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FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

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Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Just wait 5-10 years and it will probably be the same way on Windows and MacOS. They will argue that installing arbitrary, unvetted software through the web is dangerous, so it's only reasonable for Microsoft and Apple to make this very difficult and instead promote installing all software through their app stores Apple already does this on macOS. macOS treats all un-Notarized apps as if they're radioactive, and le…

> Every Mac based on the M1 chipset and above will not run unsigned binaries, either. So this is different to Intel macs? You can’t just go to security and privacy and “allow”?

They will run self-signed binaries, the signature doesn't have to be valid, it just has to exist.

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#252

Another example of arbitrary playstore rules killing a FOSS app - playstore version of termux is stuck on a 2-year-old release (0.101) and can't run on Android 10 at all. If you install from F-Droid - latest version is available (0.117) and works on Android 10, too. https://github.com/termux/termux-app/issues/1072 https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Termux_Google_Play

I would not call that arbitrary play store rules.

Rather the general app sandbox has had tightened security, which affects api compatibility, thus play rejects it to make sure it’s future proofed by author. In the meantime, during phase-out, sideloading works so old versions of app suddenly don’t stop working, but eventually that call will stop working.

Whether apps should be allowed to download and execute code out of the apk bundle itself is of course another political topic.

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#253

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Always amuses me when using google to search for f-droid . Google will always insist you meant android and show you those results instead, which of course is the play store version if it exists.

It’s depressing that wokest of woke users(including myself) still use Google to find a link or at most DDG which is just a wrapper to Google Search.

DDG isn't a wrapper around google.

Also, I want to tell you it gets better, I had problems getting sleep too for nearly a decade and it started really catching up with me as I entered my thirties (appetite, energy and cognitive issues for example). Turning screens off, limiting stimulants, not partying as much and keeping a regular wake up time _really_ helped me.

Best of luck to you.

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#254
Absolutely do not see Google doing anything about WhiteHatJr publishing apps on students behalf with dead privacy policy pages(which are actually google doc links of all things!). And all of the app websites being linked back to their own subdomains hosted at WhiteHatJr website. Such a shady company, acting as if under 14 years old kids have paid the $25 fee, read all agreements, built apps in any IDE & published the same....

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#255
post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Used to be that all tos were "subjects to change." ToS are mostly just random words anyways

An excellent comment. Terms of service still tend to be mostly words but they matter a lot.

I've always considered TOS's an abberation of contract law myself.

I've had many professional contracts with both private and commercial clients. In none of those cases was I ever allowed to provide a contract where I could just decide whatever I want, whenever I want and the customer is forced to agree otherwise...fuck them...and I still get paid.

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#256
Ugh, this one hits close to home. Language Transfer is an amazing project that I recommended to multiple people in my family and they loved the Turkish lessons. I hope this doesn’t discourage them, you’re providing a truly generous resource to all language learners in a space where similar courses cost hundreds of dollars per language.

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#257
post #73

Just so people know, the two dominating app stores are under scrutiny because of the monopoly they have on the market: https://www.wsj.com/articles/app-store-competition-targeted-... https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/11/tech/apple-google-app-sto... https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/11/22620454/apple-google-app...

As they are, app stores are crap. They are a huge control mechanism to stiff competition. For those of you who are old enough: Imagine if in 2000, Microsoft released "Windows Me" with something similar (for PC) to what Apple or Google are doing in the current dominant computing device form factor (Mobile). It just would not have been tolerated. Adobe, Netscape, Autodesk, Corel and others having to pay Microsoft a 15%…

I'm old enough to remember that in 2001, Microsoft got in trouble just for shipping Windows with IE preinstalled. Which seems like an awfully quaint concern by 2021 standards.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_C....

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only thing that keeps me on Windows is that because CheatEngine doesn't work on Linux. I like playing around with it to enhance my gaming experience (usually to boost enemies in late stages of CK2 / EU4).

You can have any Steam game that supports Windows run through Proton, and then install and run Cheat Engine within that game's Proton/Wine prefix. Definitely not as user friendly, but it does work. Alternatively you can use Game Conqueror, but it very basic compared to Cheat Engine.

Cheat engine has one thing going for it: ready made scripts for many games that automatically show many important values for you. Conqueror doesn't have that.

(But I'll try your recipe, thanks!)

Re: FOSS app removed from the Play Store for linking to the project's website

#260

Tell Google how you feel about that by searching "google app store alternatives", then installing Aurora Store. https://auroraoss.com/ https://gitlab.com/AuroraOSS From the Aurora Store FAQ: What is the difference between Aurora Store and Google's Play store? Unlike Google's Play Store, Aurora Store doesn't track your downloads or the apps you use. We respect your privacy. Aurora Store is also unaffected by Google ma…

Interesting that that google search only gave me spam for 1.5 pages. Wikipedia being at the bottom of the second page. (I use F-Droid, I was just curious. Usually a DuckDuckGo user. Search done from Germany)
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