[Q] Google Play Store - a dedicated forum on XDA? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I am wondering if there is a need for a dedicated 'Google Play Store' forum, and would like to see what the opinion of other users is.
The basis of my suggestion is as follows:
I have, over the last 4 years or so, purchased upwards of 200 apps, and of those 200 apps, 20% I use on a daily basis, 30% are just outdated and I have moved on and up, but there is nothing wrong with them..... but perhaps 50% are apps that I paid for and am disappointed with because they are just not 'fit for use' or the developer stopped updating what was already a buggy app.
15 minutes to fully test out an app for bugs and incompatibility is just not long enough, and there is no assurances that the developer will fulfill their promises of evolving, updating and fixing bugs that do appear.
A perfect example would be SPB Shell, $15 / £10 and a complete waste of money - enticing at the time, but immediately abandoned by the developer as the money rolled in, and those that had purchased it, where left flogging a dead horse. The developer had a standard response to the google play review complaints, saying they would pass complaints, bugs and suggestions to the developer, but nothing ever happened and SPB are laughing all the way to the bank!
Individually, an app is only a few $'s/£'s and we think "so what"..... but add all those up, and suddenly its a great deal of money!
I believe that 'Google Play Store' have a legal obligation when selling a product, no differently to a high street shop selling a television, in that, the public do not deal with the television manufacturer when there is a problem, and that the shop must respond to public concerns if a manufacturer is getting that shop to sell products 'not fit for use'
XDA has a huge influence on public opinion with its reviews, advice and membership evaluations of products and services, and I think Google Play and their app suppliers should be held accountable in a dedicated forum - reviews, issues, bugs.... the good, 'pat and clap'..... and the bad - "name and shame"
For each new thread, the developer is e-mailed and invited to join in the conversation for both encouragement and to be part of any resolution process - and whether they participate or not, can be taken as a reflection of their efforts and sincerity to their customers .... and we may reach a day where, like with SPB Shell, if there is enough of us, we could proceed with a 'class-action' that legally obliges Google to refund money for products that have failed to meet a required standard, or a written statement or promise from the developer on their 'play store' app sales page that has not been fulfilled, and that sets a new precedent for android user's and the spending of their hard earned money.
Whats everyone else's opinion?

Related

Anyone have full licensed Pocket PC Software to give away?..

HI,
realise the pocket pc software are quite expensive... Anyone want to share their license copy, games, utility etc. I guess all can benefit right?... Rather we all purchase on our own.
Or may be we can all chip in to buy.... We can use services like Paypal to remittance money to each other.
Me interested in the Age of Empires Gold Edition. Anyone got a full license one. Nyditot Virtual Display 3.01 ?...
Warezzzz
I'm just speaking for myself here...
I have no major moral objections against copying copyrighted software, but I can also see the point of software companies trying to make a buck. I even co-own a small software company that will be trying to make a buck soon. But please believe me when I say that this is not the reason I'm posting this message.
I would hate to see warez being traded on this system. I've seen what frequent warez trading does to the atmosphere of communities like ours. Before long, professional traders will post requests. People will offer to pay for stuff, warez ftp server addresses 'for-the-day' will be posted, etc. etc. etc.
There's plenty of good forums on Usenet that have plenty of (alt.binaries.)warez posted to them. They have much less good productive atmosphere to waste and they work well.
Omigosh...
Well I don't think warezing software is something terribly wrong (it's not a theft usually), but if somebody likes the software, he should buy it. However, nobody can expect a 18 year old czech student to spend 80 bucks for SSH client he uses once a week.
I think those who use software to make money (companies, managers etc...) should buy the software. Those who just "play" with software and install and deinstall applications 5 times a day can get a warez copy. But if I find a great piece of soft I want to keep (forever), I buy it.
(I don't buy software, I'm a poor student and the software fee doesn't repay itself).
And another thing... I would never trade software here - in public, in a tech forum with guest access...
If you can afford an XDA and the phone contracts that go with it, you can afford the software - most programs are only 10-15 USD. A few like AoE are more, and I can tell you worth the extra money.
Regards
Tim
Basically, i find it rather amusing the comments given. Anyway, my intention is not to spread the so called 'piracy'. The intention was to share files with your so called neighhours. If you think my sharing for example DVD - THe spider man to let the neighhour watch or use, then the whole world must be pracitising that, even your neighhouhood video store is spread 'piracy'. I mean people can always rent it and duplicate at their home right?......
Furthmore, forum is more less like a obtaining information, sharing etc. That's why I use the words like sharing. Wanna to charge those sharing information. If you think this kind actions is bad, I think this forum shall stop hacking the XDA stuff..
