[costas1966]

I was cruising the new threads earlier as I usually do every day, and came across a thread that was closed after one post. It was a thread that mentioned an app site for some .bar files that were available for the playbook.

Apparently, the site (and I have no idea what it was, nor do I care) had some apps that were "paid apps" and hence "pirated".

Hmmm.....are they "pirated" because they cost money on Appworld? The single reply only mentioned that the OP and the rest of us should support the devs that submit to Appworld only and after that, the thread was closed.

Interesting.

Now, don't get me wrong...I'm not a fanboy of piracy or stealing apps...I spend more on coffee per day than many apps...but I have a problem with the "priorities" of Modding the threads here.

For instance.....I see negative thread, after negative thread, after negative thread, about not only RIM, but the BB product, including personal attacks from people who clearly are here to only cause trouble.

Nothing is done.

The forum has taken on a generally negative and toxic persona, so to speak, and has done so for a while....at least in the short couple of years I have been on here.

Consistent Skype, Netflix, and Twitter complaints....complaint after complaint...and the forums are filled with them. Where are the Mods to clean up the negativity? Is it ok for "members" to fill the forum with negativity, hatred for RIM and the BB products, and hate....and nothing is done? Nothing.


We must have 1,000,000 threads on iPad vs. Playbook...most of them ending up in a pissing match between BB fans and iPad fans....are you serious????????? What is done to curb the toxic feelings? Nothing.

So.........someone (I personally don't care who it is).....posts a link to some site that offers converted (maybe they work, maybe they don't) apps for the PB....and the thread is closed after one post. All because "some" apps appear to be paid apps. Really? Seriously? I challenge the Mod who closed it to explain why it's even still there, if it's so offensive! If free speech can apply to all the complainers and trolls, then where do the rest of us fit in?

Again.....I MUST point out....that this is not about some free app thread....but about how the site is Modded.

Before anyone flips out at me, I will say that if I cared about the apps, I could easily PM the OP and get the info.....my point here is far more significant than free apps.

I DEMAND an explanation from the Mod group regarding their "filtering" methods for threads, beyond the obvious swearing, and disrespect. I demand it.

I have modded numerous forums over the years, and can never remember anything this toxic.

Ladies and gentlemen....please get your act together....look at what's good for the site....its members....and get rid of the toxic arguments and crap.

That's my rant.

Cheers.

[TheScionicMan]

IBTL

[Superfly_FR]

This post IMHO should have been simply ... deleted, at least, the link should have been removed. Why ? because it's an infringement of both states/countries law (piracy) and forum rules (no ad).

Other posts you mention do no infringe any rule. They are just "negative" and, some explicit or rude post excepted, don't deserve any mod action IMHO.

[costas1966]

IBTL.....hahaha....most likely....because it's a criticism of their competency, of course.

Superfly....I'm going to disagree with you regarding the negative posts and threads...and as a matter of fact, about the piracy issue as well...what is the developer mode for? Apparently, we are being given the opportunity to "test" conversions on the PB, regardless if they are paid or not...if you want to talk about copyright and such, that's a different discussion. Again....I am not advocating piracy....but RIM has opened up (and soon to close) a window of testing apps....paid or not...and since the devs have been not only unco-operative, but downright disrespectful towards the BB product, I will not take their side.

Nevertheless, this is mostly about the way these threads are Modded, and not about their content. I would like to see bigger testicles on our Mods here....and more reaistic priorities.

[sam_b77]

Regarding the Opening Post, the OP has raised issues besides the closure of a post with links to converted apps. The legality of that is best known to the mods themselves. Regarding the explanation of closure of negative posts or lack thereof is best left to the mods themselves.

However, one thing I do want to know is this, if the linked bar files were made from free Android apps then is this piracy?? Sure the Apps on Appworld will be paid, but if someone downloads a free app from Android Market and then repackages the App for Playbook, would that still be piracy??

I might be wrong, but Piracy to me is when you take something which is payable but avoid paying for it. However on Android Market if its free then no piracy (stealing) has taken place. Its for RIM to ensure that sideloading cannot be done if it wants to keep the developers interest. But when RIM tried to stop Sideloading, the same people who uphold their anti-piracy morals were outraged that RIM is depriving them from a chance of loading something which they didn't buy/download from Appworld.

