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Hi all,
i was googling for tweakui and came a result from handango.com => http://www.handango.com/SoftwareCat...Id=2&N=96806+4294910762&showBreadCrumbs=false
Check this guy is selling the tools he got free here at xda-devs.
the people who made the soft should do something about it...
I've just written to Handango. Please write to them to and get this thief off their books.
I have noticed that your vendor T.N Vietaus Trade (Australia) is selling a number of illegal (ie pirated or stolen IP) products, including Microsoft ROMs for Windows Mobile phones.
Also, he is reselling free products written by members of the xda developers forum at a significant mark up, free software for example being sold for $49.99.
Please ask this vendor to remove this software, or remove it for him.
Kind regards,
vijay555 (moderator at xda-developers.com)
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V
What a ****en Lame ass *****. THat is just the lowest you can go to, selling stuff that is offered to us here for free. **** him, ive written to them also to get this ***** from selling stuff on there. Good eye and thanks for making everyone aware of this.
I've sent handago an email as well. Keep the emails going.
what is the email?
Found the HQ phone number, will try to call (cant call anymore sorry) but will need more info on this like what app and other stuff that you can give
305 NE Loop 820
Suite 600
Hurst, Texas 76053
Corporate Office: 817-280-0129
Fax: 817-280-9628
He has ebooks in http://www.windowsmarketplace.com/category.aspx?bcatid=1129&av=14-275257
And same app's come up in the Microsoft handango page that is linked to the Microsoft Windows Mobile Product page Site http://microsoft.handango.com/PlatformTopSoftware.jsp?siteId=75&platformId=2&title=T.N+Vietaus+Trade+(Australia)&authorId=1811375
Mod needed
Can a mod post this in other forums so that everyone that has made a app can check if their app is in the selling list
Email of the supposed developer tnvietaus AT gmail dot com
And if im doing something wrong in giving this out, this info is on the web
This is insane.
haha I just left HORRIBLE reviews warning people on all of the links you just provided Mike.. lol.
I also emailed HIM... and Handango.
no, I just let them know that this stuff was available for free ...
The thing that IRKS me is he doesnt explain that there is MORE to just downloading and running the update to these.. so alot of people are probably ruining their devices.
FYI, this is one instance where the DMCA can be used to your benefit (if you are one of the software authors).
Do NOT write to Handango, et al, complaining that someone is selling free software.
Do write to the resellers and state, factually, that this person is selling software that *you* wrote without your permission or authorization. Also state, very factually, that you want the software pulled and any monies charged for the software to either be refunded to the purchasers or forwarded to you.
What would also help out is if all the software authors were to allow one person (perhaps vijay would be a good choice as he is both a mod and a software author) to act on their behalf so there is a single point of contact for XDA.
Tell me the address of Handago (and Microsoft, If I have read and understand well) and I also send an email.
Just a thought: many here (maybe me too?) searchin' and using no purchased software, and therefore one of us (or one of those having this "habit", if you like more saying so) has found not violating any legal or moral law. World goes around...
Gubbài.
He is selling over 90 titles, and they are ALL available here for free just about.. he is selling the dang HTC X-button for 24 dollars! lol.
derma, I think everyone here is realistic about software availability and software use... read around for my personal views on warez etc.
The board however has a strict policy on banning for distributing warez.
But, it takes some particularly spiteful cojones to steal someone else's work and then put your name on it and sell it. And then selling at an absurd markup... come on. There's reasonable cheekiness, but that's just taking the micky.
V
Understanding doesn't mean accepting
vijay555 said:
derma, I think everyone here is realistic about software availability and software use... read around for my personal views on warez etc.
The board however has a strict policy on banning for distributing warez.
But, it takes some particularly spiteful cojones to steal someone else's work and then put your name on it and sell it. And then selling at an absurd markup... come on. There's reasonable cheekiness, but that's just taking the micky.
V
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Just to explain my position about this.
