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Comment by bob1029 | Hacker News Reader

I'm still using gpt-5.5 in copilot (visual studio proper) as a "custom" model. It feels like I've been enjoying an ~unpatched exploit while everyone else wallows in the proverbial mud.

A large part of what pushes developers toward these products appears to be the billing model. Pre-paying for tokens is some kind of ideological red line for a lot of developers. I think this is a strategic error. The subscription models have so many more perverse incentives baked in. Those paying $100/m+ for subscription access are almost certainly getting taken for a ride based upon my experience with prepaid tokens.

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> Those paying $100/m+ for subscription access are almost certainly getting taken for a ride based upon my experience with prepaid tokens.

I don't understand what this means. Are they overpaying and getting less? Typically "taken for a ride" means, exactly "The seller got more out of the deal than usual sellers would".

Buying a burger for $3000 == "taken for a ride".

Paying $30 for all you can eat != "taken for a ride".

> Pre-paying for tokens is some kind of ideological red line for a lot of developers.

If I can get a few subscriptions for 100 - 200 EUR month and NOT have to pay 3000 - 9000 EUR (based on ccusage and some other stats) in tokens then it’s a no brainer for me to do that.

I don’t get why paying per token would be better if it’s economically disadvantageous.

> The subscription models have so many more perverse incentives baked in

Yes. But, as your "so many more" implies, there are also perverse incentives in pay-per-token. And now, for the first time, the companies with the perverse incentives also happen to own the intelligence needed to, ad-nauseam, evade market and customer oversight. Potentially, this is a war where one side can inflict a thousand paper cuts in one second and the humans are on the other side. I think this is going to be an interesting test, a taste if you will, of what AGI means.

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