I got my new 02 XDA 64MB at US$500 only.... Spend so much $$$ on electronic stuff for what?........ Earniing money is not an easy task. and for you info only a few program is US$10/= Most are more that U$20/=. IF you get 10 how much will it be, and the money is only for 1 version. don;t forget the accessories thats comes with it. If you think u have extra $$$ to spend on this software. Share with it someone who is not as rich as u.
there is loads of free stuff out there if you want it a forum like this is brillant for info but there is a wide range of others out there
My two cents in what seems to become a long thread.
First to answer mac's orignal question. I can't help you (currently :lol: )
In response to XDA developer Peter Poelman's response I want to submit that in order to keep this forum alive we certainly don't need the professional traders.
As for software licensing. I have been/am on both sides. User and author. It's annoying if people just copy whatever they like, especially if they make a lot of money with it.
My justification so far has been. I use 'evaluation copies' for 2 or 3 weeks or so and if it is still in use I buy the software. Is it legal? Probably not? Is this wrong? Probably yes, but I can sleep at night.
We all invent 'our rules' for the world. If you want to be safe, stick with the rules. If not just be prepared to have your [email protected]# kicked every now and then.
Although I sympathise with the argument of being a student, etc etc, that doesn't justify it (nor do my own 'rules' do that). What would you charge someone with 5 children and being a single parent?
And most of the times there are alternatives. For instance in the windows space there is a lot of free software around and some of them are real jewels. If you are curious: www.nonags.com.
Industry responds with free software containing banners and adds, we all hate them, install cracks/patches to get rid of them. Wake up guys. They give it away for free and still we whine. (yes, I hate adds and banners to and I kill them whenever possible). I think we shouldn't whine about initiatives like Palladium if we copying everything we can get our hands on.
Overall my advise is: don't use THIS forum for conducting that behaviour and for the rest live and let live. In my opinion its a forum for undertanding the XDA and its technology. I don't even have one yet ( :evil: ) but I have learned a lot already. One could argue about some of the things tht could be done with the XDA (un-simlocking of accidently locked phones) but it's mainly discussing the device, software and accessoiries.
Being nosy is not a crime.
Having knowledge is not a crime.
But using knowledge could be a crime.
And even the first 2 can be a crime depending on where you live.
Pfffffffffft, I must be PMS'ing. Sorry people :wink:
Robert
I think games should be paid for....
but as far as tools etc goes I think it would be fair to follow the GPL...
You pay for what you make money with.
I'm a frequent visitor to alt.binaries....pocketpc and I've probaly downloaded 700mb or so in pocketpc warez since I bought my XDA...
I have an easynews account which archives newsgroup posts from the last 30 days.
That software I downloaded because I thought it looked interesting; not because it was there. Out of those god knows how many programs I have 12 programs that I keep on my xda at all times... these I have registered:
Battery Pack 2003 <<< really good
Resco Explorer 2003
Lextionary <<< prolly the best dictionary tool
Snails
Marble Worlds
Diamond Mine <<< addictive as hell
Speedball 2 << we love the Amiga !!
Pocket C64 <speaks for itself>
Dockware
Small menu <<< damn good btw
Rhinostats
Truefax
The others I played with for a while and then dumped because they were errr CRAP ? or there were other better alternatives (atleast in the power monitoring area)
Diamond mine I downloaded months ago... and only registered yesterday.
I dont believe in buying stuff I dont need.. and downloading them gives me more time to decide whither I'm going to keep it... or fire it onto a DVDRW and forget about it after a month.
I also have a wares copy of Autocad Studio Max 5 on my computer... $5k to buy in the shops...
most people dont learn this program at Uni (atleast the good ones anyways). Most of them pick up a copy when they are in their early teens and continue to learn with it till they master the techniques. After doing so they go to Uni and get the bit of paper... later on they get a job with a company which has bought a license to the application.
Autocad arent missing out on my license... I'd have never considering paying the $5,000 in the first place.
Some people say that 3D Animation is a craft. I've known people who have been 'learning' it for the past 7 years. Where would Autocad get its budding new business licenses if the 3D warez market dried up and only the large software houses could afford them?
Games are different, you cant make money from them.
I bought StarScape the other day for the PC.
http://www.moonpod.com/English/about_ss.php
download the demo and give it a go
I normaly run games in 1600x1200 or above... but the fact this runs in 640x480 makes no difference.
