Developers of InPic reverse engineering/copying codes from Instance and #2InstaWithMassiveLove

[LastBattle]

I am end user , I don't care if someone copied some code , I am happy to have another app in app store , at least they trying and putting effort .. is that paid app they selling? if not what's the big deal...

That's the same thing as robbing from a store and giving it out free. Its certainly a big deal.

 

[berty6294]

I am end user , I don't care if someone copied some code , I am happy to have another app in app store , at least they trying and putting effort .. is that paid app they selling? if not what's the big deal...

That is literally the dumbest thing I have ever read! Another word for copying is STEALING, especially when you publish it as your own!

 

[Daniel Rubino]

It seems...ironic that you're taking this stance when you're the first to publicize these developers who engage in somewhat illicit activity. We all remember the mysterious Instagraph posts.

That's not irony.

I just see one developer here making allegations with people submitting tips that we should report on it. I'm not a dev and don't analyze code, but I'm dubious when one side makes outrageous claims without the other side chiming in--I'm not up for taking someone's word, especially when they have a vested interest. Yet I see people here picking up the pitchforks because this is the internet, and that's what people do, evidently.

We always report on controversial apps--torrent apps, clone apps, store hacks, etc. I make no apologies for that. Not sure what that has to do with anything, really or how it's "ironic".

What's my stance? That I find it funny that devs who've cloned a service by reverse engineering APIs against the TOS of that company get upset when others allegedly "steal" their code? Yeah, I do find that funny, sorry. It's not a moral position--I'm not saying it's wrong or right, nor am I defending it (if it's true).

I'm just not prepared to run a story on the front page burning one dev because another has made claims. We do that and our site could become a dev tabloid pretty soon.

 

[rhodri22]

100% agree with you Daniel. If the developer is of the opinion that this is theft, he should contact Microsoft who can make a judgment. It is not the place of a Windows Phone news site to become the war ground for two devs making accusations that are as of yet unfounded.


This needs to be dealt with by someone who can look impartiality and knowledgably on the evidence and come to a judgment that is fair for both parties, whether that be in favour of the developer above or against, and then take the appropriate action.

 

[karryt]

What's my stance? That I find it funny that devs who've cloned a service by reverse engineering APIs against the TOS of that company get upset when others allegedly "steal" their code? Yeah, I do find that funny, sorry. It's not a moral position--I'm not saying it's wrong or right, nor am I defending it (if it's true).

Daniel, I just recently started reading wpcentral but your comments here have been kind of off-putting to me. I didn't see anyone in the thread suggest that you should run a story on this before all of the facts were known. And even if you did want to run a story you could have done some fact checking yourself first. You say you're not defending any supposed theft, but your comments to me were pretty out of line. The original dev put in a lot of time to develop his app and he definitely has the right to protect his work. I agree with the poster above that it would have been better if you had not commented on this at all.

 

[Jas00555]

Daniel, I just recently started reading wpcentral but your comments here have been kind of off-putting to me. I didn't see anyone in the thread suggest that you should run a story on this before all of the facts were known. And even if you did want to run a story you could have done some fact checking yourself first. You say you're not defending any supposed theft, but your comments to me were pretty out of line. The original dev put in a lot of time to develop his app and he definitely has the right to protect his work. I agree with the poster above that it would have been better if you had not commented on this at all.

huh??? He clearly states 2 paragraphs above what you quoted that people were submitting tips on their site or within the app. You only quoted that one paragraph, but deleted the rest. So you clearly saw the rest, but what? Forgot about it?

 

[karryt]

huh??? He clearly states 2 paragraphs above what you quoted that people were submitting tips on their site or within the app. You only quoted that one paragraph, but deleted the rest. So you clearly saw the rest, but what? Forgot about it?

No of course not, I clearly stated that there was no mention within this thread that he should bring this to anyone's attention, until he said he wouldn't do so himself. He was free to ignore the "tips" that folks were sending in, and not post comments that I, and apparently others, found to be rather demeaning to the application developer. It was just a surprise to see the kind of attitude the editor in chief of the site has towards developers that are actually putting forth the effort to develop for Windows Phone.

 

[Shouvik Mazumdar]

This reminds me of a classic dialogue

Steve Jobs: What is this? This is like doing business with a praying mantis. You get seduced, and then eaten alive afterwards?
Bill Gates: Get real, would ya? You and I are both like guys who had this rich neighbor - Xerox - who left the door open all the time. And you go sneakin' in to steal a TV set. Only when you get there, you realize that I got there first. I got the loot, Steve! And you're yellin'? "That's not fair. I wanted to try to steal it first." You're too late.


As a developer , I understand LastBattle's pain. You work hard only to get ripped off. Also Daniel's remark is fine. We violated the TOS to give us an instagram client , so one un fair move gets another un fair move.

