> A group of simple, open source Android apps without ads and unnecessary permissions, with customizable colors.
Interesting discussions on HN about it (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37463662), especially regarding the Google Play & F-Droid versions (spoiler: they’re the same). Some people are balking at the author(s) asking for optional financial support because “that's advertisement!!” but fuck them. Asking for support != ads.
@czottmann Never quite understood that group of people. I can understand how the introduction of money into a project can invite anxiety into incentives for nefarious behavior later down the line, especially from big time corporations, but applying that fear and hostility to what are often 1-5 guys working on a side project (sometimes even as their main project) always seemed silly to me.
Especially as I grew older and was reading into these FOSS projects which the world has built huge, foundational derivative projects on top of being maintained at the core by 1 dude in the middle of Montana for less than $40k a year with very few other contributors. Like, what??
I have no problems with how developers take it the way SMT do; i.e. charging for compiled, auto updated binaries and also leaving up the source code (and many times, also compiled binaries) on their forge. You can still compile the code! Hell, sometimes you don't even have to!
A lot of people forget that the quality, accessibility, and popularity of non-proprietary, libre software is historically rather recent. We should support its continuation while being grateful for the people who make it now.
ETA: It seems that SMT has updated their monetization strategy to be trialware on Google Play, rather than donate to support. A bit unfortunate, but I would guess they are making this move because they are not capable of maintaining development the way they have been prior. They are making like 8 different apps, and that cost of living certainly isn't getting any lower, but I wouldn't say a bit of nagging is the same as ad sdks being put into your apps. Is this not the generation that grew up with WinRAR and other sharewarez?
For what it's worth, I think the F-Droid version remains free.
@quortez@AudraTran I agree with the both of you. "Software should be free” is a good guiding principle at times but it is not a good blanket statement.
I'm also sick and tired of companies not supporting their mostly invisible FOSS “foundations” but that's an entirely different can of worms
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