As I wrote on the title of this post, I figure out what it can be the reasoning of this person but meanwhile I absolutely don't accept what he did (or it's better saying "what he didn't do" 'cos what he's selling it's not stuff of his own).
My thought doesn't want to be a provocation, at least not a gratuitous provocation, but a simple-soft thinking about a hard problem: copy-right (and use-wrong).
Obviously this is a real theft, more odious than that "normally" made to the detriment of that author of the software who sell his creation having the conceptual rights to do that. In this case we can see instead a double somersault: he sell something not of his own that originally is (was) free.
Hope being plain.
PS: "cojones"?! Maravilloso! ¡Hasta la revolución, siempre!
Gubbài.
It isn't just the markup, its the flagrant lack of informing people of the consequences of attempting to use those warez without having ample experience with their device. He just says 'For expert. Use at your own risk' he doesn't say .. 'If you don't know what you are doing your phone is dead.. d .. e .. a .. d' .. I feel bad for the people who have purchased these and tried to run them not knowing about unlocking and what not.. it's a shame
OMG, another one.
http://shop.my-symbian.com/Platform...0&productType=2&platformId=2&productId=208881
Where can i find the tweakUI here?
hanmin said:
OMG, another one.
http://shop.my-symbian.com/Platform...0&productType=2&platformId=2&productId=208881
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Review added saying it's free here.
Want to let people know how you feel about them selling ROMs from XDA?
Let this guy know. He was kind enough to include his phone number in the ad (which is reposted on a daily basis) and encourages people to text him.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/ele/746350700.html
I don't like it! He's already selling two users work. I saw dotfred's Task Manager/RegEditor, and poorlyduck's Vista Action Screen.
not to mention all the software he's including that I am sure he isn't acquiring legally...
No kidding, TomTom with maps and MobiTV somehow??? Not sure how MobiTV will work without a proper subscription. But I just sent a message to both poorlyduck and dotfred.
Police
Here in Phoenix the police will go bust him!! They cruise Craigslist for this stuff.
And he reposted again today:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/ele/746591733.html
Doesn't seem to care that his stuff gets flagged down. While I'm normally against posting people's contact information, I don't think it'll be an issue as this seller posts in it all of his ads.
He is at +1-650-270-1881 which is a San Francisco suburb.
Since he's taking stuff from the forums and reselling it without permission (not to mention the super blatant warez), I figure those who are having their stuff sold might want to have a record of the phone number in case he removes it from later ads.
why don't we tell microsoft and have them sue him for it? They've sued people for stupider things before...
burn, baby, burn! Disco Inferno!
The current state..
The last few days have been difficult. What has become clear now is that the Android Open Source Project is a framework. It’s licensed in such a way so that anyone can take it, modify it to their needs, and redistribute it as they please. Android belongs to everyone. This also means that big companies likes Google, HTC, Motorola, and whomever else can add their own pieces to it and share these pieces under whatever license they choose.
I’ve made lots of changes myself to the AOSP code, and added in code from lots of others. Building a better Droid, right?
The issue that’s raised is the redistribution of Google’s proprietary applications like Maps, GTalk, Market, and YouTube. These are not part of the open source project and are only part of “Google Experience” devices. They are Google’s intellectual property and I intend to respect that. I will no longer be distributing these applications as part of CyanogenMod. But it’s OK. None of the go-fast stuff that I do involves any of this stuff anyway. We need these applications though, because we all rely so heavily on their functionality. I’d love for Google to hand over the keys to the kingdom and let us all have it for free, but that’s not going to happen. And who can blame them?
There are lots of things we can do as end-users and modders, though, without violating anyones rights. Most importantly, we are entitled to back up our software. Since I don’t work with any of these closed source applications directly, what I intend to do is simply ship the next version of CyanogenMod as a “bare bones” ROM. You’ll be able to make calls, MMS, take photos, etc. In order to get our beloved Google sync and applications back, you’ll need to make a backup first. I’m working on an application that will do this for you.