You might also want to check this site out for some more quality game play... and best of all they are free 8)
http://www.tierraentertainment.com/ (reworked kings Quest I&II)
http://www.back2roots.org/ (shtuff from eons ago)
games from the era of when gaming had gameplay, hand drawn graphics and not just a billion polygons fired at it.
Strange comment from a 3D artist.
software
hi mac
try bear share there is loads of software on there i dont think we should trade games on here i used to use another site for my nokia communicator and it started to trade software and now it gives very little free and has turned into a business venture about selling software and not the product which it was originally meant to help promote amongst fellow users
Well, we'll be relasing a game soon aswell and i would like to think that if people download the demo and they are happy with it, that they would then go on to buy the full version. Its not like the average pocket pc game costs a fortune.
The way I look at it is if people dont buy software, people will stop writing it, I have purchased many games/apps, and am glad i supported the writers of such software. As a result newer and better versions are released, i prime example is Battery Bar along with Journal Bar, fantastic bit of software.

***WARNING*** Tower Defense may not work ***WARNING***

I'm one of those people that bought Tower Defense for my HD2 because Handango said it was compatible with my device. IT ISN'T.
Some people have reported it working fine on their device, but MANY MANY MANY have reports of it crashing at different sections of the game and there is no actual resolve.
Unfortunately, Handango is pretty much saying they can't give me a refund, but currently am disputing this charge with my credit card company since anything that is sold needs to be usable when you buy it.
This needs to be stickied because the company does not provide a direct refund. The developers do not reply to emails. They do not provide a trial version of their game either so you can't check if it's fully compatible with your phone.
AGAIN***WARNING*** THIS GAME MIGHT NOT WORK ON YOUR DEVICE EVEN IF THEY SAY IT IS SUPPORTED.
same happened to me, game randomly crashes, thought it was just me, glad it isnt!
its expensive for a phone game, and the fact it seems like a common bug is bad!
Its definitely a problem that many customers have faced. The fact that the developers don even offer free patches to fix it feels like such a slap in the face. I come here because XDA is generally good at PROMOTING programs. I hope they can be just as good at WARNING users against faulty programs.
bump to warn people
I dont know if this will help , but might be worth a look : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=592663

How customer service SHOULD work...

No.. this isn't actually a post about the Prime's problems... it's actually about how companies handle things when they screw up. A lot of people here seemed genuinely grateful for what Asus did postfacto... I'm not one of them because my bar is set higher. I expect more from the companies I buy from - well, when it's a $500 tablet anyway.
Here's an example of where the bar SHOULD be set.
A month or so ago, Google announced the Q - basically their version of the Roku or the AppleTV. Thing is, while it's innovative design, it kind of sucked at being an actual Internet appliance. Google admitted the Q was shipped too soon and had significant problems. They halted production.. and here's the kicker - everyone will get a free replacement. They don't even have to return the original. And if you preordered and haven't gotten yours, you get a free one.
Here's the letter they sent out:
We have an important update about your Nexus Q pre-order.
When we announced Nexus Q at Google I/O, we gave away devices to attendees for an early preview. The industrial design and hardware were met with great enthusiasm. We also heard initial feedback from users that they want Nexus Q to do even more than it does today. In response, we have decided to postpone the consumer launch of Nexus Q while we work on making it even better.
To thank you for your early interest, we'd like to extend the Nexus Q preview to our pre-order customers and send you a free device. If you had other items in your order, your credit card will be charged for those items only.
Your Nexus Q will be on its way soon and you will receive a notification and tracking number from Google Play when it ships.
The Nexus Q Team
So, they're giving away free replacements for everyone who has one - who got them for FREE... and everyone who preordered... also gets one for free.
They certainly didn't need to do this. Most people understood that the problems with the Q were relatively minor and most could be fixed with software upgrades... not to mention, the people who got theirs at Google IO didn't actually pay for them. Not an issue - not even a discussion point - Google wants to make sure you stay loyal and stick with them. Anything to make the customer happy. No attempt to try and gloss over the problem or shirk responsibility.
THAT'S customer service, amigos. No screwing around with buckshee hacks. No 'we didn't mean it when we said you have a GPS..'
That's the bar we should set and demand.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/31/3207482/nexus-q-consumer-launch-delayed
PS: You'll notice I'm here telling you how great Google is rather than being out there telling others how great Asus is? That's why it's important to encourage customer loyalty... And I don't even HAVE a Q (not available in this country).
TheWerewolf said:
Nice story about google giving away expensive devices for free...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be fair to ASUS, Google is a $207Billion company with almost $40B a year in revenue. The future of the company is hardly riding on them making a profit on their Nexus Q, heck it could be that no one's job is even riding on it given their business situation. Asus on the other hand is like a $6B company in US funds. Google could absorb financial hits that would completely BK or force massive layoffs at many other companies (like ASUS) without blinking. I think ASUS blew it with their QA on recent units but they have made some effort to try to set things right.
