******* add-on cannot be uninstalled

[Daniel Hood]

Why do so many people have selective reading? I didn't contact the developer... HE contacted me. HE initiated the conversation. NOT the other way around.

I'll be happy to include anyone, even XF staff, into the conversation to see for their self.

That said, I simply brought it up to show how some of the developers are conducting "business" here. I agree the major issue and the topic of this thread is *******'s shady tactics.

So... you're not going to tell us why you started the conversation with him?

 

[Bionic Rooster]

• I decline offer, thinking the developer was actually replying, but instead another auto reply to sign up for his website...

I'm slow, I replied and got about 10 of those auto responses before I realized what it was and found out auto replies were possible in PM's LMAO

PS: I was talking with Dom in PM then Jon joined in and when I replied to his post I started getting the auto response, so I thought I was still talking with a person LOL

 

[WoodiE]

LOL.. proven fact... Most people only read

I stopped reading after "only read...". haha

You started a conversation with us on 2nd September. This conversation was accidentally deleted so we started a new one to make sure that the issue had been resolved. Our automated system then picked up the message and auto-responded.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience.

Interesting. That conversation was a question regarding the possibility of using your add-on (which I didn't) but mostly in regards that in the event I did install it (I didn't) what the price would be for copyright branding removal (see I'm not against paying for it) which you replied. I thought that conversation was done, as I too left that conversation.

You then take the time this morning to start another, full well expecting a reply only to have my reply get mixed up in your auto reply. Okay that's fine.

Nonetheless as I've said before I'm happy to discuss in conversation with anyone that wants to. While I find Waindigo's "tactics" a bit shady or convienent maybe(?) I think the real issue at hand is not Waindigo but the shady coding tactics that some developers, namely *******, has decided to implement into their add-ons. I agree with @HWS and hope XF can come up with a better solution to also protect their users and not just their add-on developers.

 

[Maxxamillion]

I wish there was more cover on the buyers side of things, i have purchased too many addons where i get crap support or ignored. We pay our hard earned money to help better our sites not pay to have data taken, spend hours writing bad reviews, spend days trying to get a reply from developers. PLEASE for the love of god get rid of the shady bunch of developers then we wouldn't have so many issues. I am one of few who doesn't know many things about coding and all that jazz so i get pretty down hearted when i end up feeling robbed from developers who more than likely take advantage of the fact i know so little about such things. Half of the add on issues i have end up being fixed by my host rather than the developer, as they are so bad with support. I'm tired of wasting my money on something that is presented well and performs awful. just my 2 cents

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Just my 2c

I have no problem signing up on a developer's website if that makes the management, development, support, and improvement of their addons better. Especially one like @Waindigo.

I'm really curious how he figured out how to auto-reply to a thread on a forum that does not have an auto-reply feature installed. I'm a bit impressed by that. I know that Syndol made an addon for that but Waindigo apparently has figured out how to do that without the addon. Or did no one else notice that?

 

[Daniel Hood]

Just my 2c

I have no problem signing up on a developer's website if that makes the management, development, support, and improvement of their addons better. Especially one like @Waindigo.

I'm really curious how he figured out how to auto-reply to a thread on a forum that does not have an auto-reply feature installed. I'm a bit impressed by that. I know that Syndol made an addon for that but Waindigo apparently has figured out how to do that without the addon. Or did no one else notice that?

He coded a script that logs in his account to read his messages. He then copies the content of it to his site and has it respond with the links to the content on his site. It was pretty clever. I was surprised although I question how cool xenforo is with it.

 

[Mike Edge]

Thanks for your feedback. We have noted your feedback. Let us try and will have an announcement about it shortly.

Any update on this announcement @******* ?

 

[Mike Edge]

No matter how much you encode or how many call homes you place. You simply have to deal with the fact nulling will still exist. Considering big products like cPanel and WHMCS have pirated version, anything can be done. IMO focus more on the product and more people will buy it both legit and those who started with a pirated copy to try it out.

 

[Mike Edge]

@Waindigo i keep getting

1. Access to a valid XenForo forum account is required in order to register here.

trying to register

 

[FredC]

Just my 2c

I have no problem signing up on a developer's website if that makes the management, development, support, and improvement of their addons better. Especially one like @Waindigo.

