Related
This community is so damn innovative and cooperative, it amazes me what software/ROMS get cooked here which really add a lot of productivity value to me, transforming a tedious, hard-to-read Windows Mobile User Interface into a tool that really works on the go. And I've been equally impressed by the collaborative spirit of this community in problem solving and feature tweeks.
Thus I am curious if there is an organized policy here that helps us end-users deter the scammers who grab software from XDA-developers, bundle it, and sell it across the web. I'm speaking of a prominent spot on the home page and within the information design of these forums that, just like the "Missing Kids" alerts on milk cartons, highlights prominently the latest scammers stealing work here.
I understand this forum is for actual development, but truth is this issue gets lost in "General" forums. Because it's the people who hack here who are the people being hurt directly.
Though I signed onto XDA over a year ago, and have read volumes re my T-mobile MDA and software upgrades here, I ended up being nonetheless too nervous to follow the very clear instructions posted last year with all if the various WM 6 roms developed here. And I never did upgrade.
But I have a WING now, and I wanted an iphone theme and user interface. Again I read all the sticky threads for the Herald, as well as the links from the wiki for that specific phone. After several days of trying to figure out "should I be first flashing my T-mobile ROM to a more efficient one, before then seeking to install one of the iphone themes and apps like A_C's S2U2 etc. I then did a dumb consumer thing: when searching this site using Google, I followed the links to one or two of the GOOGLE AD-WORDS hawking an iPhone theme on your PocketPC.
Long story short, I got scammed of $10 for something that was outdated and didn't even install properly on my WING... But I'd been "comforted" by the presentation on their website, http://iphonethemeforpocketpc.com , thinking I would get my head cleared of the confusion that mounts when I'd dig down deep into the many discussions of so many ROMs & themes & apps here. I got burned, that was bad enough. But it then pissed me off doubly that superior software would be found here at XDA -- and more than likely some of that guy's component cab files were simply stolen from developers right here.
I ended up back here and successfully installed the ifonz theme, A_C's S2U2 (the scam site had an old slide2unlock version... bit as everyone here knows, A_C's app is superb. I also installed Contact Manager (amazing!), PCM keyboard (what an improvement over windows), and MortPlayer (fantastic). I intend to donate to each program author.
But the purpose of this post is this: I filed a dispute with PayPal (requires login) over this scammer's non-working product and absolute refusal to even reply to my early "friendly" emails seeking install help. Went through PayPal's Resolution Center "escalation process" -- after no reply from the seller to PayPal -- and my dispute became a CLAIM for Paypal to determine outcome. PayPal's reply, denying the claim, states that they reviewed all communications and investigated the issue fully (totally not true).
I could have stopped there -- afterall i'd long ago expended way more than $10 worth of my time -- but it was for the principle of it. So I called PayPal, went through all the menu-options, screenings, and hold queues, and finally spoke to an actual Resolution Agent -- who was very nice, & actually very helpful.
However: I learned then, from her, what many of you may already know -- but I wonder DOES everyone know?, because I sure didn't... She told me that anything digital or downloadable is not even covered with any Buyer Protection as disclosed in PayPal's terms of service. So the claim got closed automatically because it didn't qualify for any dispute resolution. I was really surprised by this, that no downloadable software is subject to dispute/resolution policies -- and that's why I am writing this thread, as a service (I *hope*) to all you developers.
I first did a search here on the boards for "scams", because I wanted to find a place on this site to DISPLAY CLEARLY---> Here is a scamsite --> make sure your stuff is not being sold there. That's when I saw this sampling of threads, below, and had to wonder, is there a policy here that is clear and easy to find (NO! not that I can see!) that helps developers here by giving us end-users a place to post the hit-list of scammers on ebay, on iphonetheme websites, etc. ?
If so, I missed it in the information design here. If not, I recommend it. I know it burns you guys who are being ripped off -- but it also ticks off less-sophisticated community members like me (end-users of your hard work) to see your works exploited -- given especially their innovation and performance tweeks.
Here are just a few of the threads I found from this year, from March 08, where people reported being ripped off by people selling their works. In my view, I don't think that's enough or sufficient to just have someone start a thread saying "beware of X, Y or Z". And that's why I posted this. Thanks to all of you who make the lives of end-users more productive with your great work.
q/s
Name And Shame Ebayer Stealing Xdev Material
Bastards selling my Unlocker
Thief On The Loose At Hofo and possibly xda!
wow.. no reply. well i know i'm verbose, but i thought this would at least get a reply that explained yes/no if the site has designated a specific area to broadcast who are the current scammers operating out on he internets...
Should I be posting this into a different forum? if so, which one please/ thanks
As far as I know, there is no area warning about potential scams. There have been issues with people selling cooked roms on ebay that i'm aware of, but that normally comes up in model-specific forums.
it definitely could be helpful to have such an area on the forum, but at the same time, there have been many stickies informing people NOT to go out and sell other peoples work, and advising people against using warez and cracked programs.
