Just to be fair, maybe this is not entirely Steinberg’s fault. The eLicenser site has no forums, nor have I seen any announcement there about the issue.
Then again, I have noticed that this forum now has at least 5 new members, whose posts have only surrounded the activation problem we are all having right now. This in itself speaks volumes. However, Steinberg is selling their software in conjunction with an eLicencer dongle, aka “The Steinberg Key”–a term frequently used by other software companies who need to inform their customers that they need to activate their software using that dongle. My point is: a new Steinberg customer is not obliged to “know” that other companies also use the same type of dongle for activation, so they hold Steinberg responsible for such unfortunate events, and rightfully so.
For the rest of us “returning customers” well, we have chosen Steinberg products, and all we can do besides expressing our frustration is to keep riding Steinberg’s roller-coaster like we all have in the past.
Bottom line is: it would be nice if Steinberg joined the conversation to explain what is happening, or at least clarify how this may not be their fault–although I genuinely doubt anything but a successful activation would satisfy new (or even older) customers.