The idea is that you’ll be able to Google-ify your CyanogenMod installation, with the applications and files that shipped on YOUR device already. Or, you can just use the basic ROM if you want. It will be perfectly functional if you don’t use the Google parts. I will include an alternative app store (SlideMe, or AndAppStore, not decided yet) with the basic ROM so that you can get your applications in case you don’t have a Google Experience device.
I’ll have more updates soon as I get all the code hammered out.
Thanks for all the support thru all of this.
http://www.cyanogenmod.com/home/the-current-state
The stuff Dreams are really made of....
I knew! Where there's a will there's a way! You can't keep a real boss down! Cyanogen I look forward to playing with this new stuff in the works. Rage on brother rage on, I for one honestly didn't want to leave android really, but I will continue to research back-up plans in case Google has anymore monkey wrenches laying around itching to be thrown...Good luck Cyanogen. We all owe you donations...real recognizes real! Dueces
This is great news Thank you!
fkn awesome!
this exactly what i thought and hoped would happen. everyone got in a tizy over nothing. so we have to back up before we flash which is just another way that the basic moder like myself can better understand the phone.
Does this means we need to wipe every time we flash a new rom?
tomvleeuwen said:
What do you guys think of sharing the 4.0.4 version over p2p networks?
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Everyone already has it.
Great
This sounds good, there is more than one way to skin a cat. I think they got upset when the new market app was released before they could get it out. They had to do something, but I think it will die down.
don't go there
tomvleeuwen said:
What do you guys think of sharing the 4.0.4 version over p2p networks?
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Cyanogen is doing his best to respect Google's legitimate copyrights, so suggesting that XDA get involved in distributing proprietary applications without a license only serves to undermine what is going on here. Mods: please remove.
ei8htohms said:
Cyanogen is doing his best to respect Google's legitimate copyrights, so suggesting that XDA get involved in distributing proprietary applications without a license only serves to undermine what is going on here. Mods: please remove.
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I posted this in another thread but it would seem to be pertinent to here too:
Loccy said:
Let's face it, strictly speaking, all ROMs are warez.
Personally I'm surprised that it wasn't the Hero devs who got into trouble first, but this was all just a matter of time. I never understood the bizarre fixation that cropped up recently with QuickOffice and everyone going "omfg it's warez can't include it in romz!!!111!1one!". Why QuickOffice and not, say HTC_IME, or Work Email, or any number of other binary blobs that ROM cookers include as a matter of course now that have been "acquired" from non-orthodox source?
The Hero ROMs, let's face it, give people a means of "turning" their old phone into the latest and greatest HTC device. Each stable Hero ROM on the Dream/Magic potentially means a Hero device purchase lost. HTC are being far more hit in the pocket than Google are here - which is why I'm surprised the cease and desist wasn't directed at them.
I do think, however, this site and the people who run it are going to have to pick a side at some point. Either the position is "this is a site for developers, and as long as copyrighted material is not hosted on here in a fashion that would make us liable*, we will not suppress the work of individual devs". Or, their position is "no copyrighted material in any form, be that in the form to links to offsite storage repositories (eg. Rapidshare), or any other method". XDA doesn't *need* to do this in order to ensure the site does not get into legal hot water. I suspect they *might* do it, however, as some kind of misguided moral stance (and in my view the QuickOffice preoccupation was an example of just this). But in my opinion if they choose the latter then XDA is over as a site for realistic Android ROM development (and indeed, Windows Mobile and other OSes, if they apply the same standards across all their boards).
* elaborating on what I mean here - if people attach zips directly to their posts, and those zips are stored on the XDA servers, then XDA as a site is potentially liable. Alternatively, if instead people give a URL or a search string whereby people can find a ROM, but those files are not physically stored on XDA, they are not - any more than Google is liable for the many copyrighted MP3s you can find links to via their search engine.
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The bottom line is that if ROM devs decided they were going to respect ALL legitimate copyrights, there'd be no Hero ROMs, no Windows Mobile ROMs, in fact no ROMs apart from barebones AOSP ROMs which do less than a stock ROM.
ei8htohms said:
Mods: please remove.