[addicted44]

However, one thing I do want to know is this, if the linked bar files were made from free Android apps then is this piracy??

Yes.

Unless the developer explicitly permits it, you cannot do that. It is piracy, and probably illegal in most countries.

Freeware != Shareware.

[sam_b77]

Yes.

Unless the developer explicitly permits it, you cannot do that. It is piracy, and probably illegal in most countries.

Freeware != Shareware.

Ok. What is illegal? Downloading free from Android Market and converting for personal use or sharing the converted app?

[madman0141]

Not trying to make a joke but Freedom of Speech doesn't apply hear. The forums have their rules and this isn't a democracy. Pirates need to be stopped from selling the property of others. The main problem with all this is people feel they have the right to do, say, or even take what they want. I'm ready for the attacks....so go ahead

[sam_b77]

Not trying to make a joke but Freedom of Speech doesn't apply hear. The forums have their rules and this isn't a democracy. Pirates need to be stopped from selling the property of others. The main problem with all this is people feel they have the right to do, say, or even take what they want. I'm ready for the attacks....so go ahead

What attacks? You are correct on the freedom of speech bit. This a forum run by Kevin and Mobile Nations. They have a set of rules. If someone wants freedom of speech to be applicable they can open their own blog.

[wuulfy]

What attacks? You are correct on the freedom of speech bit. This a forum run by Kevin and Mobile Nations. They have a set of rules. If someone wants freedom of speech to be applicable they can open their own blog.

hear hear...

[iRy757]

I DEMAND an explanation from the Mod group regarding their "filtering" methods for threads, beyond the obvious swearing, and disrespect. I demand it.

I have modded numerous forums over the years, and can never remember anything this toxic.

Ladies and gentlemen....please get your act together....look at what's good for the site....its members....and get rid of the toxic arguments and crap.

That's my rant.

Cheers.

-____________-

Lmao, sit down. You can't tell someone how to run their own site and expect someone to respond to you in a non-hostile mannor. You're in absolutely no position to "demand" answers to anything like that, because first of all nothing even happened to you directly, second of all this is not your site in the least bit, so your opinion on the moderation is, in a nutshell, obsolete. That's like someone coming in to my home and telling me to change the wallpaper because they think its tacky. Personally I'm gonna slap them in the face and tell them to kick rocks.

[addicted44]

Ok. What is illegal? Downloading free from Android Market and converting for personal use or sharing the converted app?

Both, depending on the licensing terms. However, the legality is not well established, differs by country, and is rarely enforced. But both are probably as illegal as doing the same for a paid app.

That being said, converting for personal use may be legal in thenUS because of Fair Use laws. Not so much in most other countries, and even in the US, fair use is being watered down. So, if, for example, converting th app requires breaking some DRM or encryption, it is almost certainly illegal in the US.

[qbnkelt]

OP - your post is quite interesting.

You state you've been here for two years yet you seem to have little knowledge of the cycles this forum has gone through. The current atmosphere does not even approach what was happening during the Storm releases. I'm amazed you have forgotten when there was a particular mod here so anti BB that resulting posts rivaled the worst of the current trolls.

Your post is more than a bit ungrateful and more than a bit ignorant of the work that the mods do.

Instead of such an arrogant demand for a response from them, I believe you really owe them an apology for the tone of your post.

This is not a democracy. This is not free speech. Perhaps you would be willing to invest your own time in opening your own site or offer up your own time, devoid of payment, to mod here and run the forum as you see appropriate.

[Sith_Apprentice]

Well I have been a part of mods responding to posts and deleting flagrantly poor posts before. They do their work. CB is a HUGE forum with thousands of posts per day. The mods rely on best judgment, but also the members to flag these offensive posts. Many times they keep an eye on it rather than outright deleting/closing threads. Its easy to remove an entire thread that has gone off the track, but then you lose what *may* be valuable information that was on topic. Combing through posts is very time consuming and I believe all mods here are volunteers.

Threads on piracy can actually have legal implications for the site. These obviously will take priority over those that are just petty, childish bickering. Insults fly on any forum, and its best to simply ignore them and/or the person resorting to such tactics.

[BigBadWulf]

If you have moderated for sites before, I'd expect you'd have respect and appreciation for the completely voluntary work we do.
I'd also expect you'd have read and followed the rules of the forum.

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