Most people that have come to this forum realize there is no reason to pay for most software, as there's probably an excellent free or open source alternative. if there's not yet, someone's working on one. this forum is a mix of entusiasts, programmers, hackers, and people who just love to tweak their devices. once you come here and see the vast amounts of information, there's really no need to go anywhere else. i check the xda forums rather regularly, and pocketpcfreeware every now and again.
i don't think a scams section on the forum would help keep from people getting scammed elsewhere... they usually find this site after they've already been scammed. many of us have already taken it into our own hands, by trying to point as many people as we can here, so they can learn the beauty of free, well maintained software and roms made by people who just want to help others enjoy their devices more and more.
scammers are more like a disease... and prevention is the best medicine.
alongenemylines said:
As far as I know, there is no area warning about potential scams. There have been issues with people selling cooked roms on ebay that i'm aware of, but that normally comes up in model-specific forums.
it definitely could be helpful to have such an area on the forum, but at the same time, there have been many stickies informing people NOT to go out and sell other peoples work, and advising people against using warez and cracked programs.
Most people that have come to this forum realize there is no reason to pay for most software, as there's probably an excellent free or open source alternative. if there's not yet, someone's working on one. this forum is a mix of entusiasts, programmers, hackers, and people who just love to tweak their devices. once you come here and see the vast amounts of information, there's really no need to go anywhere else. i check the xda forums rather regularly, and pocketpcfreeware every now and again.
i don't think a scams section on the forum would help keep from people getting scammed elsewhere... they usually find this site after they've already been scammed. many of us have already taken it into our own hands, by trying to point as many people as we can here, so they can learn the beauty of free, well maintained software and roms made by people who just want to help others enjoy their devices more and more.
scammers are more like a disease... and prevention is the best medicine.
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There have been instances where its come to the attention of the community here and the developers of ROMS and programs that their work is being packaged and sold on ebay and the like. Obviously this behavior is viewed very negatively. While there is no policy or "organized" efforts to monitor and react, when someone does point out an instance, the community members rally around and do what they can to call the guy out, and warn potential scammees of it. Ebay is often notified directly, and also comments on the sellers postings on ebay are made to warn.
And yes, your post is verbose
I used to confuse this forum with a decent place for technical discussion of technical issues related to HTC devices, this illusion was short lived People are just casually dropping links to warez and no one seems to care! no moderation whatsoever. Take this example: A rigged license file for the most marvelous software ever for Windows mobile: Igo8 was put two months ago here. I complained quite clearly, and requested moderators for action in the respective thread here. No action whatsoever! Now look at this glorious post in the same thread here, the whole rigged software is available for your kind usage. It seems there is no stopping!
Please understand my harsh tone has a deeper reason. I am quite sure that this is the only reason why windows mobile is taking such strong bashing from iphone.... such a mature platform taking beating from a newborn! The reason is: developers get a few bucks in return of there hard work for iphone, while for windows mobile ppl just run for the rigged versions everywhere. If software developers are not paid back their hard-earned money, they will just look away, stop developing for windows, now that they have a much viable alternate like iphone and others. We all have to think about this! This is a doomsday scenario for WM.
Best regards!
if you havent heard, the jailbroken iphones have a program called Installer...where they get all the apps for free too just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents ... i just dont see the reason why it would bother you, it's neither one of our faults, its the way the website monitors their threads ... no need to make a whole new thread bashing the website
elite-fusion said:
if you havent heard, the jailbroken iphones have a program called Installer...where they get all the apps for free too just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents ... i just dont see the reason why it would bother you, it's neither one of our faults, its the way the website monitors their threads ... no need to make a whole new thread bashing the website
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Thats not the point... and the purpose of this thread isn’t "bashing" this forum. The point is, we here should not facilitate the downward spiral windows mobile is in right now, we should have strict action against it at least within the discussions here. I know about iphone jail breaking, but its ease and availability is no where close to WM... iphone app developers are really earning money, the proof of this pudding is in eating. Just last year, we all were laughing at iphone not having an SDK. Now, if i try to google an app for my WM, the search return iphone app instead!
Deep Breath.......
waqarz said:
Thats not the point... etc,etc,etc !
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When I first started to read your initial post I thought - Hear we go, another over exaggerated claim and a rant about how poorly the site is managed.... but as I finished reading I thought "Yep" your at least partly right - there's far more "abuse" of the forum and site now in many ways than there was a year ago - not just on the Warez front either - So I'm very much with you there and in support of your "general" comments.... However....
