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Chromecast update breaks AllCast

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Re: Chromecast update breaks AllCast

#71

Post by abraininavat »

jlgreco wrote: post #70
abraininavat wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We're "neutering language"? Hyperbolize much?

I was hoping somebody would say that. That is exactly my point. With Godwin's Law the standard argument is that hyperbole somehow diminishes the plight of those that suffered, but that argument really does not encompass the full breadth of the War On Hyperbole . Here, for example, I've made an exaggeration with a comparison to sterilizing pets. Is the concern that I am diminishing the plight of pets and their reprodu…

and I was hoping you'd get that it was a joke instead of spending time explaining what you meant :)

Re: Chromecast update breaks AllCast

#72

Post by jlgreco »

abraininavat wrote: post #71
jlgreco wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was hoping somebody would say that. That is exactly my point. With Godwin's Law the standard argument is that hyperbole somehow diminishes the plight of those that suffered, but that argument really does not encompass the full breadth of the War On Hyperbole . Here, for example, I've made an exaggeration with a comparison to sterilizing pets. Is the concern that I am diminishing the plight of pets and their reprodu…

and I was hoping you'd get that it was a joke instead of spending time explaining what you meant :)

Aaaah yep. I should slow down. ;)

Re: Chromecast update breaks AllCast

#73

Post by BitMastro »

jlgreco wrote: post #61
BitMastro wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure if sarcasm, but I have issues with defining "EVIL" as "removing a feature to allow custom streaming". I also have issues considering falling down the stairs an "EPIC" fail, or reading companies looking for SUPERSTAR NINJA programmers, or things that are LITERALLY the worse ever happened to someone.

cygwin98 did not introduce the "evil" terminology. Google introduced the "evil" terminology. Do you really think that the phrase, associated with Google, was intended to mean "We're not going to commit any war crimes?" If you dislike hyperbole, that is fine, but blame the people who are actually responsible for introducing the hyperbole.

The meaning of the "don’t be evil" motto is "We believe strongly that in the long term, we will be better served — as shareholders and in all other ways — by a company that does good things for the world even if we forgo some short term gains."

How changing an undocumented function, that was used to circumvent an SDK that is clearly marked as beta and "could change significantly" can be classified as evil is beyond me.

The problem is that people are using the "don't be evil" whenever they see something that simply bothers them.

Damn, they closed a bug in android that allows me to remove advertisement from apps! Google don't be evil!

They shut down a product that was offered for free for almost a decade! Google don't be evil!

So what adjective will people use if Google starts charging if you search more than 10 times a day, or obscuring the maps a few miles from the destination asking for a fee to see the rest, or blackmailing people based on data extracted from the mail? Google don't be.... evillest maybe?

Re: Chromecast update breaks AllCast

#74

Post by jlgreco »

jonknee wrote: post #55
jlgreco wrote: post #13

If I were somebody with a Chromebook that still had ChromeOS installed, I would be very very concerned right now. If you don't control your device's software updates, then the device is not yours. It is as simple as that.

We've had a long time to prove the disaster that is users controlling updates. The majority of people are far and away better off having automatic updates. It's also one of the big selling points of the devices though so I don't think it should catch anyone by surprise. You're free to install another OS on your device though (which is a good sign the device is yours).

We've had a long time to prove that using automatic updates to remove features is a recipe for disaster. In fact, I seem to remember a certain company using forced updates specifically to remove users' ability to install other OSes on their devices...

Just because you can install another OS on your chromebook today doesn't mean you will be able to in the future. Get out now, or you are making a gamble.

Re: Chromecast update breaks AllCast

#75

Post by Ironlink »

Google has responded to a request for comment from The Verge.

We’re excited to bring more content to Chromecast and would like to support all types of apps, including those for local content. It's still early days for the Google Cast SDK, which we just released in developer preview for early development and testing only. We expect that the SDK will continue to change before we launch out of developer preview, and want to provide a great experience for users and developers before making the SDK and additional apps more broadly available.