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And I'm sorry, that's just ignorant. Just because you don't agree with a sentiment doesn't entitle you to demand the mods remove it. If the mods want to remove it they will (and in my view that would indicate which "side" they were choosing.) Personally, I don't know what it's like elsewhere around the world, but here in the UK one is at least allowed to speak freely, if not necessarily act freely.
kudos to cyanogen!
Loccy said:
If the mods want to remove it they will (and in my view that would indicate which "side" they were choosing.) Personally, I don't know what it's like elsewhere around the world, but here in the UK one is at least allowed to speak freely, if not necessarily act freely.
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I think common U.S. practice is: if you speak freely, you get called names by people until you either cry or shoot them, thus proving to everyone that your original point is invalid.
But XDA has always had a policy of "if it doesn't get the site admins in trouble, it's probably ok." If memory serves, the site is in the Netherlands, and is subject to EU laws as to copyright, etc. I think that's important to remember when it comes to such things, since the EU laws as to intellectual property are in flux and not quite the same as those in the US or UK.
But the official policy is available in one of the toplevel forums here:
Flar said:
Hi Everybody,
We noticed that there is some confusion when it comes to posting sensitive material on xda-developers.com and mostly about what can and can't be posted.
We would like to clarify our point of view through this post.
Since the start of xda-developers this has always been a site that once in while has some sensitive material online, through the years this site has grown so big it's no longer possible to check every file on our servers or every post on the board, we also feel it wouldn't benefit the community if we did.
However with increased popularity comes an increased amount of legal complaints when sensitive material is found on our servers. Which is the reason why we have been more careful lately. Recently some sensitive material has shown up on the servers and we received legal complaints from companies who have the copyrights for this material, although we all feel this is very interesting and valuable material we cannot risk the future of xda-developers by ignoring the legal requests we receive, therefore this material has been taken offline.
We understand that maintaining the balance between legal and illegal is sometimes confusing and/or difficult but that is unfortunately how it works.
When it comes to posting sensitive material there are a couple suggestions we can make:
- if possible do not post the files on the xda-developers servers.
- use your common sense (if you feel something might not be legal it probably isn't).
- always keep in mind when posting software of any kind, that we will take it offline if there is a legal complaint from the copyright owner.
Warez is in no way accepted and will be removed upon discovery.
I hope this post will serve as a clear and valuable guideline.
Greetz,
Flar
Site admin.
P.s. When you have any questions you can always contact me or one of the moderators.
Last edited by Flar; 17th January 2007 at 10:14 AM..
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Everyone has an opinion, and they have, or should have, the right to decide for themselves what is correct. I am on the side of Cyanogen. I do not think what he did caused any harm or loss of revenue to anyone. We can not always have our way though, and I think that's the case here. I don't know him, but I do think he's smart enough to keep doing what he is EXTREMELY good at without putting himself in a bad position. It's just a stumbling block to get past. We are puting a lot of effort into pointing fingers and throwing around ideas, but if we placed this much energy into finding a fuctional solution, we might get past it a whole buch faster. A good army fights the war, not the battle.
Warez is in no way accepted and will be removed upon discovery.
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But every single ROM on here is warez to some extent or another! Certainly (just for example, I'm not picking on anyone specific here) Drizzy doesn't own the IPR for the contents of his Hero ROMs. I'm pretty sure the WinMo ROMs aren't being posted by Microsoft. If the policy is that "warez is in no way accepted and will be removed upon discovery", they're not doing much of a job, are they - every other post is "warez", if you take a strict interpretation.
I suppose I'm saying that "warez is in the eye of the beholder". I fully endorse the attitude "if it doesn't get the site admins in trouble, it's probably ok" - but I can't help thinking that relaxed attitude has been firmed up of late for whatever reason, given the QuickOffice oddness. I'm pretty sure no-one who own the IPR for QuickOffice was ever in touch (although do correct me if I'm wrong), so why the odd fixation recently?
