Dear readers and customers,
here is AETHYX MEDIAE, your friendly and most independent online publishing house from Europe!
Today we want to tell you about a neverending tale of How Google is violating our patience policy as indie publishers!
We’re developing Android apps inhouse since 2013, to be exact. During these times we never got any problems with them regarding any kinds of violations.
This is no wonder as we do our business seriously, and represent open-source to the fullest with all its quirks and hacks and stuff, but never illegally or bad or intentionally wrong, etc.
It’s mid August now and we already had to eat five takedowns since January. All because of the same fake bulls**t reason:
This is a snapshot from the automatically generated Email you get when your app is taken down but with no further information what the problem was exactly.
In the past we didn’t ask them what the problem was. We just provided them a new APK, let them check it, and were good for the next couple of months.
This time we tried a different approach and asked them for a more detailed answer.
This is the answer followed by a graphic which, according to Google, violated their policy:
“During review, we found that your app violates the Payments policy. You can read through the Payments policy page for more details.
For example, your app provides methods for users to donate without using Google Play’s payment system in app and in the store listing. Please refer to the attached screenshot for further information.
Donations may only be collected within an app under certain conditions:
Donations are only permitted for validated non-profit charitable organizations (for example, a validated 501(c)(3) charitable organization or the local equivalent).
Donations must be facilitated via a web browser, and any collection must be made through a secure payment system.You can learn more about in-app billing in the Android Developers Help Center. Note that all of these conditions need to be fulfilled for us to reinstate your app.”
This is the same nonsense they send you automatically when your app is taken down. It simply means we aren’t allowed to use donation(!) buttons we designed ourselves(!) on our own(!) apps and websites.
Don’t believe us? Then here’s the graphic with the “violation” in red:
For historical reasons we didn’t change the naming of the file, we just resized it to get down to the violation from us according to Google.
As if this wouldn’t be enough, “Big G” knocked us down another time.
This time, same(!) EMail, we would violate a “YouTube autoplay policy”:
“Additionally, during review, we also found that your app violates the Device and Network Abuse policy by enabling background play of YouTube videos.
One example to illustrate background play is YouTube video continues to play even after the screen is locked. Please refer to the attached screenshot (1) for further information.Please update your app to fix these issues. You’ll need to disable background play functionality of YouTube videos in your app before submitting it for another review. You may also want to double check that your app complies with all other policies listed in the Developer Policy Center as additional enforcement could occur if there are further policy violations.”
They sent us a snapshot here too:
We think there is no more concrete way to tell you in one Email “we don’t like you, and we don’t support what you do, either”. DAMN.
If we wouldn’t have asked for a more detailed description about the first “violation”, we wouldn’t have received the second one about YouTube autoplay. Oh my…
Well, we’re the underdogs here, we can’t do anything about rules made by Google. Their Play Store still is the #1 reason why developers publish Android apps and this never changed and it will never change in the future.
So, what we’ll do, we can only nod our sad head and comply with them. As always.
As we’re already on our way out from tainted and non-GDPR-complying advertising schemes (as promised by us in an article back in March this year), we’re thinking about bringing back Google Adsense at least for those projects which offer Android app functionality. We never used Google Payments and don’t know what this is, and as far as we’re concerned we just won’t use it in the future for the reasons found herein, obviously.
For the time being, we can’t provide a working Android app for the aforementioned project. Let’s hope for the best!
Good luck to all the Android indie developers out there.
Take care,
the aethyx staff
Dear readers,
in a couple of months we’re existing as an online publishing house for more than a decade.
What we observed so far is, although we got a diversification of tools we can use and set up online, plus there are more available than when we started, the problem today seems we’re overlooking too fast which one is the best for ourselves.
(A logo representing free speech by the EFF)
No illusions here: the world around us became more complicated.
When we started setting up and building weblogs there wasn’t even a technical term for this technology. YouTube didn’t exist yet as well as other “social networks”, smartphones or tablets.
So, believe us please that even we couldn’t anticipate which tools and services we would offer over time.
What started as pioneering online publishing technology in 2001 finally became AETHYX MEDIAE in 2010, offering a plethora of services and technology for the 21. century made with love and based in Europe:
We call these four our core services today as we got most of our knowledge here as well as our own history (and clients, of course).
Despite those listed we’re always open for trying something new.
Let us mention here our PS3 Linux repository project, our one and only MediaWiki project Kryptowiki, we even started an adult toy store in 2014 or an own social network project we use for inhouse communication. The list won’t end here: https://aethyx.eu/where/.
Thus, we never know where technology may lead us and we take risks but are also proud of exploring new realms. Just like you!
Which brings us back to the title of this post: which of these tools is the best for you? Let us be your partner and drop us a line to find out: info@aethyx.eu!
Like you we’re eager where our journey together will lead us. And just because the tool we’ll find together is not listed yet on our websites doesn’t mean we don’t offer it. 🙂 The future is here to conquer it together!
Hope to hear from you soon,
the aethyx staff
Happy New Year to y’all!
We’re starting the brand new year 2017 with an exclusive sale of the first commercial project we did: zockerseele.com.
Soon we’ll start auctioning the complete project, but until this unspecified date we’re trying to find a new owner via our common channels.
Bidding will start at 7.500€. First come, first served.
And here are some highlights you’ll get for those bucks:
We’re doing this for several reasons: firstly, see it as an experiment. Secondly, no one has the time or ambition to write entries anymore. Thirdly, we want to expand more on the Android platform. And fourthly, we need money for developing and promoting these apps.
