Not hating on open source, just let people use what fits their expectations and needs and stop deterring them with gatekeeping :P
UX = user experience
FOSS is great but also developers’ gotta eat
Amen. And he got screwed from the Reddit api fiasco. If i remember correctly he was on the hook for as much as $250k in refunds because he’s had to shut the app down and refund subscribers.
The guy has to make a living, so I don’t begrudge him that one bit.
How fucking bad does your math need to be to not realize that 250k in refunds for a 6 month period where the app is unusable equals 250k in revenue for the first 6 months of the year? All y’all are like “dev needs to eat, he deserves our support!” and the guy’s pulling down over 500k/year.
That was Apollo, not Sync.
I love the idea of Lemmy itself being FOSS but individual instances and apps being a competitive marketplace of for profit businesses.
That way profitable entities with skin in the game can contribute back to the core, as can anyone, while ensuring the communities exist on servers that actually have some kind of monetization.
I just wish people would stop making software choice their whole personality
I use Arch Linux btw
I use Microsoft Windows, because I like a challenge 😎
F
Well windows is my primary work computer , since its office provided , however setting up things is so hard on windows , installing packages and all ! Although since recently chocolatey package manager has been good !
same
Perfect response.
Most people don’t even think about software, they will happily use whatever came on their device by default. The next time you buy a new phone or laptop and it is crammed full of trash software it is because people DO NOT think about software choices at all.
Same tbh this weird hive mind mentality thing I was happy to leave behind on reddit only to come to pretty much the same thing with a different coat of paint.
Apparently that’s the only thing a lot of Lemmy users do
It’s important, especially in the early days of Lemmy that we set good groundwork for the infrastructure we’re going to use for the next 10 years or so.
By it’s nature, it certainly seems like there will be a wide variety of apps for accessing Lemmy.
I’m far more concerned about if Lemmy will be a thing for the next 5…let alone 10 years, than making sure everyone decides on the app I feel is the right one.
I don’t think apps have to be FOSS. It’s super important for libraries, frameworks and other infrastrucuture related stuff to be FOSS, but you can always change a client.
I use sync, but I think they still should be FOSS, or at least open source. Just because when anything gets left behind or never fixed, you can take it and patch it up yourself. That includes clients too, lots of good clients that get left behind because Dev stopped and whatever they were interfacing with changed.
Don’t forget this is a community built around Open Source software with many refugees who came because proprietary apps were forced on them.
literally no one is forgetting about that - And the great thing about Lemmy is that no one will ever be forced to use an app they don’t want to use, whether it be closed source or open source.
What OP is (rightly) complaining about, is the huge amount of holier-than-thou rhetoric that’s plastered all over the front page of Lemmy right now giving users shit for wanting to use a closed source app.
I love FOSS, I’m typing this comment on a linux desktop right this moment (arch, btw) - but sometimes the best tool for a job (by my own completely subjective opinion) is a closed source tool. Using a closed source app to access an open source system isn’t a betrayal of that open source system.
If you personally don’t want to use a closed source solution, or if you specifically think that Sync is a bad solution for any number of possible reasons, then you’re free to continue using open source solutions, I really don’t see why so many people care so much about what apps other people are using, Sync existing doesn’t take anything away from open source solutions (except maybe users, but again - you can’t force people to use your software)
I have a problem with writing text that doesn’t read negative or angry, so a little disclaimer beforehand: it’s not :D
I see your point, I don’t tell them to change or not to embrace open source.
I like open source for various reasons (especially for learning), but not everything I use has to be open source by default.
I also understand the reasoning behind apps like Sync to remain private (non-paying user btw). If you put so much effort into a project you can go two routes: release it public or keep it closed and try to monetize it. When I use an open source app extensively and it brings value to my workflow or makes my daily tasks easier I’ll throw a few bucks their way (or a server license once), but how many really do that? If you release your app publicly with the option to pay or to see ads to, some people could just fork it and re-release it, stripped of both monetization models that were intended as support for the developer. (Again, from the point of view of a developer that wants to see some return for their investment of time.)
