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Google have declared Droidscript is malware

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Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#271

Post by blihp »

x86ARMsRace wrote: post #42
eplanit wrote: post #25

It's seriously time to re-embrace the idea of ownership and control of our devices, and reject Android and iOS altogether. Developing for those platforms has become worse and more restrictive over the years, and this kind of crap is now just everyday news. How good are Pinephones[1]? Are there better alternatives? [1] https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/

> Small numbers (1-3) of stuck or dead pixels are a characteristic of LCD screens. These are normal and should not be considered a defect. Their product line does not really inspire much faith. I can't say I've bought a device in the past 10 years which has dead pixels on the display. To me, this is a defect, given that I can pick up a device, overwrite Windows with Linux, and have a device without dead pixels.

That warning is designed to scare away 'regular' consumers, so it's doing its job. If the prospect of a couple dead pixels scares someone, they are not the target customer for a PinePhone. It is absolutely not a device for the average consumer.

How do you know if you're the target customer for a PinePhone? You read the 'dead pixels' warning and think 'I don't care... I want a Linux phone'. People who would find a couple dead pixels unacceptable would also likely find the features and functionality of it unacceptable as well. For months it couldn't take pictures or (reliably) make phone calls/text.[1] Now we can take poor quality pictures and have marginal phone functionality and think life is good! It's not that we're nuts (ok, maybe a little ;-) but rather that we accept this a long term process/effort and not something that will be even remotely perfect anytime soon.

[1] Hell, mine will never be able to reliably work with most USB-C chargers due to a hardware bug in the first iteration. Didn't care... I want a Linux phone! (and I'm too cheap to replace the board, I'll wait for a v2 to fix that and other issues)

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#272

Post by Decabytes »

I feel like we see these stories more and more often. Where an App is removed from an App store for nebulous reasons. I feel for the developers. This is their lively hood.

I would also like to stress that this is why we should give more effort to alternative platforms, even if they are "worse than the current offerings". For example I don't see people jumping ship off of YouTube and managing their own PeerTube instances anytime soon, but it is sooo important that something like that exists, and it should be looked at by people making content on YouTube more seriously.

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#273

Post by colonelpopcorn »

spicybright wrote: post #265
brobdingnagians wrote: post #256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Totally agree. The more time passes, the more I realize that I want to own what I have. I've grown more selective about what I purchase in general and I've become more minimalistic; but if I want to have it at all, then I want it to be mine free and clear. Especially when it comes to tools, land, and personal items. I want Good Quality and paid for with cash. I tend to use things until they completely wear out, and I…

Couldn't agree more. Anything you don't own 100% can be put in jeopardy totally at randomly. If it's something important that can be incredibly stressful.

I think the trend of soft social credit score via big tech makes this an even dicier proposition.

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#274

Post by zerd »

ticviking wrote: post #206
MayeulC wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The right to purchase. It's become an issue of defining "purchasing". But companies don't want us to purchase appliances, they would be much happier if we could rent them.

And I would. At much much much lower prices

Leasing usually isn't cheaper than owning long term though. So your total cost will most likely be higher.

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#275

Post by sdenton4 »

Loughla wrote: post #241
ticviking wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And I would. At much much much lower prices

I have had my same fridge for 10 years, with no signs of failure. Unless the monthly payment was $3.00 or less, I would be paying more than I should starting in June. The rental/do not own anything model is just awful, in my opinion.

For appliances, the vulture capitalists are building things to break sooner to get you to buy more often.

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#277

Post by kmeisthax »

nromiun wrote: post #26

> We don't allow apps with any code that could put a user, a user’s data, or a device at risk. If Google thinks the ability to execute arbitrary code puts users' data at risk why don't they go the full iOS route and ban everything, from scripting apps to other JS engines beside Chromium? I am so sick of their behaviour, the only reason I am still on Android because things like F-Droid still exists and iOS is even mor…

This is actually worse than the full iOS route, because Apple is likely to at least listen to appeals and implement bright-line rules between "things the app does" and "things users do". They ultimately do want to have developer tools on the App Store and are willing to accommodate them to a point. Even the "no competing browser engine" thing has a technical explanation: Apple wants to be able to update that part of your app without you being involved.

Google just doesn't care about what your app does until they start seeing click fraud, upon which they ban your app, delete your Gmail, and ghost you. They've even done this to paying GSuite customers, game studios they were working on, and their own employees' spouses. As far as I can tell, antispam is at the top of the org chart and can overrule all other layers of management. I would never trust Google with anything I can't backup or migrate to another service.

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#278

Post by [deleted] »

brobdingnagians wrote: post #256
Loughla wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have had my same fridge for 10 years, with no signs of failure. Unless the monthly payment was $3.00 or less, I would be paying more than I should starting in June. The rental/do not own anything model is just awful, in my opinion.

Totally agree. The more time passes, the more I realize that I want to own what I have. I've grown more selective about what I purchase in general and I've become more minimalistic; but if I want to have it at all, then I want it to be mine free and clear. Especially when it comes to tools, land, and personal items. I want Good Quality and paid for with cash. I tend to use things until they completely wear out, and I…

[deleted]

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#279

Post by EvanAnderson »

oneplane wrote: post #135
ballenf wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The battle really parallels the larger right to repair debate. (Especially if we realize the latter is probably is better called the right to exercise control over purchased goods.)

Does it? Everyone is quick to judge but coming up with an alternative is hard enough that nobody has done it so far. With scale comes scaling issues; general purpose computing and repairability need a different commercial model that doesn't match with the currently used models. This leaves two avenues: - Make it worse for everyone but keep it going - Make it worse for everyone in a different way and keep it going I d…

If the network can be adversely affected by a "muh righz" device then the network's threat model is shoddy. Taking away freedom to prop up a badly engineered product isn't fixing the bad engineering.

The Internet is a good example. The threat model has been far too trusting, historically. We're paying for that in a variety of different ways. Burning it all down and starting over is impossible, so we're stuck in a mess. Maybe we can do better in the future.

Re: Google have declared Droidscript is malware

#280

Post by pyrale »

ajross wrote: post #28
dtx1 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think your thoughts on this are plausible, if not likely. However, the usual complete lack of communication by google is the actual problem. Perhaps droidscripts could mitigate googles concerns, if they had the decency to explain them.

> However, the usual complete lack of communication by google is the actual problem. Uh... Seems like the actual problem (given that scenario) is that adware is being pushed to users, not whether or not Google defended its ban in public. Complaints about customer service (from everyone, not just Google) are a dime a dozen, actual user security is clearly more important, right? Your answer presupposes a frame where Dr…

> In that case you'd want it banned without "decency", right?

Due process isn't really a sound concept if it's only for innocent people.

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