Membership of XDA Developers has rocketed in the past 12 months (or so it seems????) as has the activity and number of posts/comments/hits per day - and not just in this section but in many others.... which is of course a good thing - but..... with all the extra traffic and all the extra members so the "unwanted" aspects also experientially increase - and "OUR" moderators have far more to monitor and try to manage (as well as helping out and offering advice themselves when they can) and this is the part you seem to have missed as others often do - the moderators are NOT paid - its something they do because they want to and because they can.....
I would actively encourage you, and ALL other members to continue to report abuse of the site and on the forums and to actively discourage other members by highlighting (as you have) inappropriate behaviour so we can self regulate as much as possible.
Of course, if the moderators have time and the inclination to step in and take action then that’s great, if not - then lets help by policing ourselves and offering offenders (quite often misguided I'm sure) some friendly but firm advice - if its ignored then what more can we do.
Deep Breath.......
.
"the downward spiral windows mobile is in right now"
Dear Don Quixote, i beg to differ. The """downward""" spiral is becoase of crappy operating system and warez has nothing to do with it. And well, iphone is trendy :lol: I dont condone warez but i am organically alergic to more-god-than-god people like you.
And stop annoying people here, go to the kindergarten and yell "new torrent tracker". You will be amazed how many kids will turn around.
waqarz said:
I used to confuse this forum with a decent place for technical discussion of technical issues related to HTC devices, this illusion was short lived People are just casually dropping links to warez and no one seems to care! no moderation whatsoever. Take this example: A rigged license file for the most marvelous software ever for Windows mobile: Igo8 was put two months ago here. I complained quite clearly, and requested moderators for action in the respective thread here. No action whatsoever! Now look at this glorious post in the same thread here, the whole rigged software is available for your kind usage. It seems there is no stopping!
Please understand my harsh tone has a deeper reason. I am quite sure that this is the only reason why windows mobile is taking such strong bashing from iphone.... such a mature platform taking beating from a newborn! The reason is: developers get a few bucks in return of there hard work for iphone, while for windows mobile ppl just run for the rigged versions everywhere. If software developers are not paid back their hard-earned money, they will just look away, stop developing for windows, now that they have a much viable alternate like iphone and others. We all have to think about this! This is a doomsday scenario for WM.
Best regards!
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The best you can do to help stopping this is to report the post or member clicking on the report symbol next to the post #, or post it in spam section here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=306366&page=22
That way Mods can take an action.
There are so many threads that is difficult to monitor all
If you have a problem
use the report button, we are here to help.
we can't be everywhere so you need to tell us so we can act.
thank you.
liamhere said:
use the report button, we are here to help.
we can't be everywhere so you need to tell us so we can act.
thank you.
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Thanks, I really should have used the "report" link, my bad!
I really do appreciate all the volunteer work being done here by moderators and other resonable members. I myself moderate a few forums, not as large as this though and to some extend I know the toll. All, keep up the good work!
I still have a suggestion, members doing strict violation of policy should be warned and later banned!
Best regards.
waqarz said:
I still have a suggestion, members doing strict violation of policy should be warned and later banned!
Best regards.
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Nah just electrocute them first, warn them if they recover.
fards said:
Nah just electrocute them first, warn them if they recover.
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Good one
waqarz said:
...
I am quite sure that this is the only reason why windows mobile is taking such strong bashing from iphone.... such a mature platform taking beating from a newborn! The reason is: developers get a few bucks in return of there hard work for iphone, while for windows mobile ppl just run for the rigged versions everywhere. If software developers are not paid back their hard-earned money, they will just look away, stop developing for windows, now that they have a much viable alternate like iphone and others. We all have to think about this! This is a doomsday scenario for WM...
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as someone else already did
i must disagree with you on one point, why WinMo "...is taking such strong bashing from..." iPhone
it has nothing to do with Warez, your argument seems uninformed and almost sounds like bashing
Using the iPhone for any length of time you'll realize just how much time was put into the user experience, no manual, no class, just pick up and use. WinMo had thought behind it's design, but it was designed about a decade ago, to be used with a stylus. As is it's hopelessly outdated in look and feel (Windows 3.1 anyone, that's mature too by now)
As for the reason it seams that developers do better on the iPhone it's the same thing; thought. Thought put into the experience of using the AppStore. no serial headaches, integration, updates, and backup - just works. Like iTunes it's just easy to use for average people, Handago (or whatever is compatible with AppStore) is NOT easy.
Ignoring the needs of users and no real innovation from Redmond is doomsday for WinMo. Not Warez (which, as mentioned exist for the iPhone too, and it's this easy).
P.S. never had an Apple product, but if iPhone had Copy & Paste i'd own one now, not the HD
P.P.S. there is somewhat of a backlash in the Apple community against quality control, bad developers, and no "try before you buy" in the AppStore. if interested please read here then here.
The only thing why Iphone have so many Apps (and good apps) is the Appstore (one place for all apps), and the Hype. And ofcourse its only 1 device, with 1 displaysize, 1 processor and 1 input type.
