Latest version in F-Droid of Calendar is dated 2023-10-08. I haven't checked whether that version exfiltrates user's data. I'd be more concerned about any subsequent versions.
It's highly unlikely that any F-Droid versions are going to be released by the ad-ware company. This company doesn't publish code as open source, and tibbi (original creator of SMT) is of the opinion that relicensing the code isn't a big deal because they wrote almost all of it.
tibbi (original creator of SMT) is of the opinion that relicensing the code isn't a big deal because they wrote almost all of it.
The fact remains that the sale wasn't announced and many users found it inadvertently. Many more may still be unaware that the apps they believe to be open source have turned into spyware/deceptiveware. The author seems to have sold the privacy of unsuspecting users to a spyware company. The situation isn't as simple or innocent as 'I wrote most of the code so I have the right to do it.
It's extremely annoying when open source software terms are changed and the authors downplay the impact like this. It also applies to other cases like browser extensions and cloud software. Besides privacy, they also disregard the contributions and promotions others make.
I agree. I am on the author's telegram channel where he continuously "bragged" about how he didn't use ads for support and said everyone should run away from ad supported app. And then suddenly he sold his work to an ad supporting company? It is his work, his choice but he lost all my respect and trust after this episode. At the least he could have warned on his telegram channel, but it has been crickets there since Oct 30th.
Unless the predatory-inclined buyer decided to also try to harvest some value of the open source user base, given the unusual situation of these particular acquired apps being open source?
I doubt that F-Droid would accept their code, also the Adware Toolkits would all need to be also GPL Licensed, otherwise it would be a license violation
I should've been more clear: they don't necessarily do the same thing for squeezing value out of open source users that they do out of Play Store users.
F-Droid makes sure they can build the code themselves, but I don't think they vet everything the code does. And Android permission model doesn't control network use well.
Comments
Latest version in F-Droid of Calendar is dated 2023-10-08. I haven't checked whether that version exfiltrates user's data. I'd be more concerned about any subsequent versions.
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.simplemobiletools.calend...
It's highly unlikely that any F-Droid versions are going to be released by the ad-ware company. This company doesn't publish code as open source, and tibbi (original creator of SMT) is of the opinion that relicensing the code isn't a big deal because they wrote almost all of it.
https://github.com/SimpleMobileTools/General-Discussion/issu...
The fact remains that the sale wasn't announced and many users found it inadvertently. Many more may still be unaware that the apps they believe to be open source have turned into spyware/deceptiveware. The author seems to have sold the privacy of unsuspecting users to a spyware company. The situation isn't as simple or innocent as 'I wrote most of the code so I have the right to do it.
It's extremely annoying when open source software terms are changed and the authors downplay the impact like this. It also applies to other cases like browser extensions and cloud software. Besides privacy, they also disregard the contributions and promotions others make.
I agree. I am on the author's telegram channel where he continuously "bragged" about how he didn't use ads for support and said everyone should run away from ad supported app. And then suddenly he sold his work to an ad supporting company? It is his work, his choice but he lost all my respect and trust after this episode. At the least he could have warned on his telegram channel, but it has been crickets there since Oct 30th.
Anyway, donations coming for Naveen Singh!
Unless the predatory-inclined buyer decided to also try to harvest some value of the open source user base, given the unusual situation of these particular acquired apps being open source?
I doubt that F-Droid would accept their code, also the Adware Toolkits would all need to be also GPL Licensed, otherwise it would be a license violation
I should've been more clear: they don't necessarily do the same thing for squeezing value out of open source users that they do out of Play Store users.
F-Droid makes sure they can build the code themselves, but I don't think they vet everything the code does. And Android permission model doesn't control network use well.
Fdroid already blocked possible updates for the original apps.