You can demand and expect completely-out-of-touch-with-the-rest-of-the-industry replacement/recall policies but you'll probably disappointed most of your life. Even mighty Apple told people they were holding their phones wrong when Antennagate hit. It probably makes more sense to learn your lesson and just move on.
To be honest, I think the world has enough/too many $100B+ companies already.
TheWerewolf said:
No.. this isn't actually a post about the Prime's problems... it's actually about how companies handle things when they screw up. A lot of people here seemed genuinely grateful for what Asus did postfacto... I'm not one of them because my bar is set higher. I expect more from the companies I buy from - well, when it's a $500 tablet anyway.
Here's an example of where the bar SHOULD be set.
A month or so ago, Google announced the Q - basically their version of the Roku or the AppleTV. Thing is, while it's innovative design, it kind of sucked at being an actual Internet appliance. Google admitted the Q was shipped too soon and had significant problems. They halted production.. and here's the kicker - everyone will get a free replacement. They don't even have to return the original. And if you preordered and haven't gotten yours, you get a free one.
Here's the letter they sent out:
We have an important update about your Nexus Q pre-order.
When we announced Nexus Q at Google I/O, we gave away devices to attendees for an early preview. The industrial design and hardware were met with great enthusiasm. We also heard initial feedback from users that they want Nexus Q to do even more than it does today. In response, we have decided to postpone the consumer launch of Nexus Q while we work on making it even better.
To thank you for your early interest, we'd like to extend the Nexus Q preview to our pre-order customers and send you a free device. If you had other items in your order, your credit card will be charged for those items only.
Your Nexus Q will be on its way soon and you will receive a notification and tracking number from Google Play when it ships.
The Nexus Q Team
So, they're giving away free replacements for everyone who has one - who got them for FREE... and everyone who preordered... also gets one for free.
They certainly didn't need to do this. Most people understood that the problems with the Q were relatively minor and most could be fixed with software upgrades... not to mention, the people who got theirs at Google IO didn't actually pay for them. Not an issue - not even a discussion point - Google wants to make sure you stay loyal and stick with them. Anything to make the customer happy. No attempt to try and gloss over the problem or shirk responsibility.
THAT'S customer service, amigos. No screwing around with buckshee hacks. No 'we didn't mean it when we said you have a GPS..'
That's the bar we should set and demand.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/31/3207482/nexus-q-consumer-launch-delayed
PS: You'll notice I'm here telling you how great Google is rather than being out there telling others how great Asus is? That's why it's important to encourage customer loyalty... And I don't even HAVE a Q (not available in this country).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said! In my opinion they would gain a stronger customer base.
zenaxe said:
To be fair to ASUS, Google is a $207Billion company with almost $40B a year in revenue. The future of the company is hardly riding on them making a profit on their Nexus Q, heck it could be that no one's job is even riding on it given their business situation. Asus on the other hand is like a $6B company in US funds. Google could absorb financial hits that would completely BK or force massive layoffs at many other companies (like ASUS) without blinking. I think ASUS blew it with their QA on recent units but they have made some effort to try to set things right.
You can demand and expect completely-out-of-touch-with-the-rest-of-the-industry replacement/recall policies but you'll probably disappointed most of your life. Even mighty Apple told people they were holding their phones wrong when Antennagate hit. It probably makes more sense to learn your lesson and just move on.
To be honest, I think the world has enough/too many $100B+ companies already.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I would never expect a smaller company like ASUS to be able to do something like this. But, the Prime really is such a mess in my eyes that it would take something drastic to get me to buy another ASUS product. When you have a seemingly pretty faulty device combined with the absolute horrid customer support (19 days now they've had mine, still waiting for parts) you lose me as a customer. Granted, I also have a faulty ASUS motherboard in my computer, so I have another reason to never buy from them again since that's 2 for 2 of the ASUS products I've ever owned having issues.
If things are better on the Infinity as far as GPS, wifi, blu tooth, build quality (like rear cameras not breaking), then ASUS should just bite the bullet and kill the TF201 and give at least early adopters a trade in. That's what it would take to make me happy, and even then they would still have a huge problem with their repair service. But, at least I would have a better chance of not ever having to deal with them.