On WM we got several desplaysizes, devices, processors and input types.
Its much more easy and cheaply to develope for 1 device than for thousands.
If we get also a appstore i am really safe that we get more good apps and games for our WM Devices.
Second:
I think delevopers do a hard job and develope good apps, and we shall donate to them. I work for a big software company and also hate warez. Warez is not good, but do not exaggerate nevertheless times! I do not think that here possibly someone such things with intention.
Third:
Sorry for my bad english.
Sir.B said:
as someone else already did
i must disagree with you on one point, why WinMo "...is taking such strong bashing from..." iPhone
it has nothing to do with Warez, your argument seems uninformed and almost sounds like bashing
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You cant be serious right? Go through these 3 articles, just the first 3 hits on google:
http://msmobiles.com/news.php/6459.html
http://www.fiercedeveloper.com/report/mobile-pda-software-piracy-and-warez
http://apcmag.com/windows_mobile_6_pirated.htm
Take one example: just over the last year, hundreds of thousands of people have illegally shared navigation maps, a conservative estimate of loss is in millions of dollars.
I an NOT claiming piracy is the only problem with WM, but it sure is a BIG contributor, this is my only point in this discussion. The reasons and implications are many and I cant go into details. I really feel sorry, my own mistake, dropping in the word "iphone" always ends up in a useless debate! Many threads here being trashed because of this.
Best regards.
Hey everyone. I wanted to cleanup this post a bit in order to make a pretty big announcement. Here is an expcert from my blog post late last night. The whole post can be read here.
To read more about Android4Autism
"Tonight, I so very pleased to announce that Intellijoy will be donating FULL versions of ALL their children’s apps to Android4Autism to be distributed on all the devices that we will be putting into the hands of Autistic children from around the US. I’m very excited about this because I truly believe this WILL make a difference in the lives of many Autistic children and their families. I don’t make it a habit of promoting companies on this blog because that’s not the purpose of Lost and Tired. However, Intellijoy is a company that is working to help our children learn through engaging and entertaining apps. My children benefit from the use of these applications and I know many more could as well. As special needs parents and members of the Autism community we should support companies like, Intellijoy, as they are providing low cost software that can turn your Android powered smartphone into a learning tool for your child.
So on behalf of Android4Autism and lostandtired.com, I want to THANK Intellijoy for helping to improve the lives our Autistic children and their families. If you have an Android powered smart phone and I KNOW many of you do, check out these apps on the Market. Help spread the word that these apps and others like it can be found on the Android Market. As a community we need to support the companies that are providing resources for our kids….. More to come soon…"
In the mean time get all the latest Android4Autism updates by following us on twitter: @Android4Autism or “Like us on Facebook.
reserved....
Good luck on this.
Sounds like a great work you are doing.
So what exactly does the phone do? My son is autistic and believe it or not I let him play speedx on my evo but there aren't many apps on the market (if any) that are geared towards autistic people which is why he has his own ipad2. Some more specifics would be nice instead of saying that you are taking old android phones and stripping them down. What else is done to them software wise that makes them more autistic friendly and enriching.
lovethyEVO said:
So what exactly does the phone do? My son is autistic and believe it or not I let him play speedx on my evo but there aren't many apps on the market (if any) that are geared towards autistic people which is why he has his own ipad2. Some more specifics would be nice instead of saying that you are taking old android phones and stripping them down. What else is done to them software wise that makes them more autistic friendly and enriching.
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The point is that many people can't afford the iPad and yes the apple has better apps and more of them at the moment. However, there are still simple apps that can help kids to communicate, Voice4u is an example. There are other apps the help with fine motor like Kids Shape Puzzles, Kids Numbers and Math and Kids Colors. I'm not sure where your child falls on the spectrum but many kids like my youngest struggle with language and communication. While maybe some kids won't benefit from these apps as much as others it's something for someone who has nothing. The apps don't have to be geared towards Autistic kids. They just have to serve a purpose. My son who was thought to be non-verbal is now using words (although still very limited). When he solves these puzzles and the voice says the name, he now repeats it. He is also able to identify the shapes by the outlines now.
Is it as good as an iPad probably not. But as a father to 3 Autistic boys and someone that can't afford an iPad, this has really helped to build some much needed basic skills. These apps while simple are engaging and entertaining for the kids. Again, many people can't shell out $500-$800 for an iPad and this would give them something. Sometimes seemingly the small things can make the biggest impact.
I realize you don't know me but I have a very popular Autism blog and if you look around the Epic forums you will see Autism Awareness running rampant.
I'm not trying to change the world here. Just trying to make life better for those that I can.
Best of luck to you and your family.
newblacksociety said:
Best of luck to you and your family.
