Addon Section Fair Use?

[Mikey]

I'm not sure why you're upset?
I was able to click and download the mod that Floris offered for FREE here at xenforo.com
if he wants to give priority support at his site, he can do that IMO
Just be happy he shared it here with us, maybe after it's out of BETA, support will be given here as well.

Isn't his site free to join?

I agree with this

 

[masterchief]

Hi
Anyways, maybe it's just me....

I look at it like this.. no matter what happens here at XenForo.com or anywhere else for that matter, at the end of the day all you have is your website, your hosting plan, your user base... what is it that you need help with? that is why we are all here in the first place, right???

I waste my time reading threads where there is complaining and whining.... you just click the mouse on go on. then yo logoff.. then your kids want you to play with them because you have spent so much time doing other things... what is really important???? ~peace

 

[Brett Peters]

So CK, you rather have me not share it with anybody here as a courtesy- and instead force them to find it somewhere else, forcing them to register on the site just to get it. Just so you're not annoyed.

That's fine.

No disrespect intended but the current trend to force signups elsewhere to download mods tends to fuel warez sites that offer a single sign up and all the mods

 

[jmurrayhead]

I see valid points on both sides and really it's up to each individual on how they react to it. I will rarely join multiple mod authors sites just to get an addon. I like one login on one URL. If the author chooses to do so only on their own site, that's fine, and I probably won't use their addon. That's my choice and I have no hard feelings towards the author for their decision. Obviously, a lot of people are doing a lot of self promotion here on XenForo...oh well. I ignore it. The rare exceptions for me are those who provide high-quality and quantity of addons. For example, in the vB world, DragonTech was that for me.

 

[Floris]

No disrespect intended but the current trend to force signups elsewhere to download mods tends to fuel warez sites that offer a single sign up and all the mods

Pirates will pirate, regardless how you feed them. The .zip is available here btw.

 

[Brett Peters]

Pirates will pirate, regardless how you feed them. The .zip is available here btw.

Pirates will pirate no matter how they are fed is correct but allowing XF to have less content Mod wise does not make sense to me, I am sure that the new resource section will help with many issues including this one though.

It is possible that I misread your post and you did not suggest that you would only allow your mods to be downloaded from one of your sites because one person stated that these threads should not be locked... but thats just how I read into it, I am yet to use any of your mods but I do appreciate them being available here so thumbs up for the great work thus far.

 

[Floris]

If it was against the forum rules to get them locked, the mods wouldn't have followed up on the request.
Users are now discussing basically that what the mods decide is wrong, and dispute those decisions.
Again, nobody can force me to provide support here for what I release here.
And, nobody can force me to not request to lock my threads.

We simply decide to release it here, but provide updates via our web site, and provide support via our web site. That way we're in control of what is said in the threads, per our own forum rules, and are capable of providing updates faster, process feedback faster, and give the support we try to guarantee to those who use it.

I'd say, take it up with the mods, get the rules changed, if support is required here, and if locking isn't an option. We will reconsider what our options are; Which most likely means we won't release on xenforo anymore and require registration of our site or even a premium membership to get access to the resources we're sharing in order to guarantee updates/support/etc.

 

[Brett Peters]

I hope you keep releasing here but I suppose it would all depend on if the new resource section will have the ability to lock comments, I personally think that it is beneficial for members to make comments amongst themselves regarding an unsupported Mod.

 

[Floris]

I hope you keep releasing here but I suppose it would all depend on if the new resource section will have the ability to lock comments, I personally think that it is beneficial for members to make comments amongst themselves regarding an unsupported Mod.

Just released another mod btw On xenforo, but in this case we also decided to keep support at this point on xenfans.com while it's in development.

We review / consider our options on a per release basis. For example, we have had private mods only to our premium members, and with 1.1 we have a one scheduled to be released to xenfans regular members. And we have a mod for our regular members, which we will be releasing with 1.0.5 of xenforo, on xenforo.com here.

 

[CTXMedia]

In the IPS Marketplace you'll find a number of "support" threads for skins, add-ons, hooks, etc. that are open for discussion by the community but not visited by the author/developer (because they provide support on their own site).

This can create a problem where people post on the thread with an expectation of support/response to the bugs and issues they find, and become frustrated when either the original author doesn't respond or someone with no real knowledge of how to fix it responds with unhelpful comments/suggestions.

I think the central resource repository here on XF will be a really, really good thing - regardless of how support is provided - because it will offer a one-stop place for us end-users to find the things we want for extending our boards, as well as hopefully increasing sales/take-up of developers products (thereby giving them a reason to continue to develop for XF). The support for these third-party products ultimately lies with the author, so I expect, in the end, we must leave it up to them to decide how they want to offer it. You never know, if the XF Resource Centre takes off developers may chose to offer support here in addition to their own sites, because it will pay them to do so.

Really though, what we don't want to do is discourage developers from getting involved with XF - however you feel about the location of support, there is one unescapable truth; a lack of developers and add-ons will definitely be a bad thing for the XF community.

Cheers,
Shaun

 

[Brett Peters]

Just released another mod....