My advise (and I copy from Lazy Wom's comment) - Imitation is the best form of flattery !! So Take it as a pride that they copied your code and Move ahead cheerfully !

you are doing a good job and My best wishes for your future apps

 

[FourTonMantis]

Meanwhile in the recent updates...:



But apart of that - the sad truth is that if you are afraid of your intellectual work getting copied - you should not become an author.
I know it's not right and it doesn't feel good (I've been copied a few times), but there's nothing that can be changed at the moment. And yes, it feels a bit like a flattery

 

[Jas00555]

I'm not sure if these apps actually stole the source code, but for the people saying it's okay to steal someone's app, let me give you a scenario:

So lets say you're a drug dealer (great way to start this, but follow me here). So you know you're doing something that your country (instagram) doesn't approve of and you know you're breaking the law (ToS) by smuggling (reverse engineering) your products (instagram client) into a market.

Suddenly, you find out that another drug dealer has been stealing your drugs and giving them away for free even though you spent tons of time smuggling your drugs.

You tell people that someone has been stealing your drugs and giving them away and your clients say "dude, I'm an end-user, I don't care where the drugs come from, the more deals the merrier, stop freaking out."

Yeah, that would suck wouldn't it? Stealing someone's work is never okay.

 

[rudyhuyn]

Seriously??

Meanwhile in the recent updates...:

View attachment 44989

 

[rudyhuyn]

I defended LastBattle but he stoles my design !!!



Seriously, change it right now if you don't want problem and be clear with yourself. Don't blame someone when you do the same thing...

 

[Martsicky]

Lol

 

[Ultimateone]

I cant wait to see what they say about that, oh the drama.

The hot balloon is just ridiculous too

 

[Paulo1300]

Well in his defense your new design of 6tag kinda copied Daniel garys design of instance beta which was a copy of twitter.. And so on

 

[FourTonMantis]

LOL indeed

 

[_Emi_]

so much drama in this thread...
sometimes I wonder why mods don't close these kind of things, but anyway, they are fun to read.
first people start condemning my dear Daniel Rubino for not wanting to run a story and saying its ironic (which is true) people saying someone stole something from them when they are not following the rules of instagram.
then someone complains that his designs were "stolen" like if these apps could have so much vary on design, really you think your design is unique? im sure I will find older apps and your design will look similar, and it doesn't mean you stole it, it just means you used a design that works well. or what? someone cant improve layout only because "im afraid i will steal from someone else"
Im a designer and that has happened to me, and people want me to copy stuff and of course while I don't so it, I of course take inspiration to make my job done.
so don't say someone is stealing because im sure you are stealing your layout from someone else... because you know, not even the icons are similar by your super comparison post. I mean... again, do you think I wont go around and find a similar layout made before you even started writing 6tag? Im sure I would.


then this guy made an analogy about DRUGS trying to make a point... please Jas005 next time you want to make an analogy try to make it better... a drug addict or someone who wants to use drugs DONT care where they come from if they are stolen or not. they just want the drug, in this case, they only want instagram client because that company wont make an app, so the only way of getting the beloved instagram is by having this apps. so if they are free = better. I mean... your analogy is so bad that you are saying it like if having free drugs were wrong, or like if people would ask "hey drug dealer did you steal these from someone?", that would be a problem for the drug dealers... but the consumer doesn't care about it.

and now Im here posting, like another dumb Windows Phone user, laughing about how pathetic some threads can be, I mean this is not school.... its not like Daniel or someone will do much for you. they aren't part of Microsoft. its not like they will give 1 week detention to the other guy and problem solved.
and its not like its the first or last time someone will copy or use something from someone else....

Just stop the drama and keep improving your apps, if you don't like competition or someone taking your code, well you can always quit.
This is not Microsoft to fix your problems anyway....

I mean you can also pay someone to go to the guys house and break his legs and destroy his windows phones and computer... why don't you do that? even that would be more useful than posting a drama-pathetic thread about how someone stole your cookies and milk in the playground.

 

[dkp23]

I defended LastBattle but he stoles my design !!!

View attachment 45051

Seriously, change it right now if you don't want problem and be clear with yourself. Don't blame someone when you do the same thing...

lulz love how the number of icons on the page is one more or one less.

 

[jbigelow]

I defended LastBattle but he stoles my design !!!

View attachment 45051

Seriously, change it right now if you don't want problem and be clear with yourself. Don't blame someone when you do the same thing...

Eh, there's only so many ways you can show a list of user comments or collection of tagged photos and things like the Home icon on the top left are fairly common UX experiences so while it looks like LastBattle was "inspired" by 6tag it might not go so far as copying. Until you get to that hot air balloon, damn dude that's just lazy

 

[FourTonMantis]

There ARE many ways. Check other apps like WPGram and Metrogram for example.
It's interesting why #2insta...'s design was quite different before the release of this theme of 6tag and how it became so similar at EXACTLY THIS moment...