If you’re interested, drop us a line: info@aethyx.eu. The project will be sold to the first one who accepts the fee of 7.500€. In this case we won’t do an auction. So just do it and do it quick!
It was helluva fun to maintain this project. But in the end, it’s time for a split and try something new.
Thanks for reading! Spread the word!
Kindest regards,
the aethyx staff
Dear readers,
since yesterday the NATO sees cyberspace officially as a new territory for its operations. This is no good news for users of the interwebs.
I) Why is this a problem?
Currently the NATO exists of only 28 states out of 192 worldwide. To most people this “intergovernmental military alliance” lost its meaning completely at the moment the Berlin wall fell. Before that, the world was balanced by self-knockouts of two countries only, USA and Sovjet Union. The world lived in peace, or at least it was recognised by most people, after the fall of the Iron Curtain 1989, until September the 11th, 2001.
Unfortunately a lot has changed to the worse, not only regarding web topics. People are executed or jailed for publishing independent texts online and offline. Religious conflicts worldwide backed by military-industrial complex structures, most of them from NATO countries, arose and killed hundreds and thousands of people. The conflict with Ukraine is mainly a NATO, not a Russian problem. Former Warsaw Pact states were tricked in joining NATO first before becoming a full EU member. Al-Qaida became ISIL will become what-ever. The modernisation as well as the future development of new kinds of atomic bombs. And so on.
As you can see there is absolutely no advantage in being regarded an “operation territory” by NATO. We don’t know if they were just stupid or megalomaniac when they proclaimed that publicly. You as an internet user should be prepared for the worst; remember the Snowden files since 2013, please, if you didn’t believe citizen journalists before this American whistleblower already.
II) What can I do now?
The worst you could do: Going offline.
What we regard since several years is the fact that the internet became to powerful for the global elite to control and they want to trick you in leaving it to them what’s good for you. Believe us: we are here since 2000 already and if you don’t do it yourself, then someone else will do it for you! The internet is no TV is no radio! It’s too huge, too complex and no organisation or system, we repeat, no organisation or system on this planet to this date is able to process all data here!
That’s how Apple tried to take your mobile internet. That’s how Facebook took all of your friends as well as what you and your loved ones like. That’s why Microsoft bought Skype, Nokia as well as LinkedIn. They want you to believe that they own anything already and they keep selling you this lie. Yeah, then see for yourself how huge the web really is.
You know, we still remember the promises of the golden internet times 1999/2000 for anyone and AETHYX MEDIAE thinks this time is still to come! Don’t leave it all to giant corporations! The dinosaurs will vanish anyway! Did you know that Microsoft even didn’t see the WorldWideWeb coming? Imagine: in 2016 you as a user are enough experienced & skilled with web knowledge than you might think! Do it on your own or leave it to us! Check out our product range:
We are glad to help where we can in making yourself free from those kraken overlords! Don’t hesitate to contact us!
For anything else, becoming a creator from being only a consumer is never easy: Use VPN!
III) Aren’t you just panicking?
No, definitely not. NATO today is good for nothing. It never was, actually. If you didn’t see or experience this on your own between 1989 and the end of 2001 we feel very sorry for you.
IV) Didn’t they forget to mention space?
Yes, they actually did. We believe that happened on purpose. We currently live in world with five realms: water, earth, air, space and cyber. We will never forget those stupid “Star Wars” plans by certain American politicians. In fact, one of those aggressive star wars systems is currently sold to Poland and will be operating there 2018. No one in the EU wants such systems and those are not needed. Regarding the tensions between Brussels and Warsaw at the current time, we, IOHO, think we lost Great Britain and Poland already to the USA. The EU won’t be able to change that. Shall they leave the European Union. For Europe, Russia was never an opponent! In history.
tl;dr
With the recent news that NATO, which and with it all of its member states failed on only one day in 2001, we don’t believe it’s a good sign now being regarded as target(s) when using internet and/or web services. Our article here pointed out our angriness as well as some hints for you as a user or small corporation to avoid future complications. That’s just our opinion but AETHYX MEDIAE as an independent publishing house thinks that as long as NATO exists there will be stupid wars for generations, no matter which realm. And you know who profit the most from those mass killings? Only the 28 wealthiest states on this planet. Time to become activists, people!
Hello dear readers!
We would like to inform you about the fact that we moved our Gadgets weblog Gizmeo.com to a whole new domain. It now resides under
Gizmeo.eu.
Visit the website clicking the hyperlink in the left sidebar under “Web References”.
All the articles, feeds, pages, images, etc., will be redirected and all search engines out there should change their respective listings the following weeks automatically.
This is one of our most important steps this year: As a young an independent publishing house from Europe with European roots, European heritage and defending an European future plus European culture, it is our duty to move away from commercial domains and use what’s representing us the most.
The most recent example is yaaby.eu, where our indie Android web browser YAABy is blogging.
We would be happy to see other publishing houses from Europe doing the same. As of the end of this month the domain will become 10 years old already! The thing is: To this day only 3.9 million such domains were registered. What a pity regarding 500 million residents in the EU!
We hope to be an inspiration to follow. Hint: Also aethyx.eu will become aethyx.eu as soon as possible.
Become independent from Verisign and the USA! Use more domains from your respective territory! Support more regional developers as well as companies!
Thanks for listening.
Kindest regards,
the aethyx staff