Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links • Hacker News Board

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#331

Post by tylerhou » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 4:07 PM UTC

amscanne wrote: post #316

jrockway wrote: post #284

I am not sure why it needs to be called a donation. Just let the in-app purchase unlock some cosmetics in the app like games do. You weren't going to deduct the donation from your taxes anyway. I am curious how this ends up working out. Google takes a cut of the donations now... but the process of buying is probably easier. So maybe it will increase donation revenue, and make it easier to support free software. (Taki…

> You weren't going to deduct the donation from your taxes anyway. Unless I’m mistaken, this is only possible if you’re donating to a registered charity. Many view open source as more noble, but OSS developers don’t magically get a different rule book :) (I don’t disagree with your perspective here, but the prevailing sentiment in this thread seems to be that OSS developers should get a different rule book.)

And also, if you receive goods or services in exchange for your donation, you need to discount your deduction by the fair market value of those goods and services.

This is not tax advice; consult a tax professional for your own personal situation.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#332

Post by cesarb » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 4:09 PM UTC

degenerate wrote: post #209

hnarn wrote: post #56

> Sorry for the inconvenience. I'm sure many users are just as annoyed as I am. In the interim, luckily F-Droid has our app.[1] Thank heavens there's an alternate way of distributing apps on Android. Say what you want about Android vs. iOS, but at least there's an alternative if you as a consumer have a beef with Google Play. [1]: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.wireguard.android/

Even if the Play Store and F-Droid both disappeared, the replacement could be a community-run open directory of APKs sorted by version. At least we have options on Android.

> directory of APKs sorted by version

Something like that already exists. I had to use one of these directories once to install an older release of Signal on a relative's phone (newer releases of Signal don't work on older phones, older releases of Signal aren't compatible with the current Signal server, but there's a single version in the middle which both works on older phones and is compatible with the current Signal server; unfortunately, that phone hadn't yet updated to that release before a newer release went out).

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#333

Post by _-david-_ » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 4:11 PM UTC

dessant wrote: post #292

jrockway wrote: post #284

I am not sure why it needs to be called a donation. Just let the in-app purchase unlock some cosmetics in the app like games do. You weren't going to deduct the donation from your taxes anyway. I am curious how this ends up working out. Google takes a cut of the donations now... but the process of buying is probably easier. So maybe it will increase donation revenue, and make it easier to support free software. (Taki…

Open source developers shouldn't be forced to lock away additional functionality in their apps, or resort to special tricks just to be able to receive donations for their projects. Google could make a positive impact by introducing new features that help users seamlessly fund their favourite open source apps, right from their Google accounts. GitHub has recently introduced a similar initiative called GitHub Sponsors…

>Open source developers shouldn't be forced to lock away additional functionality in their app

The additional feature can just be text that says thanks for the money, feel free to give us more money in the future.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#334

Post by anchpop » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 4:12 PM UTC

enriquto wrote: post #296

dessant wrote: post #235

Google Play In-app Billing does not support donations [1], so open source developers should be allowed to link to their own donation pages. Google Play policies do not spell out that linking to donation platforms such as Patreon is forbidden. Disallowing developers from using in-app billing for donations, while also barring them from linking to external donation platforms, puts open source projects in a difficult pos…

> (...) puts open source projects in a difficult position, and appears to be overly hostile towards funding open source development. This is the problem of developing free software on a non-free platform. They have absolute control of your work under their own terms, no matter how ridiculous they are. I never understood why the google play store is a socially acceptable idea for free software developers.

It's the most widely used software distribution channel in the world. I'm sure most would prefer to distribute on F-Droid but open source developers want their apps to be successful too.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#335

Post by lallysingh » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 4:12 PM UTC

amscanne wrote: post #316

jrockway wrote: post #284

I am not sure why it needs to be called a donation. Just let the in-app purchase unlock some cosmetics in the app like games do. You weren't going to deduct the donation from your taxes anyway. I am curious how this ends up working out. Google takes a cut of the donations now... but the process of buying is probably easier. So maybe it will increase donation revenue, and make it easier to support free software. (Taki…

> You weren't going to deduct the donation from your taxes anyway. Unless I’m mistaken, this is only possible if you’re donating to a registered charity. Many view open source as more noble, but OSS developers don’t magically get a different rule book :) (I don’t disagree with your perspective here, but the prevailing sentiment in this thread seems to be that OSS developers should get a different rule book.)

