this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2023
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Liftoff!

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A mobile client for Lemmy running on iOS and Android

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Appreciation post for Liftoff not collecting user data or injecting ads. (lemm.ee)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by Holodeck_Moriarty@lemm.ee to c/liftoff@lemmy.world
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I was looking forward to trying Sync today now that it's live, but my enthusiasm was immediately dampened after seeing the "Data Safety" section on the Google Play store.

Liftoff has been great, and want to say thanks for making an awesome app. This will continue to be my daily driver.

Edit: for clarity, because the post got way bigger than I expected.

Sync looks like a fantastic app, and the dev/s should charge whatever they feel is fair for their efforts, even if that's through the usual ads + ad tracking.

My intent was just to post here in /c/Liftoff to thank the Liftoff devs for managing to somehow offer an awesome app without any of that.

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[–] ComputerSagtNein@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I dont get you people. Making those apps is maybe a hobby for some but a job for others. People asked for Synch for Lemmy and the dev WORKED on it and will continue WORKING on it.

Love to see how many of you guys will work for free. And you probably all work for places that NEVER collect any data.

Could I use a free app for Lemmy? Sure, but I want Synch, because I know what Synch has to offer is what I want. I don't need to settle for an "almost" solution. I can use Synch and I gladly paid for it.

[–] Xandar437@feddit.nl 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think OP doesn't mind paying for an app, it's the "collect data" that was his issue. If the free version collects data to send you ads, and there is an option to buy and remove the data collection and ads, then that's probably fine with most people.

[–] aircooledJenkins@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's the way it is being reported. Buy to remove ads and the tracking goes away.

[–] Zalack@startrek.website -1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yeah, I've been really disappointed in Lemmy's response to sync. I thought this community was supposed to be technically minded but in every thread on Sync, the top comment is repeating disinformation about tracking and there's tons of people tearing down the developer.

I get not wanting to use an App that has ads, but people are getting downright toxic over an App that no one is forcing them to use lol.

[–] rikudou@lemmings.world 1 points 1 year ago

Where are the disinformation? Show me how I can have the ad-free version on my phone that doesn't have Play Services and I'll be very happy.

[–] Buelldozer@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago

The fediverse has a very high percentage of users who are FOSS zealots. These people would rather drink rancid gnu piss from Richard Stallman's sweaty jock strap than deal with commercialized software. After you've been around them long enough (1996 in my case) you learn to tune them out.

[–] Laticauda@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Bro, of course it has a data safety section, it offers a paid version so it will need to be able to collect your financial information, and any trackers are removed if you remove ads or turn off personalized ads. That doesn't mean it's stealing your data, those are regular app functions for apps that have iaps or show ads.

[–] Classy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

download camera app

App requirements: Access to files

OMFG THE CAMERA APP IS STEALING ALL OF MY DATA

[–] Fissionami@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sync VS FOSS thing isn't over yet? Let everyone use what they like the most. Let everyone be the judge of their own data and how it is being used. For god's sake, live and let live folks

[–] PopOfAfrica@lemmy.one 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I would rather not normalize closed source software. Might as well just go back to Reddit.

[–] SRo@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You like eating shit?

[–] PopOfAfrica@lemmy.one 1 points 1 year ago

Closed source enthusiasts sure seem to.

[–] Laticauda@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Christ, closed source is not the devil, and if you treat it like it is then it shows you don't actually know how open or closed source works, or the pros and cons of both types of software.

[–] PopOfAfrica@lemmy.one 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Let's break it down this way. Let's look at incentive structure's.

An Open Source application can be forked, and has no incentive to use data in a maligned way.

A closed one can earn tons of money by doing just that.

As I argue with most things, Capitalism is the main issue and it permeates through all facets of life by having backwards incentive structures

[–] Classy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago

God forbid a developer wants to own the code they write and be able to pay their bills doing it.

A fork "can be used" to stab someone in the jugular but it doesn't mean we need to get rid of all forks to ensure it never happens. People need to be smart with who they trust and who they give their money to. LJ isn't putting a gun to your head and forcing you to buy his app, but I'm gladly paying for it because I feel like he's an upstanding guy and frankly he's just better at building a good UI than anyone else on Lemmy (and yes, I've tried at least 5 different apps. Second best was Connect.)

[–] profilelost@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's seriously a great app, so I don't get the fuss about Sync either. I've been a Sync and Boost user before but I'm very content with the apps we already got for Lemmy so I won't throw in another one to choose from.

I've been switching between Liftoff, Voyager and Thunder because they all seem to good to just lose them right now lol

[–] AdmiralShat@programming.dev -2 points 1 year ago

To me, it's that these apps are established and developed into a clean user experience, many with like a decade of fine tuning. These new apps are, to me, not as good for that reason alone.

Of course it's all preference, but that's my input on the subject.

I found boost a great app and I was one of the first people (if not the first, my post on his sub is the first instance of it) to tell Ruben to make a lemmy app. I like Ruben because every single time I've ever had an issue with Boost for reddit, he responded directly to me and either helped me solve a user error or he would literally patch the app and push an update that included my issue. He's a great dev and I'm glad he's decided to continue development else where, and I'm glad to support him in this. While I could easy patch ads out using lucky patcher, I will pay for premium of boost for lemmy as soon as it's ready

[–] Schooner@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I think it's a little uncharitable to Sync to characterise it like this. Yes, it collects personal data to show ads. However, you have the choice to refuse or pay a one time fee to get rid of it entirely. It's the nonconsensual nature of data collection that robs users of their agency that makes it problematic.

Devs need to eat and donations are not always a realistic revenue scheme. With the one time fee, Sync has signalled it cares about its users and not just value extraction like Big Tech. I will probably pay that and be happy.

I like Liftoff, I also like Sync. I use both atm.

[–] rikudou@lemmings.world 1 points 1 year ago

you have the choice to refuse

If you're in the EU, of course.

pay a one time fee to get rid of it entirely

If you already have spyware called Play Services on your phone.

[–] Holodeck_Moriarty@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I totally get that, and the sync dev seems like a good guy who should charge whatever he feels is reasonable for his time. To an average end user like me though, it feels a bit like there are 5-6 booths offering bananas for free, but then someone set up a booth right next to them selling bananas for $20 a pop or requiring me to sit through a sales pitch.

I just wanted to show my appreciation for the guy at my favorite booth who is doing it for free when they really didn't have to.

[–] SRo@lemmy.sdf.org -1 points 1 year ago

And look what you've done. You brought the crazies out. The extremists.

[–] AphoticDev@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Here we are, with rabid FOSS fanboys complaining about tracking in an Android app. Probably posting these angry threads from their Samsungs, loaded down with baked in spyware and adware, and acting superior cause they fiddled around on DuckDuckGo long enough to figure out how to install F-Droid and think now they're elite hackers in total control of their device and data.

If you're running a stock ROM, you've already given all your data away to the manufacturer and Google, at the very least. So don't come on Lemmy bitching about tracking, when half of you wouldn't know what privacy was if I beat you to death with it.

You exquisite knobs. You absolute baffoons.

[–] NightOwl@lemmy.one 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What's with the insults just because people aren't using Sync? I don't understand the fanaticism of worship that seems to be around it that people react in this manner to those who decide to not use it.

[–] rikudou@lemmings.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well, Sync brought more of the yucky Reddit people which were a minority in the first migration.

[–] AphoticDev@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 year ago

I use Jerboa, which is the best client for Lemmy, not Sync.

[–] bigkix@lemm.ee -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

"Oh, no! It's collects data!" - say people who use search engines, smartphones, navigations, personal AI assistants and social networks created by big tech companies to trade in user data.