Bottom line: stick to the attitudes and approaches that have made this site what it is, please don't start getting over zealous when there's no reason to.
Honestly did this need another topic though? I mean I'm all for good news like this, but add it on to one of the many topics that are out there. -.- (ready for flaming)
easy now
Loccy said:
The bottom line is that if ROM devs decided they were going to respect ALL legitimate copyrights, there'd be no Hero ROMs, no Windows Mobile ROMs, in fact no ROMs apart from barebones AOSP ROMs which do less than a stock ROM.
And I'm sorry, that's just ignorant. Just because you don't agree with a sentiment doesn't entitle you to demand the mods remove it. If the mods want to remove it they will (and in my view that would indicate which "side" they were choosing.) Personally, I don't know what it's like elsewhere around the world, but here in the UK one is at least allowed to speak freely, if not necessarily act freely.
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First off, I'm not demanding anything. I politely requested that the mods remove a suggestion that clearly seeks to circumvent the policies of XDA: We won't distribute warez. The poster knew the suggestion was specifically aimed at getting around the XDA policy, otherwise there would be no reason for a P2P distribution alternative in the first place.
A key component of intellectual property and copyright laws (at least in the US) is that the holder of the copyright must act to defend the copyright to some reasonable extent (no, I'm not a lawyer and I don't know what this entails exactly). Now that Google has acted to defend their copyrights in these instances, the line is clear. Google apps are paid apps (licensed to the handset manufacturers or service providers) and are not free to distribute without a license. Consequently, there shouldn't be much further debate about the fact that these are warez and are not to be distributed on or through XDA.
I'm not trying to attack anyone (the original poster, ROM devs or certainly yourself), but I am interested in XDA maintaining the high ground here and continuing to operate in a respectful and respectable manner.
Perhaps we should stay on topic?
te5ter said:
Perhaps we should stay on topic?
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Fair point. Maybe we should take the "warez is in the eye of the beholder" debate to this thread. I do actually think it's a fascinating debate, personally. Oh, incidentally, just re-read my earlier post, and want to apologise to ei8htohms - I didn't mean to come off quite so brusque.
First, I'm very happy that there seems to be a workaround that Cyanogen feels comfortable in using.
However, I see it as a band-aid to a much larger problem. Yes, it addresses those few apps that Google specifically mentioned. But there seems to be potential future conflicts that could adversely affect this whole Android community.
What about all the other apps in there? The Camera/Camcorder/Gallery app for instance. The UI? Other HTC bits? And the biggie, the Search component? Does Google also lay claim to unified search, the widget, the particular framework involved in that?
I don't know the answer to that, I'm just asking. So much is left unanswered, I just feel this is only the beginning. For now, I guess it may be enough. But it still leaves so much up in the air.
Now the 2nd major issue: Cyanogen should be commended for taking the high road here and doing his best to adhere to Google's current request. I think we all know that there was never ever any question that no one saw this coming. It came from left field and shocked everyone beyond belief.
But will other rom devs be as diligent as Cyanogen? Will theme developers adhere to this? And with all of these added steps required to get a functioning "Google Experience", consider the flood of newbie questions this forum is about to endure. We all thought "brick" and "hardspl" questions were tedious at best ... prepare yourselves for the onslought of mass confusion. That fun has just begun.
I still believe the burden lies with Google to make this right. I'm not saying they should make their apps open source by any means. I'm just saying that there must be a way for Google to allow the inclusion of their apps (perhaps a different license or maybe some encryption trick that protects the apps from modification <I don't know, I'm not that smart>). Google needs to step up to the plate in this. They also need to save-face and stifle this PR nightmare. Android does not need this, Google does not need this, HTC does not need this, carriers do not need this, Cyanogen does not need this, and users do not need this. Growth of the entire Android project is simply too important. I see this as speed bump. They just made the bump too big and it needs to be shaved down some so everyone can get it over without damaging anything else.
this is great news indeed. can't wait to see what is to come!