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You have my final "thanks" for today.
ptfdmedic said:
The point is that many people can't afford the iPad and yes the apple has better apps and more of them at the moment. However, there are still simple apps that can help kids to communicate, Voice4u is an example. There are other apps the help with fine motor like Kids Shape Puzzles, Kids Numbers and Math and Kids Colors. I'm not sure where your child falls on the spectrum but many kids like my youngest struggle with language and communication. While maybe some kids won't benefit from these apps as much as others it's something for someone who has nothing. The apps don't have to be geared towards Autistic kids. They just have to serve a purpose. My son who was thought to be non-verbal is now using words (although still very limited). When he solves these puzzles and the voice says the name, he now repeats it. He is also able to identify the shapes by the outlines now.
Is it as good as an iPad probably not. But as a father to 3 Autistic boys and someone that can't afford an iPad, this has really helped to build some much needed basic skills. These apps while simple are engaging and entertaining for the kids. Again, many people can't shell out $500-$800 for an iPad and this would give them something. Sometimes seemingly the small things can make the biggest impact.
I realize you don't know me but I have a very popular Autism blog and if you look around the Epic forums you will see Autism Awareness running rampant.
I'm not trying to change the world here. Just trying to make life better for those that I can.
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I wasn't trying to downplay your effort...it is a good cause. My son's autism affects his communication development the most and his ipad has helped along with his services he gets at school as well as his extra services like aba.
I did not buy his ipad so please throw out that notion that I can "shell out 500 bucks" for it. On the contrary, his ipad is his and his alone and was acquired as a learning aid through a program that his school set up. He qualified for the free ipad because his doctors re-evaluated him for the program application and concluded that he is still delayed in his development. As long as I show that his ipad is being used solely for his purposes and no unapproved apps are installed for the next two years, it's his to keep.
I'm straying off topic a bit and I apologize. I understand your cause to get these devices to families that can't afford them but it would also help to include some really great software for the autistic person as well as support for that software. These are just things to help your noble project along, not railroad it. It should be stripped of the ability to make calls or texts to try to prevent it being used by other persons for example.
lovethyEVO said:
I wasn't trying to downplay your effort...it is a good cause. My son's autism affects his communication development the most and his ipad has helped along with his services he gets at school as well as his extra services like aba.
I did not buy his ipad so please throw out that notion that I can "shell out 500 bucks" for it. On the contrary, his ipad is his and his alone and was acquired as a learning aid through a program that his school set up. He qualified for the free ipad because his doctors re-evaluated him for the program application and concluded that he is still delayed in his development. As long as I show that his ipad is being used solely for his purposes and no unapproved apps are installed for the next two years, it's his to keep.
I'm straying off topic a bit and I apologize. I understand your cause to get these devices to families that can't afford them but it would also help to include some really great software for the autistic person as well as support for that software. These are just things to help your noble project along, not railroad it. It should be stripped of the ability to make calls or texts to try to prevent it being used by other persons for example.
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No offense taken. Sorry if I came off harsh. I didn't mean to insinuate anything about you financial status in my comment. I was trying to explain my point. I would load a custom ROM, removing everything I can so that it serves it's intended purpose. I would disable to the radio and attempt to leave the WiFi and blue tooth in tact for connectivity to the market and headphones. I get offers all the time to review software on my blog geared for this purpose. I'm working on securing software donations as well. You have some great ideas. I appreciate your feedback. Again sorry if I came across wrong. We are both on the same journey. Best of luck.
ptfdmedic said:
No offense taken. Sorry if I came off harsh. I didn't mean to insinuate anything about you financial status in my comment. I was trying to explain my point. I would load a custom ROM, removing everything I can so that it serves it's intended purpose. I would disable to the radio and attempt to leave the WiFi and blue tooth in tact for connectivity to the market and headphones. I get offers all the time to review software on my blog geared for this purpose. I'm working on securing software donations as well. You have some great ideas. I appreciate your feedback. Again sorry if I came across wrong. We are both on the same journey. Best of luck.
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We are on the same journey yes, but you have alot more to handle and my hat goes off to you. I too apologize if I came off wrong in my first post.
I will be keeping my eye on your efforts for others that I know in our situation. The school year is almost over but I think this is something they might be interested in. Best of luck to your endeavors.
lovethyEVO said:
We are on the same journey yes, but you have alot more to handle and my hat goes off to you. I too apologize if I came off wrong in my first post.
I will be keeping my eye on your efforts for others that I know in our situation. The school year is almost over but I think this is something they might be interested in. Best of luck to your endeavors.
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Always nice to meet other special needs parents. It was a pleasure meeting you. Thanks again.