In my point of view we have the benefit of an open platform (unlike reddit). If any dev of a proprietary client fs up, you can change it without repercussions. Unless all instances suddenly decide to restrict API access or make their API pay-to-use all at once, we won’t see a shhow like with Reddit.
Sometimes I want something that works as expected and gives me a pleasant/polished experience when using it.
Forgive my exaggeration, but I usually don’t use my free time to look through the code of every program I want to use, at some point we reach that “I’ve read the TOS” problem", feels like no one even reads that anymore.
Sync is great and I’m happy to pay for a quality user experience to support a solo dev.
I’ve read somewhere that
it’s a team and not a solo dev but it was stated in a comment and I’m too lazy to do some research,so I’m sorry for this useless comment.Sync is one guy. Ljdawson. Always has been.
Aight thanks for the correction, I tried to google after my comment but found nothing. I need to scale up my ability to look for information.
I am currently using Sync, and while I agree that the UX is better I can also understand why so many on the Fediverse are against similar apps. They are here because corporations have ruined every other good thing on the internet and non-FOSS is very much associated with big corporations. While I would prefer that Sync were FOSS I also see the reality of Western society and how untenable creating an app would be without some kind of ad revenue. A majority of people are notoriously stingy and donations can only get you so far.
No shade to anyone who uses Sync, but the egregious thing to me is the price. Sync isn’t making the content, just like Reddit wasn’t, and they’re setting the price at a level that it feels like that’s what you’re paying for.
Any comparison to other software makes this pretty clear. If it were $4.99, I’d say that’s relatively fair, but charging 1/3rd of the cost of a new video game for an app that took less than 1/3rd of the resources to produce seems a bit absurd.
People can spend their money however they want, but I also don’t think it’s completely uncalled for to criticize the company for what appears to be price gouging.
The one time payment to remove ads is 20$.
People are really overblowing the price. As other ppl have mentioned, lemmy is less than a fraction of the user base of reddit.
The 4x price increase isn’t crazy. Devs need to make a living. I talk to Lj every now and then on Discord. Dude has been scrambling since the Reddit shut down to get out a working product. I really don’t think it’s price gouging to spend 20$ for an app I’ll be using for maybe 30-mins to an hour almost every single day.
There is the ad revenue too though. If it is impossible to make a living and work on these apps with either reasonable app pricing or no ads, then why is Sync the only app for Lemmy with these strings attached?
I just don’t understand what makes Sync significantly different or more expensive to produce than every other app available right now.
Bro it’s just a great fucking app, specifically for the design and user experience.
Also I (very loosely) know Lj and want to support his work.
You absolutely do not need to use Sync! Enjoy Lemmy through your app of choice!!
To be totally clear, I really am not intending to throw any shade towards users of the app. My opinion about the price is not a judgment on the users.
I am glad to hear that it at least provides a premium experience. I just hope ads and expensive apps aren’t going to be the future of accessing Lemmy.
If it is impossible to make a living and work on these apps with either reasonable app pricing or no ads, then why is Sync the only app for Lemmy with these strings attached?
Sync is a “professional” app. The others are mostly hobbyists. That’s the ultimate difference. Same as with Apollo. You had a bunch of open source reddit clients, but a hobby piece of software will seldom outshine a professional product. Sometimes it happens, but that’s the exception not the norm. Sync has been incredibly stable for me over the last day. Memmy on my phone and Connect haven’t been. No shade to the devs, but devs approach a solution differently when that is how they support themselves. Passion can only carry a project so far, speaking as a dev myself.
That makes a bit more sense. I didn’t realize it was being marketed as a professional/enterprise tool.
FOSS apps are hobbies. Sync is LJ’s job and will be better given the refinement it has received over years at reddit.
You don’t have to pay anything to use Sync.
That’s my main hangup as well.