Asking consideration from a platform based heavily on OSS isn't unreasonable. Especially considering Google would benefit from the improvements those donations could spur.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#336

Post by bogwog » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 4:12 PM UTC

Fnoord wrote: post #234

Can we just stop distributing "donation-ware" FOSS and use F-Droid for that instead? It is not as if Google Play Store is a credible source anyway given all the hostile content (for both privacy and security). Today I learned they even remove the orig. signature [1] [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21268717

I can see the headlines already

> Google Project Zero researchers find 100 ZERO-DAY vulnerabilities in unofficial app store "FDroid"

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#337

Post by Wowfunhappy » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 4:13 PM UTC

wavefunction wrote: post #330

chrisballinger wrote: post #319

I guess this will get lost in the noise, but a few years ago Apple relaxed its restrictions on IAP donations and allows developers to offer a "tip jar" where IAPs don't unlock any specific features. I've been shipping a free and open source app with a donate button on the App Store since mid-2017 [1]. 1. https://chatsecure.org/blog/sustainable-open-source-starts-w...

Does Apple take their customary cut? I am not interested in "donating" to Apple.

They do.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#338

Post by lm28469 » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 4:13 PM UTC

zAy0LfpBZLC8mAC wrote: post #315

lm28469 wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We're talking about an app store, not the Final solution. And as far as I know in developed countries companies still have to follow the law.

So? I don't understand your point. Authoritarian solutions are good as long as they are not "the Final solution" because ... ? And what does having to follow the law have to do with any of this? Even "the Final solution" was law, and in a developed country at that, so ... yeah, could you explain what your point is there?

If any rule/law = "authoritarian regime" to you I think we can't stop the discussion now and save us both some time.

> And what does having to follow the law have to do with any of this

Google is free to handle its playstore as it please as long as it follow the law, I doubt google will pull a genocide anytime soon. Setting boundaries/rules doesn't make you an authoritarian regime. If you want to pull the "this reminds me of the darkest hours of our history" card you better find something more important than an app removal from a mobile phone app store if you want to be taken seriously. But I guess it's fashionable these days to compare everything to nazi germany/fascism/_insert_bad_people_, no matter how convoluted the comparison is.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#339

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 4:13 PM UTC

anchpop wrote: post #328

helpPeople wrote: post #298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Completely agree. I do not want to restrict any users. Annoying how hard it is to be independent of FAANG control.

Would it be acceptable to Google if the only perk of buying an IAP was a little icon on the screen saying "contributor" or something? Do they ban all donation verbiage or just IAPs that do nothing?

[deleted]

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#340

Post by krn » Wed, Oct 16, 2019, 4:14 PM UTC

dessant wrote: post #235

Google Play In-app Billing does not support donations [1], so open source developers should be allowed to link to their own donation pages. Google Play policies do not spell out that linking to donation platforms such as Patreon is forbidden. Disallowing developers from using in-app billing for donations, while also barring them from linking to external donation platforms, puts open source projects in a difficult pos…

> Disallowing developers from using in-app billing for donations, while also barring them from linking to external donation platforms, puts open source projects in a difficult position, and appears to be overly hostile towards funding open source development.

Google Play has been very clear about this[1]:

> Fund solicitations

> Examples: Donation solicitations from parties without a valid 501(c)(3) tax exempt status clearly displayed to the public; solicitations from parties without valid proof of exempt tax status or proof of registration with the relevant country's regulatory bodies and authorities; and political organizations that have registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC)

For instance, Wikipedia displays an external "Support Wikipedia" link in the main menu of its Android app[2] without violating Google Play's terms and conditions.

[1] https://support.google.com/faqs/answer/75724?hl=en

[2] https://i.imgur.com/MEut6yC.png