Saw this today and now I’m reconsidering if Boost is right for me. I’m really hoping this is shitty boiler plate that was accidentally copied and over looked because that is some bullshit to say “unless we decide we want to use your personal data for whatever we want”.
I know “legitimate interest” is a phrase from the cookies law but there is no legitimate interest justification for this. My data is my data and I decide who has a legitimate interest in it so advertisers can fuck off, as can Boost if this the direction it’s going.
Edit to say this blew up. I didn’t realise I was kicking as big a hornet’s nest and haven’t read all the comments yet.
To be clear, what I don’t like about this and other provisions in the terms is the language and implications around data use. I’ve no problem with ads being shown - I want developers to get paid for the work they do and that makes it possible for users to have “free” access to software if they can’t afford to purchase.
I also want to add the response from Boost’s dev below to make sure it’s visible. You’ll see that it is boilerplate but required by Google and was present in Boost for reddit. I just hadn’t seen it because I purchased it immediately based on a recommendation. It doesn’t make me happy about it but does remove some doubts I was having about the direction Boost is heading.
I will be purchasing the app to support the dev because I do like Boost but I understand not everyone can afford everything so you’ll see some other suggestions in the comments below that don’t have any ads if you’re not happy with the free version and ads with their associated loss of data privacy.
Dev here.
The dialog and its content is not created by me, it is a standard solution from Google to comply with GDPR and other laws. More info here: https://support.google.com/admob/answer/10114014?hl=en
The consent dialog is also required by Google AdMob to show ads, and it is shown when the ad network is initialized.
When the app launches, first it checks for the remove ads purchase, and if it is not present, it will initialize the ads sdk. The ad network is not initialized if the remove ads purchase is detected.
Boost for Reddit was using the very same ad networks and consent dialog.
I honestly can’t understand why in a world of open source alternatives, one would be OK with an option that shows you ads in exchange for spying on you
I don’t know any open source client that is even remotely as nice to use as Boost. Also, it’s not like the developer is actively spying on you, that’s just the default AdMob popup Google is now forced to show (They simply didn’t ask for any kind of consent in the past).
Anyway, I simply paid a few bucks for ad-free Boost.
Eternity, forked from Infinity for Reddit, is in a really good place and open source. I highly recommend it.
The dev that stole the name and only changed it when enough people got mad at him for essentially impersonating the original dev? Sounds like a deal!
I replied with a suggestion that met all the criteria… No need to be a jerk to me about it.
Not a jerk. Just making sure we have the same dev? because personally, I don’t support garbage behaviour like that.
Thunder is decent, but you can 7se what you want
Jerboa is fine
The point stands. Why are you willing to sell your data for a minor convenience like a slightly better UI for social media app.
Of all the fucking things you sell your data for, you’re doing it for the UI of a social media. Fucking UI of fucking social media, that’s the convenience you’re willing to sell your data for?
See personally I think I’m a lot more valuable than that.
Not everyone shares your values and priorities, and that’s okay a lot of times.
Foss fanatics being completely out of touch with how normal people interact with the internet will never not be funny to me.
99.9% of people do not give a shit. They want a good experience. That’s it.
I do what I can to block trackers on my end but if your app can’t give me the experience I want then I’m not using it.
That’s exactly what I’m saying. They’re so obsessed with tiny conveniences that they’re willing to sell themselves over where the buttons are on the screen.
I understand perfectly how normal people interact with the internet, and I’m calling them stupid for it.
Not “out of touch” with how “normal people” don’t care about their right to privacy being trampled. Critical of it.
The thing is, the experience is still worse. Even when you forget about trackers. Proprietary software is meant to best benefit the developer, not the user. So it is only a matter of time until you are fed up with it. See recent examples like Unity, Reddit, Twitter, Plex,… It all goes to shit. So why not take the convenient way and choose user-respecting software from the start?
🤡
Something wrong with what I said?
That didn’t happen with Boost for Reddit, and it’s our choice of preference to choose Boost for Lemmy.
It’s like you only read the first sentence of their response and ignored the rest.
Boost has to show the google ads consent and TOS. It only shows up if it downloads the google ads SDK after checking to see if you purchased ad free. So if you purchased ad free version you wouldn’t see this TOS since you didn’t get the Google Ads SDK.
You are most definitely not more valuable than the data collection they can do. Do not kid yourself.
I think their point was that they value/respect themselves enough to not sell their information for better UI
But not enough to spend a few bucks on the ad-free version of the app
If I personally wanted to spend money, I would donate to people who make open-source Lemmy clients free for everyone without spying on non-paying users instead of paying for this.
But you’re not the same as everyone else and it’s to be expected that they have different priorities, right?
That’s exactly why I included the word personally.
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I need you to understand that me saying “Boost is pulling a Google ads SDK and that’s their terms of service” isn’t me saying it’s ok. Me saying “you’re not more valuable than the data” is also not me saying it’s ok. Both of those things can be true while it’s still not ok. The world isn’t black and white. The difference here is knowing who, what and why to be mad/angery/upset at something. Otherwise you just have misdirected anger. The original comment called out boost as being a data predator (which I don’t use Boost for the record). I simply pointed to how the app and systems are setup and how the prompt shown isn’t Boost’s doing, it’s part of an SDK that boost uses as they’re injecting ads into the free app. They have to show whatever TOS the ad injector/SDK uses.
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Look I love FOSS, but this mentality that using anything except for FOSS is dumb. An incredible amount of time, money, and effort goes into building an app like Boost and the developer has every right to keep it closed source and charge for it and you have every right not to use it.
Many people are more than willing to pay for great software and others are happy to give up some privacy to get it for free. That’s their choice.
I use like 95% FOSS (except DRM crap), trying to contribute much as possible and I know a lot of people/projects. The question should be asked is if these fanatics donated a cent to projects /services they use?
Fuck boost, it’s garbage and wasted time for everyone as long as it’s closed source
I don’t. I chose to purchase the pro version for a few bucks.
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Just for you, I’m accepting all cookies today 😉
Edit: tomorrow too 😍
You can also download more RAM from the internet.
Life changing
Your loss of freedom isn’t affecting anyone else, so sure, go ahead
I always do :)
Please also hammer your fingers, you are making me hot 💦
Location services on at all times, Bluetooth open, and I connect to every free Wi-Fi on my iPhone, which knows my fingerprint.
Don’t worry, I don’t update the OS.
One can select a proprietary solution when it provides better user experience.
And you can purchase an application if you do not like and based model.
Better user experience like having your private data mined and sold 🤩🤩🤩
Like highlighting new comments in the thread and a GUI which is more pleasurable to use. If you see nothing beneficial for you in a non-foss app, you do not need to consider it.
When people like to eat poisoned food that you know will kill them, but they won’t listen to you and eat it anyway cuz it’s so damn tasty, then those people must be extremely stupid, right?
Right. But this is not a correct comparison to the discussed topic.
And even then, is it fair to say that everyone who’s tasted alcohol, spicy food, or garlic is stupid?
Given the hangover I have right now, I’d say yeah, I’m kinda stupid…
Competent dev?
Any of the FOSS apps, that have had a head start + the “power” of people contributing to it, are all SO far behind Boost when it comes to features and stability.