user interface.
The engine has all the logic and the IMatch user interface is what people usually consider as IMatch, the software.

By splitting IMatch up and inventing the IMatch Anywhere™ technology, I've prepared IMatch for the future and all the new features introduced since then.
The add-on IMatch Anywhere product is a very functional server version for IMatch. It allows multiple users to share IMatch databases over a network concurrently. And to access IMatch from any platform. All that is needed is a web browser. It's easy to use, powerful and very cheap 

IMatch Anywhere is using the IMatch Engine for all the magic. And the IMatch user interface has been replaced with an browser-based user interface named IMatch Anywhere WebViewer.
Last year I've introduced the FileLens feature for IMatch Anywhere, which allows users to edit metadata, categories and collections directly in their web browser. To download files to their client from the server etc. Future versions of IMatch Anywhere WebViewer will introduce additional function blocks, e.g. uploading files.

IMatch for Windows is also evolving rapidly thanks to the modern web technologies I have integrated and extended over the past two years.
Most people did not notice, but large areas of the IMatch 2020 user interface are no longer programmed in the 'classic way'. The Event View and feature set and the People View and feature set are actually IMatch Apps running inside the IMatch main window. In separate 'web browsers', if you want. The views. All dialogs boxes and other user interface elements. All written in HTML and JavaScript.

This big step means for me that I can write user interface code much faster. And utilize all the powerful display, animation, 3D, touch and other features available in modern web browsers. Directly 'inside' IMatch. These advanced technologies are required for what I have planned for the next year or two. Events and People are just a beginning...just wait 

The logical long-term perspective is of course 'one' IMatch user interface based on modern web technologies. Running not only on Windows but on all relevant platforms.
And, maybe, an IMatch Engine which no longer runs only on Windows but also on other operating systems.

A Final Fair Warning

The development of IMatch is driven by its user base. Both feature-wise and financially.
I have said that on different occasions, since 1998 - when I don't make enough money from IMatch to pay the bills and at least for part of my time, the project will die.
I'm sure you are all also paid for your work.
If I have to pay from my own money to let people manage their files with IMatch, I will stop. And take everything I know and have learned and create something new.

Thankfully, IMatch users are loyal and understand that creating and maintaining and supporting this product cannot be done for free. I'm not greedy. I don't have big headquarters, fancy cars or expensive suits. Or big bonuses. But I have bills to pay, from hardware to software to royalties to server rent.

[Jingo]

While I have absolutely no worries about my data thanks to IMatch's use of standards and flexibility in managing your data - I thought I would share a story about this exact same risk/reward that I had happen to me.

One of my hobbies is beta testing and using software from smaller and/or independent programmers (actually how I came to find IMatch all those years ago!).  One of these packages was an image editor designed by a brilliant (IMO) programmer.  The algorithms he was able to create were amazing.. and the software could do some really interesting and great things to photos.  However, the programmer would "disappear" from time to time and community forum posts would stagnate.  Although the software had a good user base - there is only so much users can help with.. and eventually, that group turned angry over the lack of support and most called the software vaporware.  Finally, the programmer dropped support for the program altogether and was not heard from for years... only to suddenly re-appear again out of nowhere!

In any event - it does provide a case study in how to/not to manage a software company and user base... but it also provides some info on how I managed with the software.  To this day, the software still works even though it is not supported.  I don't use it as I moved on to "bigger and better" things.. and although I wasn't pleased, life goes on. 

The ability to export all Imatch data into my images and take it along with me leaves me with full confidence that should IMatch stop running - I will sadly need to move on to another product like I have done many times before with other products... it is just a part of the industry.  I can't tell you how many RAW converters I've used over time... sometimes because the software stopped being supported, sometimes because companies buy them up (oh why did you get eaten by Lightroom my dear friend RAWshooter!) and sometimes because something newer and shiner comes along (Hello Capture One!).

For me, the key is how my data is managed, how the developer interacts with his user base and the community that exists for support.  In the meantime... I can highly recommend that you buy and use Imatch with confidence and welcome to our wonderful community!

[mastodon]

Mario, thanks for the details! I don't mind, if you would have fancy cars, a headquarter in Frankfurt and a Greek Island (minor!) with some ships.
IMatch is a great deal, worth every penny.

