Bartender for Mac

I have constant problems upgrading. FastSpring doesn't find my old license. The site of their Customer Service is awfully slow. I had already problems with them when they were the paying service for TakeControl Books with other issues. I think I have to look for another application to avoid Bartender and FastSpring. It's not the price, but the time I have to spend and getting ****ed off with their attitude, wasting more than the license price. It seems, that customers are idiots for them. Amen

For security reasons I now prefer ICE <https://github.com/jordanbaird/Ice>. And ICE is free!

⚠️ SECURITY WARNING! The owner of Bartender has silently changed in April 2024 without making this public or information to existing users. The new owners behave very secretive about this an given Bartender requires screen recording permission, you should be aware of this situation before installing or keep using this application. For details see https://www.macrumors.com/2024/06/04/bartender-mac-app-new-owner/

CONCLUSION (of my rant fest): I had a good email conversation with Surtees Studio's tech support. They apologize for the [extraordinary] process required for the upgrade. They are going to look into finding a streamlined automation process. There are a few elements involved. (1) The new version uses a new security certificate, requiring users to set up security settings all over again. (2) Changes in macOS Sonoma in particular have made look like the old settings remain, when they don't. That's Apple's fault. Apple also has failed to provide an automated method of working around that nonsense. Therefore, a forced RESET is typically required using the CLI (Character Line Interface). Shameful Apple. (3) Amidst this mess, Surtee's Studio put out a sloppy workaround process, and GUI, and added CLI reset instruction page. - - FUTURE: Expect the Dev to clean up the process. I would also hope Apple sorts out their own, sadly perennial macOS blundering. 🙄😤

v5.0.52 now attempts to contact Amplitude.com. They are a user metadata collection company. Data is collected, the referrer is paid, the data goes on the market to be sold or to be handed over to the government. DO NOT APPROVE of Bartender connecting to Amplitude.com, suggest I. - - Something has, to be subtle, CHANGED over at Surtees Studios. Typically in these situations, at the very least their management has changed. Selling user data and blundering coding is common when marketing assumes the roll of management, which is a phenomenon of aging companies. Sometimes the company is sold and the buyers pursue money rather than respect and quality. I could lecture all day about this stuff. JUST BE WARY of Bartender at this point in time, say I. (0_o)