Though unfortunately Subscriptions in software today are the norm, they are a malicious functionality. Any software that you already have installed should work whenever you want it to work. Having a timer implemented in it, so it will refuse to work, unless you pay every once in a while, is malicious.
This comment thread is for people to document various implementations of this malicious feature.
I definitely hate subscriptions...but they are certainly a valid choice for some products, like mobile data, or streaming services. But for software like password managers, or microsoft office (although i think they do provide a lifetime purchase), doing subcriptions exclusively is a rip off, especially if they are products that you don't use off and on.
This article is published on a website which is powered by BDServer. And I'm trying to make this website support ActivityPub, so you could for example, subscribe to me from your Mastodon account. Yet it is easier said than done.
If you have any experience with ActivityPub, web-development or Python, please consider helping me. We have BDServer Matrix Chatroom.