This would never happen with Asus not because of money but simply because they don't give a f*ck about their customers.
wifesabitch said:
This would never happen with Asus not because of money but simply because they don't give a f*ck about their customers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's honestly how I feel, and I feel that way 100% because of their terrible customer support. I understand things go wrong especially in this fairly new market of Android tablets. That's the time for your customer service to shine. Instead, they show us how much they care about us by having the worst service I've ever heard of.
ASUS Customer service in not. They could give a rat ask about problems with the Prime.
It is not a matter of how big Google is versus Asus. It is simply doing what is right. The Prime is junk. Asus knows it is junk. Fix it, or replace it.
We paid $500 for this tablet and anyone with any common sense would expect value for their money.

An Android Name change could help Buyers decide which OS to Choose

If the name "Android" were changed to something more accurate & device-specific, people could make more informed decisions
I suggest ADroid
like Ad + Roids = ADroids
The Discussion here is thought provoking
-
Maybe Ad-Droid would be better
ADDROID
or ADD-Droid
or AdsDroid
or maybe even... "spamdroid"
ooh i like that one
-
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"lightbox_download": "Download",
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http://store.apple.com/us
^^^^ click this link and never come back again.
if you don't like it, take another phone which does suit your needs instead of some useless complaining on the internet.
matgras said:
http://store.apple.com/us
^^^^ click this link and never come back again.
if you don't like it, take another phone which does suit your needs instead of some useless complaining on the internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry, but did you vote?
please do because I'm especially interested in hearing from the people who make the apps with the ads in them..
This thread is created specifically to address this very issue..
How many people, upon entering the android shop and playing around with the phone, had any idea 90% of the apps are chock full of annoying ads?
there was literally not a single google ad on any of the phones I tried in all the stores
Its a bit deceiving.
Hence, the suggested name change..
no, i'm not spending even more money on even more phones.
thanks though
but we should be extra vigilant in helping others who may fall into the same trap
It may be too late for me, but I believe with the proper name change, we can help other people avoid this exact same problem.. a problem you yourself may even hate more than me.. if thats even possible
keep up the good work
and dont forget to vote!
-
Every person I know does not complain about ads and stuff, and if you really don't like them; buy the adfree and give the dev a beer!
Verstuurd van mijn ST18i met Tapatalk
matgras said:
buy the adfree and give the dev a beer!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, or turn off data & wifi if not needed, and that's it... no ads
matgras said:
Every person I know does not complain about ads and stuff, and if you really don't like them; buy the adfree and give the dev a beer!
Verstuurd van mijn ST18i met Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is that 3 people? and are they all by chance app developers hoping to become millionaires?
MANKIND is fed up with the ads
we're fed up with noobs who should stick to programming or email spamming and stay the fk out of marketing, an area they obviously know nothing about.
you want money, you want a beer? EARN IT!
nobody's giving you any money because you annoy the sht out of them.. the advetising companies know that.. they are just using programmers for ad placement,, you are ad company fodder
the majority of ads on apps are not even making the developer any money.. if you didnt actually code the program yourself, and used one of the online app-building services, and are offering your app for free, then odds are you had no choice but to put ads in your app, just to be able to make it for free... and if you did pay to build it. all you get is 50% of ad revenue shared with the online builder service
and then you make 0% of the revenue the ads produce, and the online service makes 100% funded by THE most uneducated, classless, bunch of dirtbag wannabe advertisers on the planet, "the all-in-one-internet advertisers/codemonkeys"
buy you a beer eh?
are u joking or toking?
people donate money to developers who have made an awesome program from top to bottom.. a program they love, by a dev who offered it for free at a great personal cost, and who may very well have no money at all, since all of his time has been spent helping the community
thats how its always been
nobody is giving you any money for spamming them..
YOU HAVE YOUR REWARD.. your ads.. thats your beer money, drunkard...you are not a coder who does things for the community, investing all his own free time for the benefit of others without reward or thought of reward...
you are someone who has chosen to spam the community for pittance, YOU DONT DESERVE COMMUNITY MONEY..
you already have a sugardaddy.. the Ad companies.
not only do you appear to be a pathetic beggar, and pretending to need beer money, you are also behind the Ad spammers, you are on their wagon.. you're playing both sides, like we're all a bunch of fools...
who in the hell is going to pay you anything just so that special ol' you may graciously stop your uber-annoyances & ad spamming?
good luck with that
-
The good thing about android and its freedom, is that you can always use ad-blockers, restrict internet access, and other permissions with just a quick internet search and a little reading.
Trust me, blocking ads is quicker than spamming a forum.
dxppxd said:
The good thing about android and its freedom, is that you can always use ad-blockers, restrict internet access, and other permissions with just a quick internet search and a little reading.
