Apparently XF Is Like Android And Hacked Up To Pieces

Ozzy47

Well-known member
IPS Lindy said:
XF, to the best of my knowledge, doesn't even have an App Store/marketplace and they don't review any third party resource. That's respectfully an apples and oranges comparison. As a point of clarification, although you find things from Invision Community creeping into XF, we on the other hand have no interest in competing with XF. If I were to simplify the comparison in this case, they adopt more of an Android approach and we prefer the Apple approach. You can hack your Android up to pieces if that's your thing, but the beauty of an Apple device lies in its balance between power, simplicity and stability. Our core demographic has demonstrated time and again, they prefer and expect the Apple-esque approach from us. Respectfully, if Android is your thing, please don't make yourself angry and miserable by shoehorning your expectations into an Apple device and/or trying to turn Apple into Android.
https://invisioncommunity.com/forums/topic/457951-localhost-downloading-of-marketplace-appsplugins-manually/?tab=comments#comment-2826609
 
Hah. That was fun to read. And they are quite right. They have lost out on the market which makes up most of the forum owners. And that's fine. Someone has to cater to corporations.
 
The owner of a competing company being snarky isn't unexpected, the main topic being discussed in that thread by contrast is a bit surprising and is annoying a few of their own customers.

TLDR for anybody else, IPS is changing how their "marketplace" works to prevent customers from downloading marketplace 3rd-party add-ons directly, instead you have to associate your install to a license (yes, even your localhost test installs) and then install the 3rd-party add-ons via the Marketplace within the IPS ACP. A 3rd-party vendor disappear on you and you want to update the code yourself? Too bad. You normally do test installs on a localhost that might not even be connected to the net? Too bad. Your normally have your own guys do a code review before installing on your production server? Too bad. If any vendors choose to allow direct purchases from them, instead of going through the IPS "marketplace", then you're good to go but IPS is really wanting vendors to go through them.

In the long run IPS really is moving themselves towards the closed paywall garden model of Apple along with their own app/marketplace store. It's just too bad I can't give away my IPS licenses even if I wanted to.
 
Hacking? lol. If he is referring to installing add-ons, then he needs to learn a thing or two before making that bold remark. My add-ons are not hacks, and if they were, they would be reported and promptly removed until they meet XF's standard. And if they do not, gone. We all seen that before.

So, IPS checks third party add-ons... Trust issue with all third party developers? Addicted to control? A way to rake in more money? I say all.
 
TLDR for anybody else, IPS is changing how their "marketplace" works to prevent customers from downloading marketplace 3rd-party add-ons directly, instead you have to associate your install to a license (yes, even your localhost test installs) and then install the 3rd-party add-ons via the Marketplace within the IPS ACP. A 3rd-party vendor disappear on you and you want to update the code yourself? Too bad. You normally do test installs on a localhost that might not even be connected to the net? Too bad. Your normally have your own guys do a code review before installing on your production server? Too bad. If any vendors choose to allow direct purchases from them, instead of going through the IPS "marketplace", then you're good to go but IPS is really wanting vendors to go through them.

Seems like a more "corporate" approach vs. the more "SMB startup" feel of this place. While I kind of like the idea of an app store within the software (MS has this in Dynamics 365, which I manage at work) it sounds like a bit of a "control freak" approach to it.
 
I do really like the concept of having a plugin marketplace accessible via the ACP. But looking at that thread it does seem pretty crap that admins can't manually download the files.

Their attitude and stance on licencing (core and add ons) and downloading the files does seem overly strict from what I've read, and quite customer hostile.

Running a self hosted forum on your own server isn't like distributing an app to millions of devices globally on a locked down OS. As an admin it might be nice to have one click 3rd party app installs, but you should still have granular control and final say of what is or isn't installed on your particular setup, more like wordpress, and be able to manually manage those files appropriately if desired. Especially if you want to be able to install custom or premium add ons not available or distributed via the app store.

on the other hand have no interest in competing with XF
This seems like a weird thing to say, because they clearly are a competitor. He knows that and we know that, and by saying this he kind of undermines everything else he has to say and now I hold it in even lower regard. It's a shame because they are helping to push the independent forum landscape forward in terms of features. This attitude doesn't help though.
 
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This part is more or less true:
doesn't even have an App Store/marketplace and they don't review any third party resource.
Trololol:
As a point of clarification, although you find things from Invision Community creeping into XF, we on the other hand have no interest in competing with XF
episode 4 these arent the droids youre looking for GIF by Star Wars

There have been more than a few events which gave me the impression that they read the XF suggestion forums even more than the XF team themselves. Their past releases seems to be timed to drop a bombshell feature(s) just after the XF HYS. And this may be all coincidence, but from the outside the last releases by XF and IPS looked like a waiting game of who would go first. And the one who went first, of course had one more thing to drop later. After which XF also had a few more things to drop. So trololol!
 
Risky post. Might delete later.

Here is from my own experience… Last year I believe, a developer arrived here. Launched an addon that integrated Imgur on the forum. I think it was priced at USD 35. It was a risky purchase but I bought that because I really wanted that functionality. The addon worked somewhat but had major usability issues. Developer never really updated that addon. A few weeks later the addon was removed from the community for quality reasons. I have another rant about another member here who offers hosting through personal messages. I am not alone to have suffered because of somewhat unmonitored/unmoderated (?) community of service providers here.

The way XenForo Community works... there is a certain risk when you pay for addons and other services here. There are some very active and popular developers here who have a very good reputation. But I am not sure if there is any verification of any sort if a new developer/service provider arrives on the scene and launches a paid addon/product/service and then disappears after a few weeks/months.

If Invision guy are taking control of at least addon hosting and delivery, and they are promising some form of review of the code, it is a very good thing for their users. Sure it still does not take away the risk of a developer disappearing because life happens. But it is something. WordPress does something similar and it has worked very well for them. Users do not have to venture on random unknown sites to find addons for functionality they desire. They can find and download and install the addons right from their website’s backend. (I am not sure about how paid addons work though)
 
I’m glad, that way XF don’t have their hands in my money.
In my opinion XF needs an appstore to grow and attract more developers. Being able to buy and install an addon right from admincp is pure gold. Addon sales would go up if addons are advertised in admincp. This is how WordPress grew. I really enjoy how
They do if something has been reported to them.
This discussion might interest you:
Besides the endless issues with problematic service providers and developers here, it also discusses the cost factor with quotes by core developers from other platforms that do not cite significant costs in their case.
Also note this post at the end by @Chris D :
Chris D said:
Plans are afoot and we'll have more to report in the future.
It's well over a year old, so I hope that this is still true.
 
So do I! Almost as much as I used to hate Blackberry. :)
Really? I still miss my Bold at times, the best of the three Berries I carried for work before we switched to Android. Not that I dislike the Samsung Galaxy S phones I've been packing for the last five years or so, but touch screens and I have never got on very well compared to the BB thumbboards.
 


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