Ok, maybe the title is a little over the top, but does anyone else feel that this is just a crime?
Selling HD2 Android Upgrade!
I'm sure HTC probably doesn't like it. And I'm double sure the people who have worked to create the tools to do would like their share if it's going to be sold.
Just my 2 cents.
If people are stupid enough to buy it who cares...
I agree with both posters so far. See some of the prices of phones on that site? Holy ****.
Have any of the actual developers commented on this yet, or have they been made aware?
I would hope that these IP thieves get what's coming to them, but sadly they'll probably be able to carry on profiting from other peoples work.
Geeting an HD2 and play around with your own Android installation is fine.
Selling HD2 with pre-installed Android orpaid Android installing service is a violation of ethics and moral.
Those price...it is criminal!!!
I hope the authority will do something against this kind of act.
XDA, remove Gift Celestial Fury Ad-Free from my 'thank you' columns.
I did NOT give you permission to add it to all my posts.
Gifting 'me' is actually gifting YOU money and NOT me.
STOP the deception. I mean it.
lol...sorry?
We don't need your permission to add a forum feature. Never have, never will.
Also, please explain this Gifting 'me' is actually gifting YOU money and NOT me.?
You DO get gifted. The gift you receive is an ad-free experience on XDA.
I already have an ad free experience. I don't need any gifts from XDA. Don't presume that it's in my best interest to have it there when we all know it's in XDA's best interest. XDA can't even be up front about it. Now, it's called a forum feature? Right. . . This point is where your LOL is more suitable.
It's obvious who the money is going to. XDA can just stop leeching off our thanks - that's my point but your second line suggests that XDA is too arrogant to care what its users think. Good job.
Celestial Fury said:
your second line suggests that XDA is too arrogant to care what its users think. Good job.
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Had your post been the least bit mature, I would have responded accordingly.
There is nothing immature about my complaint. Had XDA given us an option to turn it on or off there would be nothing to complain. I support XDA with my threads/posts but not with something I have no choice over and XDA is all about choice.
Celestial Fury said:
It's obvious who the money is going to. XDA can just stop leeching off our thanks
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What does this mean Sir? I'm thinking you have misunderstood this feature, as it has zero to do with thanks.
This 'feature' is placed in the same row as 'thanks' so it's basically saying: instead of or besides thanking me you can also thank me by paying on behalf of me to get ad-free XDA, except that:
I'm not the one asking for it but since it's there people might think that I am (and I've never asked for money or anything and don't even have my Donate button activated)
The implementation is not across the board and people might think that it is individually activated (until, like me, it appears for them and they go look for the setting to turn it off and find that there is none)
Clicking on that link for any user leads to an option to pay money to KC Online Media, LLC (which is most likely acting on behalf of XDA or its top management) so that XDA can remove ads for a certain user - meaning that the money goes to XDA and never to the user which is how the remove ads from XDA for the user will work
It is only ethical for XDA to get its users' consent (see first point). Anything else is just sly marketing and considering how often XDA puts down companies who engage in devious promotional tactics, I would think XDA would hold itself up to the same high standards.
Bottom line, forum feature leads to social ramifications.
Celestial Fury said:
This 'feature' is placed in the same row as 'thanks' so it's basically saying: instead of or besides thanking me you can also thank me by paying on behalf of me to get ad-free XDA, except that:
[*]I'm not the one asking for it but since it's there people might think that I am (and I've never asked for money or anything and don't even have my Donate button activated)
[*]The implementation is not across the board and people might think that it is individually activated (until, like me, it appears for them and they go look for the setting to turn it off and find that there is none)
[*]Clicking on that link for any user leads to an option to pay money to KC Online Media, LLC (which is most likely acting on behalf of XDA or its top management) so that XDA can remove ads for a certain user - meaning that the money goes to XDA and never to the user which is how the remove ads from XDA for the user will work
[*]It is only ethical for XDA to get its users' consent (see first point). Anything else is just sly marketing and considering how often XDA puts down companies who engage in devious promotional tactics, I would think XDA would hold itself up to the same high standards.