Trust me, blocking ads is quicker than spamming a forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that does nothing to address a wide-spread problem
here, we're looking for real solutions to the spam problem
the spam problem is not mine, as a user, though I'm sure you'd like to run around calling everyone who doesnt enjoy your spamming a noob
the spam problem lies in the relationship & system ecostructure existing between ad companies, googles own ad interests, app devs, dev ethics, ad compnay ethics and Google policies
but would you rather I "just shut up", or "just go away"?
rather than solving a serious problem?
and might that have something to do with your own ad spamming?
this is about a real solution, not shutting up one person so you continue carrying about like a monkey
thanks for your imput though
and please vote
Well don't really understand your hate towards ads chinarabbit but heck i just replied to state my thoughts on it.
I don't like ads and don't see any advantage these ads provide besides giving you totally pointless info.
But since you are free to download and install anything you wan't i don't see a reason to then just uninstall the app and either buy the full unlocked version without ads or find another app that does what you wan't.
I hardly have any apps on my phone with ads so annoying that i needed to click the ad away before i could use the app.
On your comment that a dev needs to EARN his money
On one side i do follow you and one only should receive money after showing his programming money worthy skills.
But isn't that the whole idea of a free & paid app? If you like what you see in the free 'ad sponsored' app then you can buy the app and have an AD FREE app.
If there are still ads in the paid version you just uninstall it and get your money back to never look at that dev ever again.
And if you still say they need to give you and ad free version and then you'll happy pay them if it's good then WOW what a naive mind setting you live in.
Once a person receives a free full working ad free version then let's say 80% (no stats to show just made this up) won't even bother helping out the dev by donating. Out of those 80% one side are cheapskates not carrying about the dev and on the other sides they don't like the app but since it was adfree they still use it.
Long discussion short:
- You are free to choose what you DL / use so if you don't like ads use the paid versions or just don't use ad sponsored apps
- A dev should be allowed to use in app ads no matter what ( cause people are cheap bastards)
- Ad sponsoring does provide some income (i was able to host 2 sites in the past purely running on ads)
To me this thread is just your way to vent out ad frustration and trying to find other people with the same mind set.
But face it if you don't like ads go live in a cave because:
- Ads on radio
- Ads on TV
- Ads in Newspaper
- Ads in magazine
- Ads on the roads
- Ads on the internet
- All your base are belong to ads
As to finding a solution. there is NO solution.
Ads exists because companies wan't there name out there to be known and don't mind spending some $$ to achieve it.
If you can make it so companies can let everyone know who/what they are/do (<--- HHMMM ads) then you will automatically remove the ads from every place.
See how this above sentence made absolutely no sense what so ever ( point proven that ads are impossible to remove cause then companies won't survive)
What are you on? You're having a conversation with yourself in this thread and the front page comments. Google is making steps to make those annoying ad distribution methods bannable. Take a deep breath, count to 10, and relax. In the future, stop downloading all these trash apps that keep spamming you.
On your original post, I don't think Google should rebrand Android. Rebranding is terrible. I vote keep the name the same
sleeperzzz said:
Well don't really understand your hate towards ads chinarabbit but heck i just replied to state my thoughts on it.
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hmm, well, i strongly disagree there is "no" solution
lets look more closely at the problem
On the developer side, they are doing the best with what they have, which is a very limited education focused on a very narrow field.. not your marketing wizs.. they are doing what they know, which is ad-based internet revenue generating as a valid form of advertising..
but that doesnt work when it takes up a tenth of your screen.
and the other side of the problem is that companies like Coco-cola, or whatever, who are not very tech-savvy, have hitherto had to rely on said webdevs to place their ads and run their online marketing
but make no mistake, the overwhelming majority of internet marketers are not actually marketers at all, but are little web designers and social media architects etc, that have really no concept of how to set-up, run, or manage a proper Marketing Campaign...
both sides are to blame..
u cant understand why I am so upset, so I'll tell you right now it likely has something to do with the fact that I have been in Marketing for the last decade. real, actual marketing, and have taught advanced-level marketing at some of the best marketing institutes, including those in Singapore.
anyway.. there are many ways to make money, ads in your app that people have to pay to remove is one way you can try to earn money
another way, and perhaps one of the best ways, is micro-charging, a concept fully realize in Korea, Japan & China, but which Americans can't seem to grasp at all.. and I have my doubts as to whether they ever will.
firstly, the carriers wont ever do whats needed for micro-charging to work, namely, allow you to take it out of your account, largely because America is not a Pay as you go telecom system, but one you pay per month and are given a set plan..
in Asia, you recharge your phone by recharge cards, and with a click of a button you deduct money from your balance for whatever you want
and Secondly, because America cant seem to figure out the numbers, and take that leap of faith required to charge people $0.01-$0.05 cents per function, rather than $0.25 and up... and offer them enough activity for their money they had a good time with it...