[GrantRobertson]

I know that Mario will continue to develop IMatch for as long as he is able (financially or physically). And I know that his "What if Mario gets hit by a bus" post explains how almost all of the data in IMatch is actually stored within the metadata of the images. And I would never expect Mario to work for free.

I also know that there is no other software with the capabilities of IMatch. Believe me. I would not have spent $130 bucks on it if I could have found something else. At my current cost of living, that is almost one month of living. I gave up a whole month of living without needing to get another job just to be able to use IMatch. (I'm in a bit of an early retirement and have saved enough money to almost last till I retire.) And I am a former network manager. I know how to find and evaluate software.

If Mario gets hit by a bus (or Covid-19) I am not concerned that I will not be able to continue using IMatch, because it does not rely on a connection to a server or a paid subscription. However, I am a bit concerned about who will continue to fix the bugs. I am still working on learning the software and I seem to find a new bug every time I sit down to use it. I knew there were many bugs when I bought the software, but sometimes it does get frustrating. I know I am an advanced user, in that I use features that many others do not attempt to use. However, those features are there, and those advanced features are why I laid down my $130. If I just wanted to throw some pictures in some folders, and slap them into some categories, there are any number of free programs available.

So, is IMatch worth it?  OH HELL YES! Almost every bug I have found, has been fixed by Mario quickly and in the next release. Even with the bugs, and all the time I spend documenting them, I have gotten more done organizing my photos in the past couple of months than I have over the last ten years without it. The learning curve can be kinda steep. But, once you figure something out, you can then process thousands of files in just a few minutes when normally it would have taken months doing it by hand or with lesser software. And, I hope to help out with that by writing more tutorials like the one I have already posted. Hell, I may even make YouTube videos about IMatch, once I get my own mess cleaned up. So, that should help with the learning curve.

[Jingo]

However, I am a bit concerned about who will continue to fix the bugs. I am still working on learning the software and I seem to find a new bug every time I sit down to use it. I knew there were many bugs when I bought the software, but sometimes it does get frustrating.

If Mario is not around - then... I would guess no one would fix the bugs and is the exact scenario I ran into with the software I mentioned in my post.  Unless Mario leaves the source code to someone in his will... or decides to open source it.. 

[ubacher]

My concern is more about getting the software to be more robust rather than adding more and more features. Unfortunately
this does not work as a business model.
We had quite a robust version with 2019 but now, with Im2020, there are a lot of crashes, hang-ups or just "closing/going away",
all problems which are very hard to diagnose/document/fix.

In the 1960's it was said that with every software update (of the then IBM 360 Mainframe) one introduced as many new
bugs as one eliminated. It seems not much has changed (in this aspect) in the software world since then.

[sinus]

My profound apologies if the community finds this post offensive: that is not my intention.

I'm currently running iMatch in trial mode. One of the questions I have concerns its longer term support:  life is more shaped by unexpected events than by the planned ones, under our control. I have long been concerned that the sustainability of raw file formats is more of a commercial decision than anything else, so I convert my raw images to DNG on the basis of it being an open format (correct?).  How should I protect any investment in iMatch (which is not open software under a GNU-type licence), bearing in mind that all development, and much support, seems to be the intellectual responsibility of just one, albeit obviously very capable, person?

I use IMatch since 2001.
And in this time I have seen, how Mario does with his very outstanding support, and this tells me a lot.
I am sure, he will do his best as long as he can do. He is a single man, yes, but as we have seen, there have been shut down products from very big player.
Or from a company with only 10 people.

You can never know, what will be in the future.
Or, for example, did you ever thought about such a thing, what has happen with corona-virus?

If you met a new person, usually you decide, if  you like him/her in the very first seconds.
With intuition, with heart and feeling.
Sometimes it is still the best, to decide, what to do, with your feeling.

I do not know Mario, but I feel and think, he does a great job, he loves his product, use it himself and ... hopefully he live hundert years and hopefullly his mind is fully capable still a very long time.
You never now, you can reduce some risk with checking this and that, but mostly (not always of course) your feeling is the right one. 

[Mario]

My concern is more about getting the software to be more robust rather than adding more and more features. Unfortunately
this does not work as a business model.
We had quite a robust version with 2019 but now, with Im2020, there are a lot of crashes, hang-ups or just "closing/going away",
all problems which are very hard to diagnose/document/fix.