Bottom line, forum feature leads to social ramifications.
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You are over thinking this big time my friend.
It is across the board, for one. Only present on 2015 theme I think. So no one is thinking you yourself are asking for a gift. It's under every users posts. Except perhaps those that already have ad free. (if it isn't, then it could be a glitch, as new features can have)
XDA is not really advancing income on this, as they lose ad revenue obviously for anyone with ad free. And at the end of the day, a site that is free to register on, with over 7 million members has every right to earn a little where it can to help keep the site running. There is nothing unethical or abnormal about it.
The owners decided to offer ad free to members, and make it giftable, and they don't need my, yours, or anyone's permission to do so. This is a private site, and they own it.
I can say that with 7 million members, only one has complained about this completely optional feature, that I'm aware of.
And let's be realistic, many use ad blockers anyway, so it's definitely not a mandatory feature. Is it?
Your opinion is noted though. :good:
Celestial Fury said:
The implementation is not across the board and people might think that it is individually activated (until, like me, it appears for them and they go look for the setting to turn it off and find that there is none)
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It most certainly is across the board. As Darth said, it's not on all forum themes. But you're no different to anyone else.
Celestial Fury said:
meaning that the money goes to XDA and never to the user which is how the remove ads from XDA for the user will work
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If you're here for money, you're here for the wrong reasons. Plus you haven't set up your donate button, so it obviously isn't that important to you. If you are expecting donations, setting up your donation button might be a good idea.
Celestial Fury said:
It is only ethical for XDA to get its users' consent (see first point). Anything else is just sly marketing and considering how often XDA puts down companies who engage in devious promotional tactics, I would think XDA would hold itself up to the same high standards.
[/LIST]
Bottom line, forum feature leads to social ramifications.
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You really are missing the point here. The point of it is to give something back to the user. Just like on Reddit if someone "gives you gold". That's all it's intended for. I have no idea why you think it's all about the money coming back to XDA. A few dollars is going to make absolutely zero difference to the XDA funds. If anything, the loss of ads is going to mean they lose income.
You need to stress less and stop overthinking this.
It's not across the board and even for the same person with the same forum theme, some posts have it and some don't. I doubt XDA is losing money over this otherwise they would not be promoting it by sticking it onto every other post. If they were then they would be incompetent and unable to maximize profit and XDA is anything but incompetent. Just because something is free doesn't mean we have no say it in especially when they stick it to the bottom of our posts and make it seem like the USER is asking for it and they most certainly need the users' permission if they're going to stick it to our posts. Otherwise, they can stick it somewhere else where it is clear it is not the user asking for it but XDA itself. If this feature is optional, where's the button to turn it off? Fix that and there won't be anything left to say. Why the reluctance? The first person to notice a rot has the obligation to speak up lest the rots spreads by which time it will be entrenched and even harder to remove.
Since, I've specifically said that I haven't asked for money or anything or even have my donate button active it beggars the mind to imply that I am here for money. I don't want users to think that I am now asking for money with that 'ad-free' ADVERTISEMENT placed on our behalf without our consent. XDA is missing the point. Compare their editorials and opinion pieces where they lambast others when they do something wrong or unethical with what they are doing now. The amount is not the issue but the principle and the ethics - that is don't link XDA's request for money (in the form of gifting users) with users posts when the users are NOT the ones asking for it. It's certainly not a language problem but a cultural one, maybe. Do as I say but not as I do, and all that. XDA needs stress less and stop monetizing through sly means.
Celestial Fury said:
It's not across the board and even for the same person with the same forum theme, some posts have it and some don't.
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As I said, it IS across the board. It will appear on every post that has been thanked by someone.
Celestial Fury said:
XDA needs stress less and stop monetizing through sly means.
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I think you need to stress less. We haven't had anyone else make any complaints about this. 1 out of 6 million is a pretty good indication.