I'm really curious how he figured out how to auto-reply to a thread on a forum that does not have an auto-reply feature installed. I'm a bit impressed by that. I know that Syndol made an addon for that but Waindigo apparently has figured out how to do that without the addon. Or did no one else notice that?

I think I took issue with this a year ago.. Lol I seem to vaguely recall raising a bit of a stink over the practice a year or so ago.. It is something done on his end and the official answer from XF was along the lines of and I'm paraphrasing here...

"Creating a script to scrape content or auto-respond to conversations is not something which can be mitigated against."

I think I was more mad the author wouldn't share his technique with me. Lol I'm over it.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

@Mike Edge glad I'm not the only one, just messaged him about it

 

[WoodiE]

@Mike Edge glad I'm not the only one, just messaged him about it

His auto reply will simply tell you to register on his site. haha

 

[TJA]

All ******* addons removed from my site, that is all.

 

[rainmotorsports]

His auto reply will simply tell you to register on his site. haha

Not if he messaged him on his site

 

[Bionic Rooster]

@Waindigo i keep getting

1. Access to a valid XenForo forum account is required in order to register here.

trying to register

Me too, that and a blank page like the IP is being blocked.

Edit : It's back to the error message trying to register

 

[Brivium]

@All

It's really hard with us to explain to everybody understand this issue. We only can explain how our system do and we attached our Helper (Callback) class of all our products at here. And we don't want @Mike or @Kier or @Brogan to take time away with our situations. Unfortunately we hope that @Mike or @Kier or @Brogan or other people understand what're we do can help us to explain to everybody.
- We place on all our products (Free / Paid as the same) a *******Helper folder with the mission to Check License and Get EventListeners & Database Structure.
- We only do a callback on Installation step to check license informations.
- For License Checker function we will get following parameters and compare with our database.

$validator = XenForo_Helper_Http::getClient($this->_lcUrl);
$validator->setParameterPost('paths', $paths);
$validator->setParameterPost('addOnData', $addOnData);
$validator->setParameterPost('existingAddOn', $existingAddOn);
$validator->setParameterPost('triggerType', $this->_triggerType);
$validator->setParameterPost('version', XenForo_Application::$version);
$validator->setParameterPost('versionId', XenForo_Application::$versionId);

- If installation request is valid we will response EventListeners & Database and our addon will be installed. If you feel we've been having any unusual action, you can print $response variable and you will see what we transfer to your forum.

We decided to public what our system do just for make sure that we don't collect any sensity informations (as listed above).

 

[Jon W]

@*******, perhaps you could have some sort of checksum in your add-on so that users know that the MySql query sent never changes from one user to the next? I appreciate that you want to use this stop piracy, but the fact that you can just run any MySql query on installation and change that query from one user to the next (which would avoid detection) is kind of scary.

 

[Brivium]

@*******, perhaps you could have some sort of checksum in your add-on so that users know that the MySql query sent never changes from one user to the next? I appreciate that you want to use this stop piracy, but the fact that you can just run any MySql query on installation and change that query from one user to the next (which would avoid detection) is kind of scary.

Thanks for suggestion very much. Let us try next update.

 

[CallieJo]

I am proposing that developers who list add-ons in the official XenForo resource manager must be required to list any activation/licensing enforcement/anti-piracy measures in their RM listing. I suggest this be a required field when creating a listing.

I'd like to know this information upfront.
I may have already bought a resource with these tactics in it. How would I know?

Just have to say that no matter the tactics you put in place only hurt the ones that support you. Making it more difficult for legit users to purchase install/uninstall will only hurt your bottom line. XenForo gave developers tools to check for licensed users and honestly that should be enough and anything more..well we can see as this thread shows.

Agree! Anything more than what Xenforo gave developers for checking licensed users is too much IMHO. If not using that, then I could see a one time call-home on installation.

Not to sound rude, but I do not want to waste my time and money on any resource that has anything else. Been there, done that...too many times over the years...LOTS of money and time down the drain.

As a legit customer, I do not want to be treated like a pirate. I don't treat developers like scam artists. Two way respect and trust is important.

Sorry @*******, but I won't be purchasing any of your products at all.

 

[D.O.A.]

You should be putting some marker in your add-ons, it's not like a callback is even considered "protection" if you can use notepad, seems like overkill. Offer legit customers excellent support and bam you have a business, nullers or not.