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

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

#571

Post by zx2c4 »

dang wrote: post #290

We merged a similar thread, "AndOTP Removed from the Google Play Store Due to Donation Link", into this one. Perhaps we'll update the title to cover both. https://github.com/andOTP/andOTP/issues/396 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21269542

[Prior reply got detached in some cleanup, so adding again here.]

An update on the WireGuard situation: they have reinstated the app _without_ the donation link. From what I can tell from talking to Google insiders, there has been no change in policy. Officially, Google has not communicated at all with us about it, so we're not sure what's up. But at least our app is available again to users, which is great.

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

#572

Post by anoncake »

kllrnohj wrote: post #570
anoncake wrote: post #524

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is whataboutism. Please stop.

I'd suggest you re-read that wikipedia page on logical fallacies a bit closer before attempting to accuse others of "whataboutism." But clearly there's no value to be had to anyone by continuing to debate with you, so sure I'll stop.

Call it whatever you want: The extent to which SecuROM was harmful doesn't influence how we should judge Google's DRM. So why bring it up?

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

#573

Post by rozab »

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…

Perhaps the solution would be to allow users to buy a 'virtual currency' in the app that actually doesn't do anything? It could be argued that this is a vanity item, like cosmetics, and so is exempt.

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

#574

Post by Crazyontap »

sjwright wrote: post #117
Crazyontap wrote: post #43

A lot of people justify Google and Apple's 30% because they provide an app store and distribution. But Android is Android because of these apps. Without them it would be like the Windows phone which was nice but didn't get enough apps on it and so it failed. These companies depend on our apps as much as we depend on their app store for distribution. Fuck apple for starting this walled garden and creating a parasitic…

"Android is Android because of these apps" but "Fuck Apple"? I don't understand.

I said:

> Fuck apple for starting this walled garden

IIRC apple started it and now all the big players are following suite.. including even Windows 10 which has it's own app store and similar cut.

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

#575

Post by progval »

UncleMeat wrote: post #506
progval wrote: post #498

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Package repos don't provide analytics for developers They can. Debian does it on an opt-in basis: http://popcon.debian.org/ > search for discovery You can use text search on APT repositories, and probably other ones. > malware and abuse detection that scales to millions of apps We don't need millions of apps. A thing I like with distribution repos is curation: only trusted people can add new packages. Of course it…

Wait. People complain about app stores being restrictive and then you suggest only trusted people being able to distribute code that I can use? That's way worse.

Part of the complaint is also lack of transparency when a Google Play app is removed.

When I want to use some popular software and it's missing from Debian, I can usually find a thread on Debian's bug tracker with a detailed discussion on what the issues around providing this particular software are.

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

#576

Post by m-p-3 »

bubblethink wrote: post #11
trulyrandom wrote: post #4

Apparently andOTP was removed for the same reason a couple of days ago: https://github.com/andOTP/andOTP/issues/396 . As mentioned in the announcement, you can switch over to F-Droid (for the time being) to get the latest version: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.wireguard.android .

>(for the time being) Why do you have that caveat ? You can use f-droid forever.

I think he meant until the app is reinstated on the Play Store. I choose the F-Droid version whenever possible.

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

#577

Post by m-p-3 »

kgersen75 wrote: post #411
dTal wrote: post #388

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No thanks. If I'm donating to a good cause, I don't want the App Mafia taking a 30% cut. That just reinforces this bad behavior.

so the App Mafia is supposed to host your app for free? provide the bandwidth to download it for free ? give visibility to your app thru search in the store for free ? at some point someone gonna pay for the datacenters, the wires and all these stuff needed for software distribution. Try running your own site on your own servers and paying for the data traffic and then do the math. 30% is ok

If they don't like free apps, then they should stop hosting free apps if they want that 30% tax so much.

Google should be thankful in the first place that developers are making apps on their ecosystem (doubly so for open source apps), because without them, Android and the Google Play Store itself isn't worth much. It's their part of the deal to stay relevant.

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

#578

Post by Jeff_Brown »

tolmasky wrote: post #367
krn wrote: post #340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

Sure, but why ? If the rules clearly said "no chess games", one could say "that ends the discussion of why chess games are denied", or you could further ask "but why are no chess games allowed?". Is it because Google plans on having their own Google-Chess someday and thus is preemptively preventing competition? Is there a technical or regulatory reason chess games aren't allowed? That's the question (at least for me)…

It seems like either (1) Google fears getting in legal trouble, or (2) Google wants to tax the transaction.

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

#579

Post by sm4rk0 »

sm4rk0 wrote: post #399

Our freedoms are being taken away one by one by those who say they are protecting our freedoms just because of capitalism -> money -> greed.

Because "there's no free lunch" in capitalism.

https://www.reddit.com/r/assholedesign/comments/dhir1i/in_th...

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