Re: Chromecast update breaks AllCast

#77

Post by jlgreco »

BitMastro wrote: post #73
jlgreco wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

cygwin98 did not introduce the "evil" terminology. Google introduced the "evil" terminology. Do you really think that the phrase, associated with Google, was intended to mean "We're not going to commit any war crimes?" If you dislike hyperbole, that is fine, but blame the people who are actually responsible for introducing the hyperbole.

The meaning of the "don’t be evil" motto is "We believe strongly that in the long term, we will be better served — as shareholders and in all other ways — by a company that does good things for the world even if we forgo some short term gains." How changing an undocumented function, that was used to circumvent an SDK that is clearly marked as beta and "could change significantly" can be classified as evil is beyond m…

Ripping functionality out from under paying customers is not something that just "bothers" people. Hiding behind terms of use on SDKs isn't something that mellows the sting of this to users who probably don't even know what "SDK" means.

This situation invokes to comparisons to certain companies that had rather poor reputations in the 90s. Companies the slogan was almost certainly meant to differentiate Google from.

If hyperbole to shareholders is a-okay with you but hyperbole from angered consumers is out of line, then we just are not going to see eye-to-eye on this. I hope people inside Google do not share your attitude or Google truly is doomed to become what they assured us they wouldn't. This attitude towards consumers is extremely toxic.

Re: Chromecast update breaks AllCast

#78

Post by ihsw »

anxiousest wrote: post #43
ihsw wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the future, when video playback isn't restored and Google makes a public admission that they don't intend on restoring it, would you mind if I remind you of how you were naive and foolish? When Google's next hardware product comes out, can we stop thanking them and instead point out how they have a history of releasing products that give users no control over what runs on them? Google has far more technical expert…

Only if you don't mind to be reminded of your own foolishness when similar functionality is enabled through SDK. I don't understand this animosity towards Google, it's like every little change to the status quo triggers a hate-fest here on HN accompanied with wild accusations (only to be debunked soon after). They pushed a system update that broke undocumented APIs, they could be patching a security vulnerability for…

If Google were to correct me then I would gladly eat my hat.

Personally I feel no such animosity towards Google, however any perceived hostility towards Google is purely coincidental -- my hatred is towards bait&switch and other parasitic corporate practices.

Re: Chromecast update breaks AllCast

#79

Post by jmillikin »

ihsw wrote: post #39
tylerkahn wrote: post #11

https://developers.google.com/cast/release-notes > Warning: The current Google Cast SDK is a preview SDK intended for development and testing purposes only, not for production apps. Google may change this SDK significantly prior to the official release of the Google Cast SDK. We strongly recommend that you do not publicly distribute any application using this preview SDK, as this preview SDK will no longer be support…

In the future, when video playback isn't restored and Google makes a public admission that they don't intend on restoring it, would you mind if I remind you of how you were naive and foolish? When Google's next hardware product comes out, can we stop thanking them and instead point out how they have a history of releasing products that give users no control over what runs on them? Google has far more technical expert…

  > When Google's next hardware product comes out, can we
  > stop thanking them and instead point out how they have a
  > history of releasing products that give users no control
  > over what runs on them?
Consumer hardware devices that Google has released so far are: Nexus {One,S,Galaxy,4,7,10,Q}, Glass, Chromebook Pixel, Chromecast.

All of the Nexus devices (except for the abandoned-before-launch Q) have official support for flashing custom firmware. The Chromebook Pixel comes with "developer mode", which turns it into a standard unverified laptop. Glass can be unlocked, and Google employees demonstrated how to install Ubuntu on it at Google IO.

Other than the Chromecast, which devices do you feel restrict the user from controlling which code they run?

Re: Chromecast update breaks AllCast

#80

Post by hobbified »

Ironlink wrote: post #75

Google has responded to a request for comment from The Verge. We’re excited to bring more content to Chromecast and would like to support all types of apps, including those for local content. It's still early days for the Google Cast SDK, which we just released in developer preview for early development and testing only. We expect that the SDK will continue to change before we launch out of developer preview, and wan…

Which is a disingenuous answer since he's not even using the SDK. The ChromeCast at least notionally supports an open protocol (DIAL). Only it doesn't, because if you try to use it with software other than Google's, it breaks.
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