For those of you who don't know ptfdmedic, with all that he has to deal with his children, has over the months taken the time to develop and provide support for some of the best ROMs on the Epic. He is one of the few people who is a truly selfless person. I mean we over on the Epic forums have a bunch of people that just go around and complain about everything. Rob (ptfdmedic) has a heart of gold and has put up with a bunch of crap from a lot of whining users and does it with kindness and class. He even goes as far as releasing multiple versions of the same ROM to accommodate the minority of us who wanted journal on to provide stability and a journal off version for those who see a ever so slight performance increase. I came over here because I am considering getting an Evo 3D and wanted to read what people were posting now that the CEO confirmed it won't be boot locked. As soon as I saw ptfdmedic's thread, I knew it was for a worthy cause. He is the real deal. This isn't some guy trying to hustle anyone. His heart is 100% into raising Autism Awareness and helping in any way he can. If my finances permit me to upgrade to the Evo 3D, I know where my Epic is going now. If you are in the position to do likewise, I can assure you Rob will do what he intends to do. What a worthy cause.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
ptfdmedic said:
Hey fellow Android users and Autism supporters. I have been quietly working on something for a little while now and decided I would officially announce it. I wanted to announce it here because of all the Autism support generated by this community. So I would like to introduce "Android 4 Autism. What Android 4 Autism will be doing is taking used (donated) Android devices, preferably Epic or EVO (due to the larger screen) and turning them into communication and learning tools for Autistic children. I'm working on securing software donations as well for pre-installation purposes.
Once received, the devices will be wiped and stripped down. Once completed, these devices will be donated to special needs families who couldn't otherwise afford this technology for their child.
The reason I'm announcing this now is because we are about to hit a device turn over with the release of the Nexus S 4G and the pending EVO 3D and Galaxy S 2 releases.. We are a community that lives on the bleeding edge. I'm asking that if and when you upgrade your phone that you consider Android 4 Autism when deciding what to do with your old device. Bad ESN's don't matter as WiFi/Bluetooth would be the only needed connections. PLEASE consider this if and when you decide to upgrade. I'll have more information available when I go live. I just wanted to plant the bug in your ear. Your old phone could change someone's life.
Thanks everyone....
Below is an example of what Autistic children can do and learn with these phones.
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You're doing a very noble thing ptf. It's amazing to see somebody take initiative in such a prolific cause. I don't know you personally, but you seem very genuine and i'm sure your family is blessed to have you supporting them.
You have my full support and I will gladly donate my EVO and Asus TF when I purchase new devices to replace them. I think that a lot of us on these forums are typically more fortunate than a lot of people and the least we can do is donate our old devices for a just cause.
p.s It seems that you are very serious about this, you should try to get the mods to sticky your threads. Also, are you going to be accepting donations from other devices like the droid x?
Best of luck to you. If you need any help spreading the word or anything shoot me a pm.
I know the HTC Flyer has the option to place the phone under "Kid Mode."
Maybe for those parents who may have a smartphone, it would be good to create a custom rom with that feature. That way they can use the phone as they normally would. Under this mode, the calls would be forwarded to a home phone line or another phone.
It seems like a lot of work and highly unlikely that parents will know how to flash a custom rom but it's an idea that came to me.
I'll get in contact with the Coordinator of Student Activities at my school and ask if I can host some sort of drive to have students donate their phones when they upgrade.
(I'll get back to you after she lets me know if I can)
Bumping this for the cause. I hope at least people read this or visit his website. Especially for those that are going to get an Evo 3D and not trade in their current phone. Hopefully I am one of them
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
as an Uncle to a nephew with Autism, I commend you. I wish I had a spare device but I don't but if you could post some of the actual names of apps that you have used with your sons it would be greatly appreciated.
I want to help my sister get some good apps so her son can learn to communicate. He is pretty much mute and only barely communicates through signing. He is on the more severe end of the spectrum and like most families doesn't have the amount of money it takes to purchase the more expensive autism teaching tools.
On a side note besides grants and some education funding, getting assistance for autistic children is incredibly and overly expensive. With the immense amount of kids being diagnosed more and more I can't believe the price has not come down for some of these things.
That's pretty awesome. My son's a high functioning on the autistic spectrum and he loves to use my Evo and my Transformer pad. Seeing that video reminded me a lot of my son. It does really help and I really hope your cause takes off. Really commendable..
I actually wrote a piece for my website on my son using another technology: Kinect.
http://www.gamingnexus.com/FullNews...est-24150-I-spent-on-a-console/Item20369.aspx
Absolutely fantastic idea! I'll be sure to share this.
My nephew is autistic and I'm about to retire my Evo...I'd love to load your ROM when it's ready and give him my device.
I'm subscribing to this thread, because I want to follow everything you're doing with this cause.
God Bless You, dude. We need more people like you in this world, let alone this community...
as a father with a son who is autistic this is a GREAT idea ! /respect
I just went to the Samsung site looking for their Customer Forums where could report some bugs in their latest OTA and suggest some improvements.
THERE ARE NONE.