In the 1960's it was said that with every software update (of the then IBM 360 Mainframe) one introduced as many new
bugs as one eliminated. It seems not much has changed (in this aspect) in the software world since then.

Send in log files. Dump files. The only way to find and fix bugs.
Most people seem to be working productively with IMatch 2020, so this is not a general problem.

[Mario]

My concern is more about getting the software to be more robust rather than adding more and more features. Unfortunately
this does not work as a business model.
We had quite a robust version with 2019 but now, with Im2020, there are a lot of crashes, hang-ups or just "closing/going away",
all problems which are very hard to diagnose/document/fix.

Send in log files. Dump files. The only way to find and fix bugs.
Most people seem to be working productively with IMatch 2020, so this is not a general problem.
There are just too many different PC configurations, Windows setups, individual workflows, database setups (for example, you write and use your own apps, which can cause many problems other users will never see)...

At least 50% of the "IMatch closes silently" reports (some from the same user) have the same cause, I guess.
Since the bug happens outside IMatch and hence no DUMP file is available, things are more complicated. But I now have a good idea about the chain of events that may cause this and have already added changes for the next release. Then I can only wait and see if the user still experiences the same problem (and all others affected).

The more people report bugs, detailed info about when the bug happened, log and DUMP files, the better.

BUT, this thread is about the future of IMatch and not about current bug reports. Please report bugs in the bug report board. Discuss problems in General Discussion.

[LateJunction]

Having started this thread in a certain state of blissful ignorance, I think I should try to close it now, after reading this informative and enlightening discussion.

From my own perspective I perceive the risk to my data (I have a lot of it), resulting from committing it to iMatch, is lower than I thought (Severity 3 if I'm lazy; Severity 4 if I follow Mario's advice). And, in reality, no-one will die, no stock market will have to be closed, no government will fall, should my data be lost in its entirety. (I, or my ghost, might be subject to some rather harsh words with heart-felt Anglo-Saxon expletives, but that is about it).

The investment of my time in learning and applying iMatch to my situation is much more at risk. The single point of failure, or 'bus' event, is the most damaging. Yes, iMatch will work on with out support for ever, if there is no change in the operating environment. And there-in lies the tangible risk: I guess that in the absence of Mario, iMatch would become inoperable as soon as Redmond, in its infinite (-ly small) wisdom, makes some change to an API or some such, for some reason, which requires nothing more than a re-compile of the iMatch source. No Mario; no re-compile. Game over.

Or rather, that game over; the data is still there, one just has to find a replacement DAM, so not really a show stopper. Thus, the answer to my original question is really 'it's not an issue so don't worry about it; life's too short'. [Especially in my case - I was well into my career when the mentioned IBM 360 OS updates were first being released; MFT JCL can still give me nightmares....]

[Mario]

To wrap this up: You can never be sure.

- big and small companies drop products if they are no longer profitable.

- thanks to how IMatch handles metadata and and other things you 'input' (categories, Attributes), you won't loose anything important when you want/have to switch to another product.

- even if none of the integrated export features in IMatch does what you need (or your 'target' application is not supporting any of the category/text export schemas IMatch offers) you (or somebody else) can use the IMatch app ecosystem to extract all the data in your database in any format you need. From any programming language that supports web services (PowerShell, curl, Basic, Python, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Go, Rust, ...).

- if IMatch is no longer usable (for whatever reason) you will need to learn a new DAM product. No surprises there.

- given that I'm still using Windows application I've written or purchased in the mid 90th (!), I guess Windows is pretty good at keeping old applications working.
Nothing you can say (IMHO) about MacOs or Linux (yes, yes. If you have the source you can re-compile it). But for binaries from the 90th - not so much).

I'm biased. But I would always go the IMatch route.

[claudermilk]

I've been using IMatch since version 3. One of the main criteria I had when reviewing my options back then was how to get my data out of the database if either a) I decided to move to another package (HA!) or b) IMatch became unsupported (also, Ha!).

Mario's philosophy of staying to standards, and making it relatively easy to export your data as much as is possible met my requirement very well, and nothing has ever changed in that regard.

Every time I've looked around at the state of the field, I realize case a is not likely to ever happen. Everything else is left wanting in comparison IMHO. With all the time since my initial decision, it's also apparent case b is a long time away.


OT...I recall my parents working on 360s, mainly in FORTRAN. I happily almost avoided that.