That's ridiculous. It's your browser running your extension, you're interacting with Slack in a way they allow (downloading their HTML and JS and talking to whatever internal API they use). How in the world they can prevent you from doing that?
Bye bye BetterSlack
251–260 of 392 posts
Re: Bye bye BetterSlack
#252Re: Bye bye BetterSlack
#253Earlier quoted context omitted.
What if it's a greasemonkey script?
greasemonkey doesn't target specific website. It's a generic approach.
Many userscripts target specific websites and change both their appearance and behavior. Userscripts are often indexed, distributed and ranked like browser extensions are, as well.
Re: Bye bye BetterSlack
#254Earlier quoted context omitted.
This just starts a death spiral though. Slacks next step is to start detecting the objecting code and banning users from using the web interface that are found using those tools. There are a bunch of folks doing this already for ad blockers.
Try using Slack in a browser on Android. It doesn't work. I find that really objectionable. They don't (last time I asked) distribute an APK. Instead they directed me to a pirate APK site, so I don't believe it's for security.
Try using Slack in a browser on Android. It doesn't work.
It does work on Firefox for Android, if you enable Request Desktop Site. It's not optimized for small screens, though.
Re: Bye bye BetterSlack
#255I dont see any legal reason why you can't publish the extension under a different name. Your extension is under no legal obligation to follow their acceptable use policy, only the users that use your extension.
There are two problems with this approach: 1. I don't want to get involved in that, even if I'm based in Uruguay and they'd have a hard time suing me. 2. What they could do is put resources to detect the extension and block it. We could start a mouse and cat game that they'd win... I don't have their resources to invest in it. After all, all I wanted was to solve Slack for me, and that would make it harder.
On a side note, cool to see Uruguayans at the top of HN. Sorry it's under this circumstances.
Congrats on your Stackoverflow job :)
You wouldn't happen to have any recommendations for hiring web-devs here in Uruguay for a small startup? It's CRAZY HARD.
Re: Bye bye BetterSlack
#256Earlier quoted context omitted.
This just starts a death spiral though. Slacks next step is to start detecting the objecting code and banning users from using the web interface that are found using those tools. There are a bunch of folks doing this already for ad blockers.
Oh no, we might have to use one of the thousands of other chat apps with identical or superior functionality but inferior marketing teams.
People who work at companies that use slack don’t have a choice.
Re: Bye bye BetterSlack
#257I think it's really dangerous to choose to take Slack's message seriously here. I've been working on a WebExtension recently [0] at my university that's entire existence is staked on continuing to improve on platforms that are slow moving, and to tie together platforms that otherwise wouldn't talk to each other for political reasons.
A company making the case that their Terms of Service or definition of Acceptable Use applies to users manipulating the data that is sent once it is in the user's browser is a terrible way to go. We should always have the tools and the means to add features and change the display format of data being sent to us.
Re: Bye bye BetterSlack
#258At GitHub, we faced the same issue when ZenHub [1] came out with their chrome extension. While, Slack is well within their rights to _ask_ you not to modify their user experience, it's short sighted of them to do so. With ZenHub, we worked with them even closer because we saw that our users were happier using GitHub + ZenHub. We made it super clear that UI changes would likely break their app but that would be a risk…
I’m not being a good platform partner basically because they make it impossible for me to be one. I’d love to avoid reverse engineering their minified code and use well documented APIs. Unfortunately, that’s not possible nor planned (as they told me on a tweet I linked on the post).
Have you considered asking them if you could continue running your system if you agreed to add a permanent large banner at the bottom or top stating clearly that your system may break user experience?
I realize they are saying something about privacy, so it may be their position to argue against every system that does what your's does...
Re: Bye bye BetterSlack
#259That's unfortunate, the only feedback I'd have for the creator who did a lot of good and with good intentions too I believe, is to pick a different, less "confrontational" name when doing stuff like this. Slack is now just being defensive.
Re: Bye bye BetterSlack
#260Earlier quoted context omitted.
I’m not being a good platform partner basically because they make it impossible for me to be one. I’d love to avoid reverse engineering their minified code and use well documented APIs. Unfortunately, that’s not possible nor planned (as they told me on a tweet I linked on the post).
Have you considered asking them if you could continue running your system if you agreed to add a permanent large banner at the bottom or top stating clearly that your system may break user experience? I realize they are saying something about privacy, so it may be their position to argue against every system that does what your's does...
That’s a good point. I’ll def ask after I take it down and let them know. Thanks!