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Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

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Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#51

Post by mikeash »

gilgoomesh wrote: post #49
mikeash wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if both are true, the app still may not have been pirated. I wouldn't take any action based on this information beyond perhaps gathering statistics (and keep in mind that those statistics could be way off).

Apple explicitly suggest an exit(173) if the certificate check fails for Mac App Store apps. Although I've definitely had non pirate users report this error to me because they've drag and dropped the app onto another machine instead of reinstalling from the App Store -- so you're right, it's not a guarantee that they're a pirate in an absolute sense.

Apple suggests it for Mac apps because you can copy a purchased app to another computer manually, and the exit(173) signals the system to go do an authorization check and re-authorize that copy to run on its new computer if it passes. iOS has no equivalent mechanism.

Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#52

Post by OldSchool »

I'm a fan of privacy so I don't understand the draw of twitter beyond the original purpose of broadcasting a message to a known list of people. Perhaps even 1-way followers if you add in celebrity types as tweet sources.

I guess the tipping point is the 'tweet back' feature. At its worst it seems like a narcissistic 'I want to have public conversations with another individual.'

If twitter id's were all anonymous I suppose it's no worse than a forum like this except that the content is most likely far more personal and far less technically valuable. I use HN to keep up on the latest technology and to some extent business trends.

Why do people like twitter?

Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#53

Post by activepeanut »

kstenerud wrote: post #19

Most likely, their "piracy detector" was nothing more than checking for "MobileSubstrate" (a library present in all jailbroken phones) under the silly assumption that jailbroken = pirated. Booby trapped software is NEVER a good idea. No matter how clever you think you are, you're not clever enough.

What do you think of disabling IAPs if IAPCracker or IAPFree is detected?

Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#56

Post by mnicole »

For those not reading the comments --

"I would add that this problem seems to be happening with many, if not all of the Enfour dictionary apps, not just the Oxford app that this story is about. And Enfour seems to be attacking customers who post low reviews on their App Store pages.

And this has nothing to do with having a jail broken iPad or iPhone. It is happening to everyone."

".. Enfour is attacking people leaving bad reviews in the App Store, but not by triggering their Twitter accounts. Enfour is actually responding to the bad reviews by posting negative comments about the reviewers themselves on the description pages of Enfour’s apps. You can see these when you access the iPad store, but you have to click “more” for them to appear. I don’t think they show up in the iPhone app store."

Sounds like a great company all around.

Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#57

Post by ramchip »

OldSchool wrote: post #52

I'm a fan of privacy so I don't understand the draw of twitter beyond the original purpose of broadcasting a message to a known list of people. Perhaps even 1-way followers if you add in celebrity types as tweet sources. I guess the tipping point is the 'tweet back' feature. At its worst it seems like a narcissistic 'I want to have public conversations with another individual.' If twitter id's were all anonymous I su…

One example use case I saw recently in my circle of friends: person A tweets "wow, there's a great special on sashimi bowl at the place near the university", person B tweets back "@a hey, I'll be in the area Friday, how about we go for lunch? anyone else interested?", person C (common friend) sees the conversation and tweets "@a @b hey, I'll go too". Finally a group outing is quickly organized.

Mostly I see it used for quick conversations, funny remarks, organizing small events, saying when you're going for a trip...

Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#58

Post by codyromano »

cs702 wrote: post #24

It would be obviously wrong and illegal for a stranger to come into your home, secretly inventory all physical items in your possession, and then impersonate you on, say, a global TV broadcast in which you're wrongly accused of stealing things. It should also be obviously wrong and illegal for any app secretly to inventory everything in your phone and then impersonate you on a Twitter broadcast in which you're wrongl…

Your analogy should be narrowed according to the facts of this case. Assuming that the author's guesses about the app's behavior are correct, this is a case of software checking for one specific tool — a tool that's strongly associated with piracy. A defendant in the physical world wouldn't necessarily have a reasonable expectation of privacy if there were indications that he or she was engaging in unlawful conduct. So it's unfair to say the app's behavior would be obviously illegal or that it's comparable to a secret inventory of all of someone's physical items. That said, I'm not justifying the hijacking of the author's Twitter. That's not an appropriate remedy by any standard.

Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#59

Post by ramchip »

UnoriginalGuy wrote: post #20
UnoriginalGuy wrote: post #13

The developers are calling this a "bug." https://twitter.com/keitaigoddess/status/263995697571971072 https://twitter.com/keitaigoddess/status/263995940602535936

I did some more digging to check that Tracey as above is in fact an employee of the company who makes this app and indeed she is: http://www.being-a-broad.com/2010/11/tracey-northcott-of-enf... There are lot's of other verification links on google, just look for "tracey northcott enfour"

There's an official apology on their Japanese website where they refer to it as a bug:

http://www.enfour.co.jp/news/121105apology.pdf (JP)

Re: Dictionary app auto-posts piracy accusations on users’ Twitter accounts

#60

Post by MrJagil »

UnoriginalGuy wrote: post #20
UnoriginalGuy wrote: post #13

The developers are calling this a "bug." https://twitter.com/keitaigoddess/status/263995697571971072 https://twitter.com/keitaigoddess/status/263995940602535936

I did some more digging to check that Tracey as above is in fact an employee of the company who makes this app and indeed she is: http://www.being-a-broad.com/2010/11/tracey-northcott-of-enf... There are lot's of other verification links on google, just look for "tracey northcott enfour"

What a repulsive link. Those images are really distasteful.... Not the pregnancy part but the staging of it. As if your entire being revolves around your stomach, and therefor so should everyone elses.

Sorry, I'm sensitive to this kind of thing. As if her life suddenly has meaning, so now she has to compensate for all the lost time. Congratulations, though.

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