EA Sports is an example of such a company failing to grasp this basic Asian concept.
EA bought Popcap, and being a North American company is having a hard time making it successful in China.. Plants vs Zombies 2 for your Android Device is currently only out in China, and its one of the most popular games, currently... But those EA dorks ACTUALLY THINK PEOPLE WILL PAY 2RMB FOR 5 SECONDS WORTH OF IN-GAME FUNCTIONALITY.. ok. actually, its for blue diamonds. but anyway..
they are completely retarded.. people play that game all day long.. charging 2 to 5 Cents per function is ok, you may use that function up to 2rmb or 2 dollars a day, and be happy to pay for it if you got a good amount of fun for your money...
but to charge someone 2 yuan because YOU think people should pay 2 Yuan, because you laugh at 1 cent.. even when its not actually costing you anything to increase the in-game value, actually makes you a retard.. in Asia anyway..
or make them pay upfront from a large number of tokens etc.. is not going to work as well as on-demand, need-it-now, 1 to 5 cent, single-click, in-app micro-pays
especially when you have 1 billion users. who play the game every day for years to come
instead, what dorky American companies get is exactly squat.. and its probably more than they deserve
OR they give you some lame crappy game and expect you to pay for having a worthwhile game
Plants v Zombies is a very fun game, challenging, and fulfilling, even if you never spend a penny on micro-charges
-------anyway
another way people make money is by offering a very great and fully functional app, that is in itself a pleasure & joy to use, and fulfills your needs.
then, YOU GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND INCREASE THE SIZE AND FUNCTIONALITY OF YOUR PROGRAM 2-10 TIMES MORE
yes, that means way more work for you
and then, you charge people small amounts to add that functionality
Pleco is an example of a successful app doing this.. they give you a great, robust, very full-featured & useful app that is itself very complete and you would not need anything more
they then offer you things you didnt even know you wanted until you saw partly how they work within the app, and you end up buying them
.......... great
and another way is create an app for free, also without ads, that people really enjoy, and then request that they donate to you if they enjoyed it & feel its worth it
they sometimes even suggest an amount.
or they ask you to pay if you use it for business, or you make money with that app, etc..
---------fantastic
AND THEN, in stark contrast to all the ad-free options above, there is the worst possible way imaginable.. you make an app which annoys the crap out of everybody, making them hate your app, causing some people to fall into epileptic seizures, when you yourself have not even the slightest concept of what marketing is..
those ads arent even targeted, maybe by region or IP address, but rest assured, many more people will be hating your company, when you stick crap in the face of people who would never use your product and are not even in your target demographic.
its completely useless
WHAT USE COULD POSSIBLY COME FROM SPAMMING AN ELITE 30 SOMETHING MALE WITH ADS OF WOMEN'S MAKEUP?
none..
its a marketing fail
and its worse than that, it actually hurts your company
and no, you cant ask your customers why your ad spamming bothers them and look at them like they're stupid for not wanting them on the limited space displays in their handheld devices
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and worse than those people are the ones who also want you to pay for complete functionality on a limited functionality app, or to remove the ads
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there is definitely solutions
Marketing companies taking over App Development from the too-geeky-to-get-it devs
let people click close on the banner, and dont make it re-open until the next time the app is opened
or something like youtube has done, "you can close this banner ad in 5-4-3-2-1"
the ability to 'click next' on the ad, with an option to say "this ad doesnt apply to me"
and for google to enforce these protocols, as well as require all in-app ads to be targeted to a specific demographic according to more than 3 demographic or psychographic criteria..
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oh, make no mistake, my friend, the problem is monumental
and, yes, there are many, many solutions to the problem.. indeed...
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I find it ironic that you tout how important good marketing is (which I wholeheartedly agree with you on that point), while simultaneously suggesting Google to rebrand their most successful operating system to Ad-droid or the likes. Surely you must have realised that the marketing team at Google would not do such a thing for obvious reasons?
SammiSaysHello said:
I find it ironic that you tout how important good marketing is (which I wholeheartedly agree with you on that point), while simultaneously suggesting Google to rebrand their most successful operating system to Ad-droid or the likes. Surely you must have realised that the marketing team at Google would not do such a thing for obvious reasons?