You are defiantly going to make some friends with this quality release thats for sure, It was so darn good I couldn't help but to give you props in the release thread before it was locked

 

[Paul B]

Before I make my points I will just state that this is my personal opinion, not that of XenForo Ltd.

If the .zip is included then personally I would prefer to see threads left open as the community can then at least respond to questions and help out with problems, etc. As long as the author makes it clear in the opening post that they won't be responding to the thread then that will avoid any issues related to members becoming annoyed due to the lack of response.

Locking the thread will require additional support from moderators if the add-on is ever upgraded and the author wants to update the .zip in the first post.

By locking the thread and not allowing any responses, the thread will rapidly drift to the bottom of the pile, which will mean a lot less exposure than other add-ons.

Of course some or all of those points may become moot once the Resource Manager is deployed, depending on what policy is implemented.

As is usual with these things though, you can't please all of the people all of the time.

 

[Floris]

Thank you for your opinion Brogan. And I agree with it. One of the consequences of closing a thread is simply that one has to understand it can't include upgrades.

We are looking forward to 1.1 and RM and are adapting our site(s) to it, as well as our release policies. Surely matching something that benefits not just as a team but also the users that want updates and support.

 

[Sadik B]

Before I make my points I will just state that this is my personal opinion, not that of XenForo Ltd.

If the .zip is included then personally I would prefer to see threads left open as the community can then at least respond to questions and help out with problems, etc. As long as the author makes it clear in the opening post that they won't be responding to the thread then that will avoid any issues related to members becoming annoyed due to the lack of response.

Locking the thread will require additional support from moderators if the add-on is ever upgraded and the author wants to update the .zip in the first post.

By locking the thread and not allowing any responses, the thread will rapidly drift to the bottom of the pile, which will mean a lot less exposure than other add-ons.

Of course some or all of those points may become moot once the Resource Manager is deployed, depending on what policy is implemented.

As is usual with these things though, you can't please all of the people all of the time.

My opinion exactly.

I would request that Xenforo Ltd. reconsider their decision about allowing Addons threads to be closed immediately on release. I can very easily manipulate this for my personal promotion and marketing (as I feel some are doing here) by posting simple addons one per day and asking for threads to be closed.

Edit: By the way as I have stated before, some people here attempt at scare tactics, by implying that if Addon threads are open somehow it would drive away developers.

I would just like to state that is total hogwash. Developers release addons for a variety of reasons, and imho an option to let the community know that you can't support the Mod is sufficient for most.

 

[Paul B]

It has been discussed, albeit briefly.

Let's just wait and see what is decided (the guys are a bit busy at the moment with something or other ).

 

[Floris]

sadikb, I hope you're not implying that the ones I release (though simple) are only released to advertise my site. I then can't appreciate the accusation. I am releasing them here to answer questions by users asked in these forums, and so they aren't forced to register on my site to get the .zip. If I wanted to spam this site with small things I would do it hourly, I would do just template tweaks, and I would not even include the code on this site and require a premium account on mine to cash in on it too. I will assume you weren't aiming your comment at me, but actually at those who post not for the better of the xenforo universe, but for the url spam of their site.

I am sorry to hear you're expecting people to give everything 100% free, not small, but big and complex full featured products, and give 24/7 free support and not link to their sites or ask for donations to avoid risking getting accused of advertising.

 

[ChemicalKicks]

Don't paint yourself the martyr again Floris.

 

[Sadik B]

I am sorry to hear you're expecting people to give everything 100% free, not small, but big and complex full featured products, and give 24/7 free support and not link to their sites or ask for donations to avoid risking getting accused of advertising.

Interesting. Would you care to link me to where you "heard" me say that?

 

[Floris]

implied,

I can very easily manipulate this for my personal promotion and marketing (as I feel some are doing here) by posting simple addons one per day and asking for threads to be closed.

 

[Sadik B]

implied,

You accused that I am expecting people to give everything 100% free, not small, but big and complex full featured products, and give 24/7 free support and not link to their sites or ask for donations to avoid risking getting accused of advertising.

Not my words. Yours. Here,

I am sorry to hear you're expecting people to give everything 100% free, not small, but big and complex full featured products, and give 24/7 free support and not link to their sites or ask for donations to avoid risking getting accused of advertising.

While I have said, time and again, that Addon developers should have the freedom to choose where they want to give support, whether or not they want to give support at all, and I also said that it is a good practice to release free Addons for advertising. This I have said here, here and here.

When confronted to show where I have said anything of the sort ( expecting people to give everything 100% free, not small, but big and complex full featured products, and give 24/7 free support and not link to their sites or ask for donations to avoid risking getting accused of advertising ), you say that I implied so and quoted a different matter where I was replying to Brogan about the possibility of the current rules getting abused.

I am assuming (more hoping), that your response and exaggeration are due to our native language differences and difference of understanding.

My only point, which I have consistently maintained since the first post of this thread is that the community should be allowed to discuss on an Addon otherwise the Addon seems like nothing but an "Ad flyer".