I just have to chime in and defend the subscription model. I too, posted earlier in this thread that I was confused that the plugin didn't work as I expected. Nick then clarified with information that had already been posted on the site, which must have been frustrating for him.
I then thought about my options, quickly decided that the value for money, not just for this plugin but for the CB package as a whole, was WELL worth the subscription price, and subscribed.
As a website developer, I greatly appreciate the Open Source model and the options and flexibility it provides. I love being able to experiment and try out new programs and features before (usually) I have to buy them, if they cost anything at all. It greatly helps my business model to be able to produce high value websites without spending huge sums for the underlying software.
On the other hand, the people providing that software have to have sustainable business models as well. Just because someone is kind enough to give us something for free once, a dozen, or even a hundred times, we should not develop the entitlement mentality that they should forever and always give us something and everything for free. I do some volunteer projects and I do some paid projects; I can't afford to spend all my time working for free. I expect most developers are in the same boat. If we don't allow for and support a sustainable model for Open Source developers, then the Open Source movement could collapse and we'll have to go back to Microsoft and the fully proprietary model. Then we can complain about cost!
For a large, feature-rich website I may spend a couple of hundred dollars in subscriptions and license fees, but when I look at what it would cost me in time or money to obtain or develop those features myself, it's a bargain! Many of those I can use across mutiple websites, so my average is in fact lower than that. For me, that's money well spent and a sustainable model for everybody.
Nick, please keep up the good work.