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Click to collapse
its not a complete rebranding.. that is obviously the same current android logo, the android logo is very familiar, and it can have many different versions
the above version is just a suggestions.
Google is the brand, Android is a product line of the brand
and its in a dynamic market needing dynamic & innovative adjustments to keep up with the trends, technology, and social nuances
Adroid would be a re-introduction, an honest improvement over the current and inferior "Android"
Now, at this point I feel that I should point out to you that everything I have just said in this post right here is a joke.. not the haha type, but kind of a sad parody.. or more of a parable of sorts
it seems nobody here can really get a figure of speech that has a lesson beyond the surface text
the Adroid above is an example of everything that is wrong with the current situation in Google's Android platform and its connectors
its a Metaphor
for a real and devastating problem
shall I draw an image of exactly how annoying it is..
this is what it would look like on an HD Windows 7 Desktop
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Perhaps instead of a full banner, they could make a small corner icon, that says "Click to See Your Ads"
"what use is that", you say?
"who would ever click on that"? you say?
Before installing an ad-supported app from the Ad-supported app section of Google Play, you need to first install the "Special Offers Manager" app.. where you are given a list of options/ a short survey where you select the type of ads you are interested in
You can select things like "sports", "movies", Fishing" etc, entering your own text if suitable choices arent available
you can also sign up for ads from specific companies or products, like Pepsi, Nike, Walmart, etc..
and you only get those ads..
AND they are full-screen, multi-page ads
and they never auto-appear
so the ads are tailored to the person's interests and personal preferences, and thus spark their interest, and may even be anticipated, or the highlight of their android usage.
"But they wont click on them if they arent shoved in their faces" you angrily exclaim
but they will, because they know there is something relevant to them, and because they can be presented with ACTUALLY SPECIAL offers.. that is, offers the user finds special, not offers the company finds special
on clicking an ad, you see Pepsi or Walmart, you are presented with a full-page Coupon or page of coupons,, or swipable multi-pages, as a coupon book..
then you click "Save QR Code" on a specific coupon, and its stored in your "Special Offers Manager" which comes as a stand-alone app for people who want to use Ad-supported ads.. the ads can be viewed by company or by date..
and there is an option in the "Special Offers Manager" app to only update coupons on WiFi connection, so you can upload larger coupon books
and all ad-supported ads are labelled as such on Google Play, and searchable in a specific category, separate from "Free".. Free, and "Ad-Supported Free"
then you go to a store, pull out your phone, go to your 'Special Offers Manager', click "Get QR Code" for the offer you saved, scan it at the store, and receive your special offer.
users will actively seek out the ads, clicking through them on the "Next" and "Previous" buttons, cycling through ads made just for you, according to your needs.
no secret info collecting and guessing what people want
whatever.. America is 15 years out from this, yet.. if ever
And here's a well put together article for you take a gander at http://www.forbes.com/sites/ayoomojola/2013/09/26/ios-is-for-revenue-android-is-for-ads/
iOS users spend more on Apps, Android users don't. iOS users are going to shell out more $$$ for a product that's not always up to date or quickly falls behind the Android competitors.
So Android users it would seem have adapted and can deal with the ads. If it's something that bothers you so greatly, maybe you should take your money over to iOS. Pay more and get less ads. bye!
Surprise surprise this thread is going nowhere. I'm shocked.
Thread closed.

Cerberus Alternate

So I had recently purchased Cerberus and additional licenses, I also signed up to participate in their Beta test.
So shortly after begining to explore some of the functions, about a week into using this app I abruptly get blocked from most of the functions of this app, without warning and PERMANENTLY.
So I contact tech support for some answers, I get a generic reply. Then after all follow up requests for specifics are completely ignored. I post on their forum , and post gets deleted. I contact moderator to ask why a completely factual post is deleted, no response either.
I can't believe the arrogance of this company to take a user's money, then cut off their services, and refuse to explain, followed by being completely ignored.
Which leads me to this posting. I'm looking for an affordable solution that provides most of the same features of Cerberus. I'd love to be able to promote this alternative app as much as I can, and would love to see Cerberus go out of business due to their unethical business practices.
I used Cerberus for a while, but now I'm using Prey Anti Theft, which can be found on the Play Store, and I'm and a couple of friends have been satisfied whit it.
They also have apps for other operating systems, too.
Hope it helps.
Lol, that's nothing. I paid for two accounts for lifetime license, they recently cancelled both my accounts on account of expired. Lol, lifetime product got expired just after 5+ years. So basically they became some lieing stupid people and want people in their subscription plans even if they have a lifetime license. No, thamk you. I also came here looking for an alternative.

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