Oct 10, 2010

Dear eLL Mobile (and others)

This has been a long time coming. I didn't want to do this; I did not want to appear like a self absorbed attention whoring bitch. I did not want to do this simply because I do what I do for goodwill, and for the love of it. I do not seek name, profit or fame. I simply wish that somebody somewhere (including myself) may someday find use for whatever I have done here.

I was saddened today to learn that eLL mobile - among others - have been profiting off our (myself and afxal) work with the iPhone iOS thaana font pack and the alQuran dhivehi translation mod. Perhaps "profiting" is too mild a word to describe it.

I understand that you are a business venture. I have no problems with you installing them on your customers phones. I have no problems with you using our repository. I don't even have a problem with you charging a small service charge for the process. You are most welcome to do so. what I do have a problem with however, is your interpretation of the term "small service fee". 

Sure it incurs bandwidth costs and time (time=money afterall,) but I hardly think that 100Rf to install the font-pack is a fair price. I can get 20, I can get 30...I can even understand 40, but 100? that's pushing it.  I can only imagine the kind of profits you're making. To top it off, you actually had the nerve to claim that you "developed" it, and that you are "developing" solutions for 3.1.3 devices. That it would take about two more months to complete it. Now if you really are working on your own solution, please accept my apologies. Let me know if you need help - I would be glad to share my own experience.

Not only have you failed to respect the hard work that we put into this, you have failed to recognize it. You have even gone to such lengths as to remove the repository once you're done installing, and removing the link to my blog. I put the blog link there for a reason. So that people can know where the translation came from, and they could report problems. The idea is not to garner attention, but to get feedback. Feedback that could have helped improve things.

I am not waging war against you. I am not starting an anti-campaign against you. I just wanted to let you know that your blatant disregard for the spirit of community has deeply upset me. I am not seeking compensation or apologies or anything of that regard. A simple thank you initially is all the compensation that I would have ever demanded. What I am asking for, what I really want - is a little respect. Not for me or afxal; but for the people whom you are so blatantly exploiting.

Are we really to feed off each other? are we truly that lost? Have we forgotten the saying that what we give will comeback to us tenfold? Have we been so corrupted by "business" that we have forgotten the value of a common, simple courtesy?

14 Comments:

Tiny Deals Admin said...

WOA! U better copyright protect ur works! :D

Anonymous said...

The feeling is mutual.. What I dislike is taking such a big fee for something available for free, just for installing it. They started this when dhivehi font for iphone was first release on 3.0, around a year ago.

MrMaldivian

Yaamyn said...

I find there is a general trend in the Maldives for disregarding and disrespecting others work.

Formax, for instance, makes a business of selling illegal and pirated software for an unreasonable (criminal?) sum.

It is dishonest to the developer, dishonest to the customer and just pure greed.

I think the lowest low, in this case, is when they removed the attribution to your hard work.

That stinks, Ell mobile.

Say, don't we have a copyright law as of yesterday?

SoE said...

we can't really claim copyright, as the "hack" to the iPhone system is probably outside legal bounds anyway.

echo7 said...

Ah the evil corporate entities belittle the little man yet again. Typical. Worry not my brother, goodwill shall prevail.

Anonymous said...

you tell them bro

afxal said...

How can we play this game when certain people just dont understand the profit gaining system.

We have spent lots of time to perfect these hacks, usually our iDevices are bricked twice or thrice on a usual testing day.

This is not what I expected.

Topical Madness said...

My first impulse was to boycott Ell Mobile... but that wouldn't really solve the problem, would it. Sigh...

Anonymous said...

This is not only going with Ell mobile, some other mobile servicing ppl is doing same. I already met one mobile tech guy boasting in a cafe that this hacks belongs to him. Damn i couldn't hold ma breath for a sec to expose this jackass.... hehe this what only we can do Bro. These guys don't have the knowledge of doing so and takes the credit of others hard work.

I appreciate your hard work and hold it tight.;-)

SoE said...

how hilarious :) THanks bro.

Jundow said...

well said brother :D

And yes great work :D Hats Off

Azhath said...

i think u guys shud stop them from doing this for their profit .. way to go nail ... gud u pointed out it here :P

issey said...

not only the politicians are corrupted here... businessman not less regarded...

Anonymous said...

eLL doing such things, one of the reason is they dont know much abt softwares.

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