4. Subscriptions can be better for aligning goals. If I charge you $20 upfront, then I just want to build whatever I need to build to make the sale. After that, I'm not really incentivized to improve things or fix bugs unless it's going to directly lead to more sales in the future. On the other hand, if I charge you $1/month upfront, you'll be paying more after a year and half, but if you aren't happy after 2/3 months, you can cancel and go elsewhere, and I'll likely lose money due to customer acquisition costs.
That said, I understand why people hate subscriptions. I'm not claiming there are no downsides. And also, yes, as you pointed out, this is the military/industrial complex, so who knows how this will play out.
That said, I understand why people hate subscriptions. I'm not claiming there are no downsides. And also, yes, as you pointed out, this is the military/industrial complex, so who knows how this will play out.