Addon Section Fair Use?

Sadik B

Well-known member
Hi

I feel it is great that commercial Addon authors should be able to list and even sell their Addons from within xf.com. A Marketplace like that, to whatever extent it will finally get implemented will benefit everyone and I agree with XF's current policy on this.

However, I logged in today and saw this and it just does not seem right. With all due respect to Floris, I mean what is the necessity of posting it on xf.com if you don't allow people to download it, (subsequent versions), don't give support here and what irked me the most was that you don't even allow people to reply to that thread by asking Mods to close it! And the post has like a gazillion links back to the author's site.

This I believe surely goes over any justification of fair use. And yes, let me mention that I too have a Mod here which includes my sitename in title and has a link back but the link is only for the purpose of a Demo.

Anyways, maybe it's just me.... :(
 
However, I logged in today and saw this and it just does not seem right. With all due respect to Floris, I mean what is the necessity of posting it on xf.com if you don't allow people to download it,
Have you tried to download it?:P
It's working fine for me
 
Not sure what you talking about but i see download attachment right there for his Add-on's support you need to visit his site that's all .
 
Have you tried to download it?:p
It's working fine for me

Actually I think it's fine that commercial addon developers are allowed to list addons with links for downloading by buying from their own sites. But why would you not allow people to reply to a thread you created in a discussion forum? Then what is the purpose of that thread?
 
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?
 
Actually I think it's fine that commercial addon developers are allowed to list addons with links for downloading by buying from their own sites. But why would you not allow people to reply to a thread you created in a discussion forum? Then what is the purpose of that thread?
To "only" share the add-on? :p
That's also why i requested to close several of my add-on release threads, without deleting the attachment.
I wanted to share the stuff, but without needing to read so many unnecessary comments from always the same complaining users
 
It's easier for them to manage & support their add-on's on their own site . Most of threads are filled up with same questions over and over .
 
Hmmm maybe it's just me then... :oops: and the lack of overnight sleep!

But I still feel that if you release an Addon here you should allow people to reply here.
I agree with that.

If you're going to release an add-on here, support it here so people don't have to go to a separate site.

If questions are frequently asked, make a FAQ post somewhere and linked to it so you don't constantly respond to the same question.
 
If questions are frequently asked, make a FAQ post somewhere and linked to it so you don't constantly respond to the same question.
Couldn't agree with you over this any more. This is something I currently I believe all addon authors should be interested in doing for their addons, because it does help them the most. After a few months of release of an addon, you usually get the hang of what sort of problem(s) are most commonly faced...sometimes it's just the installation process and sometimes a misinterpretation of the installation instructions. Even a particular "out of the box" use of an addon sometimes triggers the same questions again and again. In such cases, an FAQ that is created after an attentive review of a support thread helps everyone, not to forget that it helps the addon author the most.
 
This is why I feel XF needs a xenforo.org site for add-ons, tweaks, and styles - everything all in one place; categorised; single shopping basket; one-stop shop for finding and supporting modifications; it would be a real boon for XF IMHO.

It would also save authors from having to setup their own sites to separately support their mods; they could do everything from the one site, and with all their stuff being linked together under their user profile (Click here for more content from this author ...).

It would also allow xenforo.com to focus on selling and supporting the core product.

Cheers,
Shaun :D
 
This is why I feel XF needs a xenforo.org site for add-ons, tweaks, and styles - everything all in one place; categorised; single shopping basket; one-stop shop for finding and supporting modifications; it would be a real boon for XF IMHO.

It would also save authors from having to setup their own sites to separately support their mods; they could do everything from the one site, and with all their stuff being linked together under their user profile (Click here for more content from this author ...).

It would also allow xenforo.com to focus on selling and supporting the core product.

Cheers,
Shaun :D
Isn't that the initial purpose of the resource manager? A xenforo.org would be a bad idea, purely because I can see vB fanatics taking the "look, they're even copying our modifications site" approach.

Everything on XFcom would be fine, just wait until the resource manager comes out before we start suggesting other domains for mods!

XF has the advantage too, on an XForg you wouldn't have cross-domain alerts, cross-domain what's new, cross-domain recent activity. At least all in one domain the developers can help without having to log into 2 sites.
 
Hmmm maybe it's just me then... :oops: and the lack of overnight sleep!

But I still feel that if you release an Addon here you should allow people to reply here.

I have seen various styles and resources being shared here where no .zip was attached.
I have reported those posts as a request to reconsider requiring a .zip file.
They haven't been adjusting their rules here, nor have those threads been updated as far as I can see.

So I felt confident to publish a resource here, include the .zip file. And leave it at that.

If you don't like that i bothered to share it to users here JUST so they don't have to register on xenfans.com - then don't use the plugin. Nothing more I can do about it.

I have no intentions of providing support for the plugin on this site. I rather mention in the first post UPFRONT that THAT will be the case. Rather than ignoring users here completely when they report back.

Personally what I would like to see are three sections:

a) releases made by developers who desire to share them at no cost, requiring to include the .zip file.
b) commercial releases, released here with option to buy directly from xenforo.com, a cut goes to the developers.
c) free to use, re-use, and re-distribute resources, released by developers who like to share what they have and do not mind it's being used in free/commercial stuff (free open source idea).

That said, Making giving support "mandatory" for anything anybody releases on this web site here is simply stupid. It will drive people away from even bothering to share what they have with others.

Sorry if you are upset that I cared enough to share it with the customers here, rather than limit it to our paying premium users on xenfans.com .. Always someone complaining.
 
I do not intend to get into an argument, so I will make this post and leave it at that.

1. Yes I agree with your three sections suggestion. It's a good idea.
2. I appreciate the contribution you make here and your previous contribution at VBulletin. The first time I installed APC on the first dedicated server I purchased was by reading your article.
3. The only issue I have is with using XF.com as an AD Dump site. As long as the addon/resource thread is open, it's fine even if the developer says explicitly that he won't be supporting it. That way if I installed your add-on and some one had a problem, I can post a solution. Isn't that how communities work?
4. The way it was done, and it may have been done by others too that I am not aware of, was using xf.com as a Ad flyer distribution site. So please don't pretend that you are doing it for the community. No one has said that support has to be "mandatory", at least I didn't.

That's my last post on this subject on this thread for fear of getting into a mud sling.
 
Thank you for your point of view. And I appreciate I could give mine.
 
As an end user and a grateful one at that.. if you're going to publish the mod here then you should support it here.
And why does somebody need to support it?
Do you know how time-consuming this is?
Why shouldn't a coder be allowed to say: take it as it is, ignore this release thread, or get a paid member account at my page, where i'm able to provide better support and where i'm open for suggestions?

I thought people would be thankful if somebody release a add-on (at least i was it, as got my first forum and i needed all the phpbb add-ons) but xenforo.com showed, that it isn't so.

If a add-on is paid => people will complain
If a add-on is released without support => people will complain
If the add-on coder doesn't include feature xyz => somebody will complain...
 
And why does somebody need to support it?
Do you know how time-consuming this is?
Why shouldn't a coder be allowed to say: take it as it is, ignore this release thread, or get a paid member at my page, where i'm able to provide better support and where i'm open for suggestions?

I thought people would be thankful if somebody release a add-on (at least i was it, as got my first forum and i needed all the phpbb add-ons)
Perhaps I should have been more clear. If a coder does not wish to support it so be it, I can agree with that. To post up the download package here then point to another site for support is just annoying.
 
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