Seriously, a multi-billion dollar company with NO way for their customers to interact, get problems solved or make suggestions. Nothing. It is inconceivable to me that in the year 2012 a company the size of Samsung would be in the stone ages of customer interaction.
Want to know how they get customer feedback? You log on and post a review of the product. That's it! No interaction, no feedback, no idea if anyone even saw what you wrote - you just post a review and pray.
Yeah you can go to Samsung's Facebook page and post something on their wall but that's not a proper forum.
http://www.facebook.com/samsungsupport
I am honestly dumbfounded at this revelation.
They do it on social media. In a pretty big way too.
Surely, in your research of the GN 10.1, you found that out - I did. They do have a question and answer area.
A "rant" is neither productive nor helpful. They don't have forums. Period.
BarryH_GEG said:
They do it on social media. In a pretty big way too.
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Social media is a pathetic replacement for an actual Forum. Lol, can you imagine xda-developers as a Facebook page?
Massive fail Samsung. It's clear from some of the changes they made in the last OTA that they aren't listening to the users.
toenail_flicker said:
A "rant" is neither productive nor helpful. They don't have forums. Period.
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That's probably why they don't have forums. Not enough people ranting. You'll have to forgive me. I didn't research whether Samsung had customer forums. I just assumed they weren't living in 1960.
I am endeavoring to report some bugs on their Facebook page. I have no idea if anyone else has already reported these or if there is follow-up as their "forum" has no apparent structure. Will report back if I get any feedback.
unfortunately yes.
I've been looking for its own forums few years back, and find NONE. :cyclops:
They rather use a facebook page, which we don't know the page is being maintained by who.
But, if you need a fast response, you can try their website, there's a LIVECHAT down there.
Facebook is really a pathetic idea to make it as the main forum of such a big company (in my opinion).
If facebook is being used as an additional media, then yes, it's a good idea.
Time for Mr. Peabody's WABAC Machine
For support: Not a forum and not Facebook.
Samsung needs a Web and Android App accessible Support database.
From 1979 to 2002 I was an IBM Mainframe Systems Programmer at UF in Gainesville Florida, then at the School Board of Alachua County Florida.
I watched large companies like IBM and CA move into the web era with their Support. I moved with them from phone calls and mailing fix tapes to Customer Searchable Databases with user entry for new issues, and with Downloadable Fixes for resolved issues.
Of course, way back then issues for my organization affected 10s of thousands of people where resolving an issue meant dealing with only one person in our organization.
Moving forward to today, we've got 10s of thousands of people and many, many more who all need their individual fixes. Very time consuming compared to dealing with one person.
This is one reason why more and more OTA forced SW updating is happening and why the big companies are pushing cloud computing. Such as Google evolving the Chrome platform; Adobe offering Creative Cloud; and VMWare and IBM competing for hosting Enterprise virtual computers.
Aloha.. Al :highfive:
Is it just me or do 80% of their Facebook Support moderators look like complete burnouts?
If a Forum is too hard for them how about a simple Suggestion Box where users can report bugs directly to the Design Team?
My faith in their meeting future needs with OTA's is greatly diminished. Hopefully they will surprise me.
Sent from my GT-N8013 using Tapatalk 2
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=31024209&postcount=24
You might get more feed back by directing your rants here. :cyclops:
tonyz3 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=31024209&postcount=24
You might get more feed back by directing your rants here. :cyclops:
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tonyz3,
I think you should put in an application to work for the Samsung Design Team, you seem like their kind of guy. :cyclops:
They used to have customer Forum. I was a member. They were so heavily censored, that you could say virtually nothing negative.
When the Galaxy S was having GPS issues, a class action suit was initiated about the GPS problem. I posted this fact and my post was edited to eliminate the sentence stating that. My post appeared but the words "Class Action Lawsuit" magically disappeared!
Moderators would actually cut pieces out of your posts before they would appear.
I then tried to send a private message to another forum member about the censorship and they censored and blocked the private messages as well and then sent me a message saying any more communications of that type would get me banned.
I then posted a second time to the main forum complaining that they were censoring negative posts and was in fact banned from the forum. So there isn't much of a point to a Forum where you aren't alowed to communicate.
So perhaps they just decided to institute the ultimate form of censorship and eliminate the forum altogether.
Digital Man said:
They used to have customer Forum. I was a member. They were so heavily censored, that you could say virtually nothing negative.
When the Galaxy S was having GPS issues, a class action suit was initiated about the GPS problem. I posted this fact and my post was edited to eliminate the sentence stating that. My post appeared but the words "Class Action Lawsuit" magically disappeared!
Moderators would actually cut pieces out of your posts before they would appear.
I then tried to send a private message to another forum member about the censorship and they censored and blocked the private messages as well and then sent me a message saying any more communications of that type would get me banned.
I then posted a second time to the main forum complaining that they were censoring negative posts and was in fact banned from the forum. So there isn't much of a point to a Forum where you aren't alowed to communicate.