The one time app removal fee should be $10 or less. In line with other premium apps.
And the subscription rates are just bananas.
Cut all the prices in half and I wouldn’t have any issues.
…posted from Sync for Lemmy.
What’s bananas about $3/mo and 17/yr? Hell I pay 12 bucks a year for unlimited email aliases from Firefox 😂
I don’t mind so much that it’s not FOSS. Developer needs paying, fair enough
I want an app without an egregious Privacy Policy that doesn’t bundle code that shares “Usage Data” with advertisers
Obligatory xkcd comic.
Facebook was built using open source software…
Dude, at least people don’t use Reddit is what I think about this situation.
I use Linux and tons of other open source software daily. I have published and maintain a number of open source projects, and contribute regularly to others.
I also pay for closed source software and have a few proprietary apps that I sell.
There’s a place for both models, they’re not exclusive.
Sync is 1 person
Proprietary software means leverage against you in the future. Je could sell out to evilcorp any day. However, I agree and of all the proprietary software, a good reputation small team that is upfront about their plan and treat their community of user with respect, is the most tolerable way to use closed source software under capitalism.
Just know enshittification is always on the table with closed source.
That’s true that that’s the case but when that does happen foss alternatives will still be there. Just like they’re here now. I just prefer apps that have a good UX
Yes, the probably of that client, sucking all the air out of the room for alternatives, is very low
My view is, I paid $13 for an ad free one-time purchase, and I used the old sync for years, so if I see news that the app has been sold out to some shady company I’ll just switch back to the free ones I was using prior to sync. I trust the Dev until there’s reason not to. I do feel the way the ads and trackers were just glossed over on release and kinda just defaulted unless you read through and manually disabled them was really strange, but I’m glad the ad-free IAP was implemented later the same day
Yes, the underlying system is fully open, there are good, healthy alternative client, it’s not a recurrent expense, presumably there’s nothing stopping you using the current version forever.
As far as closed source goes this is probably as bening as you can get. The only leverage the devs get against you is not updating it.
In today’s shitware-as-a-service hellscape, this normal deal is now a good deal.
Precisely, I trust the Dev from the constant engagement with the community as well as Sync being one of the most respected third-party clients from the Reddit hellscape for years with my use included. I have no reason not to trust the Dev based on rapport alone, but as long as things don’t take a dive I’ll keep using Sync as it grows to its potential. My biggest complaint was the subscription model, but the permanent ad removal was all I wanted because I don’t need any of the cloud features that the subscriptions provide
Foss problems without FOSS benefits
I installed sync yesterday, and it’s nice. It’s very usable without paying for it. In fact, the only reason I could see paying at all is to support the creator. The ads are negligible. I had to look for them to notice em. Basically if you don’t wanna use it, don’t. Not very complicated imo. There’s other apps and the web browser. Your paying for the interface not the content.
This may be just my own individual experience, but the ads were worse before he released the first patch. Now I barely see any ads unless like you said I’m looking specifically for them. Although I’m used to RIF which had the same amount of frequency in ad space so I might be slightly biased.
I feel like I’m the only person using Connect lol
Nuh uh! It’s the best we have until Lemmit matures enough.
voyager???
ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
Looks too much like a iOS app, don’t like it.
infinity?
Are we talking about the same infinity here? It doesn’t look at all like what wefwef or voyager look like
you said voyager looks too ios, infinity is clearly android ui
I was using that up until Sync release. It was surprisingly similar but wow the Sync UX is like several steps ahead.
Imo for mobile (not tablets) sync is worse than connect.
I also remember back before the reddit drama, the sync dev would just vanish for months at a time. He’s not reliable enough for me to give money to.
No bruh, there are Dozens of us!
I swap regularly between infinity, connect, and liftoff
Have you tried thunder ? Its really good !
I just installed it and I really like the UI/UX. Also if im always trying to use free and open source software sometimes it doesnt change anything if an app isnt open source.
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