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

pocketables.com

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

#71

Post by __david__ »

praptak wrote: post #11
Karunamon wrote: post #5

Booby trapped software. Very clever, except for when it blows up in your face. At least they only posted to twitter instead of [1] something a lot worse (think file deletion, etc). Generally a bad idea, if you're of the leet warez d00d type, to give any illicitly acquired app your credentials to anything important, at least until you've verified that it's safe. The armchair lawyer in me wonders if someone could get a…

> The armchair lawyer in me wonders if someone could get a libel/defamation suit going because of this. As a professional certified internet laywer I'd also add impersonation.

That seems a difficult route given that the user had to explicitly give twitter posting access permission to the app in question...

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

#73

Post by __david__ »

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…

Well, to continue the tortured analogy, the stranger was invited into the home, they didn't break in. Then they presented a release form to the homeowner saying they could impersonate him on TV, which the homeowner signed. Only then did they go on TV and "impersonate" him, saying things he didn't expect.

I don't think it's so cut-and-dry as you are making it out.

It's definitely shady, but I dare say there's nothing illegal here.

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

#74

Post by mhuffman »

This is a disgusting abuse of user trust! It makes assumptions about other software and posts insinuations about you on your own twitter account!? I hope they have repercussions enough to make others considering this either think twice or be very upfront about what it intends to do.

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

#75

Post by incision »

trotsky wrote: post #18

im confused about paying $50 for a dictionary app

Same.

It's probably a bit much, but I'm going to go ahead and say...

It seems somehow fitting that a company which feels entitled to $50 for a dictionary app would also feel entitled to commandeer a supposed pirate's Twitter account for public embarrassment or do something equally smug [1].

1: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4778847

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

#76

Post by tarabukka »

mindslight wrote: post #70

This is just the kind of thing comes along with the philosophy that the user shouldn't be the ultimate owner and controller of their computer. Why isn't the app given an opaque 'twitter handle', which may be a real account, a no-op, or has a moderated posting ability? And why is the app allowed to view general properties of the system, looking for system software which it deems unfavorable? Because Apple decided that…

"Sandboxed" apps that can even look at the system drive and inspect its contents? Doesn't sound like much of a sandbox to me.

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

#77

Post by pdonis »

__david__ wrote: post #73
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…

Well, to continue the tortured analogy, the stranger was invited into the home, they didn't break in. Then they presented a release form to the homeowner saying they could impersonate him on TV, which the homeowner signed . Only then did they go on TV and "impersonate" him, saying things he didn't expect. I don't think it's so cut-and-dry as you are making it out. It's definitely shady, but I dare say there's nothing…

I don't see where he gave permission for the app to post Tweets for him. He gave it access to his Twitter account, but that's not the same thing. To continue your analogy, the stranger was invited into his home, gave him a form to sign that said he could inventory the items there, got it signed, and then proceeded to publish the information in a way that wasn't mentioned on the form.

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

#79

Post by idunno246 »

hackmiester wrote: post #64
activepeanut wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

That sounds good, as long as you don't go on the internet and talk shit about the user if it is detected. Popping a message like this would be good: "Sorry, this section of the app is incompatible with IAPCracker. Please contact support if you have received this message in error."

The users will still post on your forum and claim they don't know what iapcracker is. and argue incessantly despite having crash reports that logged it in memory

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

#80

Post by crntaylor »

MrJagil wrote: post #60
UnoriginalGuy wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

You're aware that pregnancy doesn't normally involve the stomach, right?
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