Update on the Sonos App from Patrick Spence

The opening post was inflammatory probably to incite whatever it was the poster was predicting. Bit of a troll post if you ask me. 

Yeah, blame the prediction for being correct.  

If you think that is a proper representation of the abuse and toxicity in this forum for the past two months, I've got some examples of deleted posts you need to see.  Absolutely sick and disturbing posts, truly vile stuff.   

I had to put my iPad on charge again, did I miss much toxicity?

I’m livid.  I had a perfectly functional system in May.  I could press play and music would play.  I could press a button and the next track played.  I could use the volume slider and the volume would… CHANGE.  
 

What is absolutely mind blowing is the reality that leadership at Sonos released this hell spawn of an update in the first place.  Think about this.  Version 80 wasnt released to address a massive security update.  It was released so some shiny headphones could be shipped on time.  And in doing so, leadership crapped all over the very customers who made Sonos what it is today.  This was a conscious decision.  
 

after the release, the CEO told us that he had been testing and using the new app for months in his own home.  I can’t believe this.  And I don’t mean I don’t believe this, I CAN’T believe this.  Because that would mean the entire Sonos leadership is so incompetent they shipped a fundamentally broken piece of software OR cared so little about customers they decided to push forward no matter what.  The only other option is the Sonos leadership is a bunch of chronic liars and they didn’t actually test the system for months.  I’d respect that more.  
 

I feel crapped on.  I feel ignored.  I feel like I’m an endless moneybag to Sonos.  I don’t want money from Sonos.  I don’t want credits.  You know what I want?  I want a volume control that responds.  I want my kids to use our Sonos system again and to stop carrying around iPads and mobile devices to listen to music.  They abandoned Sonos because IT DOESNT WORK.  
 

If you can’t fix the bugs in a couple days, do what every other major software developer does:  Punt.  Roll back to the software version that works.  Give me back a system that works as well as it did the day I bought it.  I’m out of patience.  I don’t care about being polite.  That goodwill is long gone.  
 

Screwing over customers isn’t courage.  It’s ego and hubris.  From what I can tell, Sonos has too much of that and far too little humility.  
 

and don’t post links to threads about people complaining about S2.  S2 was optional when first released.  I could opt in.  And pesky things like volume control worked.  This is different, so stop trying to make this same old disingenuous argument.   

I would appreciate elimination the annoying message to turn on Bluetooth every time I start the app on my phone or tablet. I do not use Bluetooth on a regular basis and do not need to discover new devices on my network. Having that message come up every time is repetitive and unnecessary.  Also, I reiterate what others have stated in being disappointed with the lack of options and control for the Music Library.  The new app is a real step backward.

Well said.  If only others could demonstrate similar restraint. 

I think:

• Sonos made the move to shut people out of perfectly functioning systems that, in some cases, people spent tens of thousands of dollars on
• Sonos decided to act as though they were virtuous in this action
• Sonos pretended that there were, in fact, no problems with the new application that couldn’t be overcome with a simple phone call that, in some cases, lasted for hours
• Sonos had the lack of foresight to understand how their customers used their product
• Sonos foisted an unfinished and unintuitive UI on their userbase.
• Sonos continues to conflate and allow forum “helpers” to conflate user angst with user wifi configuration, implying that user frustration is of the user’s own creation
• Sonos continues to act as though their intentions matter more than whether or not they have a functioning product

You, sir, can belabor whether or not users had a lack of self-control when they chose to post on these forums, but the simple fact remains:  Sonos created this problem and SONOS can fix this problem in a heartbeat by releasing 16.2 for users to download (at their own risk if need be).

Grow a spine.  Stop attempting to field interference for a company that suddenly believes their customers should be happy with sloppy code and virtuous intentions.

They’re not a few people in some boomer’s garage, trying to eek out a living.  They’re humans that chose to work for a first rate audio company.  It’s unfortunate that the company’s leadership is too obtuse to do what needs to be done to simply put the customer back in control of the customer’s hardware.

If they can’t hack the criticism when they do things contrary to the customer’s best interest, they should find a line of work that doesn’t include customers.  Government work, perhaps.

The old app isn’t coming back.  
No matter how easy you might argue it would be, no matter how much you think Sonos owe it to everyone, no matter how incompetent you think Sonos are.  
It just isn’t.  My opinion, your opinion, the collective opinion doesn’t matter.  The evidence, no matter how strongly anyone might feel — for or against , is that it just is not coming back.  Surely everyone can see that ? Why keep arguing it, what’s the point?  

Everyone clamouring for it is now just noise.  
 

I’m quite literally using it to control my vast array of Sonos products at this very moment.  All I had to do was buy a trashy Android tablet and load the 16.X apk.

What you decided to write has very little meaning in the real world, and carries as much weight as someone telling the world that classic World of Warcraft would never be a thing. 🤷🏽