So perhaps they just decided to institute the ultimate form of censorship and eliminate the forum altogether.
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Oh well, they make nice tablets and if we get the same software as the Note II we will all be happy campers.
mitchellvii said:
Oh well, they make nice tablets and if we get the same software as the Note II we will all be happy campers.
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+1
:highfive:
Greetings. My name is Glenn and I work with children and adults with disabilities. For the past few months I have been reviewing educational apps for children with autism. Sometimes a math app has great graphics and good engagement--think completing the equivalent of half a dozen math worksheets in five minutes. But the same app doesn't take into account the extreme math anxiety, and general anxiety, that children with autism can have: I have come across apps that said "Not good. The answer is ____" or "NO," in a disappointed voice that you would expect to hear from your mother if you failed a test that you hadn't bother to study for. So in addition to the review I am often providing suggested adaptations to make the app a successful experience for the child.
I have gotten a few emails from educational app developers, thanking me for reviewing their app and also telling me how difficult it has been to get a decent amount of downloads for their app after all their hard work. When I was interested in the film industry, I used to publish interviews with up and coming screenwriters, "Interview Spotlight with Peter Considine and Morgan's Way." I would like to do something similar for educational app developers and have created a "self-interview" for educational app developers. Once I receive the responses, I will publish them. I don't have 4,000,000+ readers on my site, so I can't give you that kind of exposure, but the readers on my site are looking specifically for educational apps like yours that can improve the learning experience of their children.
If you're still reading, and your answer is yes to my question, "Would you be interested in sharing with my readers a bit about who you are (an educator, parent/sibling of a child with a disability), why you decided to build the app, and what makes it special?," then you can find the submission guidelines on my site, autism plus math dot blog spot dot com. Click on the tab at the top marked, Guest Post guidelines for app developers.
Thank you.
I don't fall into the category of being interviewed by you. I do have an idea for you that I would be interested in reading. A blog post or any readable describing what mistakes developers make in regards to making apps for people with disabilities and or other issues. You can include things like what not to do (a disappointment sounding/looking "No you are wrong") and what can be done instead. I guess for the app to say "please try again" but I don't know if that's good enough for people with anxiety. I would definitely read such an article, and perhaps it would come in useful sometime in the future.
Up until your post here I didn't realize that saying "no you are wrong" may not be so good with people having anxiety. In the blog post it would be also very interesting and good to include how such statements effect/affect people of such conditions.
Just thought I would bring this idea up to you
reply to q on do's and don'ts
over_optimistic said:
I don't fall into the category of being interviewed by you. I do have an idea for you that I would be interested in reading. A blog post or any readable describing what mistakes developers make in regards to making apps for people with disabilities and or other issues. You can include things like what not to do (a disappointment sounding/looking "No you are wrong") and what can be done instead. I guess for the app to say "please try again" but I don't know if that's good enough for people with anxiety. I would definitely read such an article, and perhaps it would come in useful sometime in the future.
Up until your post here I didn't realize that saying "no you are wrong" may not be so good with people having anxiety. In the blog post it would be also very interesting and good to include how such statements effect/affect people of such conditions.
Just thought I would bring this idea up to you
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Thanks for asking.
I think the key thing to remember is that every child with a disability is different, so what may frustrate one child may turn out to be an enjoyable challenge for another. Having said that, it can help to imagine your potential learner as someone who's spent most of their education repeatedly giving the wrong answer when called on, and as a result, they need LOTS and LOTS of positive encouragement and praise.
My comment above about "no you are wrong" is from an article I wrote a couple months ago (see below). I also provide examples of games that DO provide a positive learning environment and how they did it.
You did say that you weren't an educational apps developer, however. I think most video games are by design kid friendly, regardless of whether a child has a disability. Video games are about not having to read and memorize a bunch of rules, but instead are about playing around and trying different approaches. If you die in the game, you can hit replay and try again in five seconds or less. So the potential frustration from losing is short lived.
Where I could see a frustration is in games where if you die after completing several levels, you have to start over from the beginning. Make sure you have sufficient checkpoints so that players only have to restart from their last checkpoint. But again, this is a feature that will benefit children without disabilities as well.
Ugh! Looks like I can't give you a link to the article mentioned above, so I have moved it to my landing page: autism plus math dot blogspot dot com.
I also have a virtual filing cabinet of "How to" articles for app developers on my home page: click on the tab at the top marked "How to resources for app developers." Of particular interest, you may find useful the article on the game Re:mission, which increased the number of children with cancer who voluntarily took their meds.
Thanks Edapps!
XDA still lets you post links like this by the way:
autismplusmath.blogspot.ca/2014/01/not-good-and-no-said-in-disappointed.html
I just read that article and will go through some of the games reviews you got later when I'm at home.
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