Originally Posted by raymor

Yep and it really sucks when you need to switch or upgrade a server and the "programmer" is no longer around. Also when a serious buys is discovered and the company that sold it firefly fix it because they lost their programmer or something. It happens all the time. At least, don't make your business DEPENDANT on an encoded script. An encoded contact form is one thing. It can be easily replaced. An encoded CMS is a major headache waiting to happen.

After three well known CMS companies went belly up, leaving their customers stranded, I made an offer to some remaining companies. They could put their source code "in escrow", put away with us, in case anything happened to them. Their customers could still have what they would need to keep running their business long term. None have taken us up on it so far. If some do, that would be a sign to their potential customers that they take the customers business seriously.

The comment that you do not own an encoded script, but have only purchased the right to use it for a little while is telling. It's an admission by one if those companies that indeed that software can be yanked away from you at any time, so you better not depend on it.