Database Develop

Finally, an ORGANIZED place for cooks to put their ROMs

I am working on a website where XDA cooks along with others can post their custom ROMs. I always tought this site is a disorganised mess if you are a newcomer. I built this solution from scratch and it's fully dynamic (PHP+MySQL). I'm almost done with the basics (registering, submitting, browsing...) but I'm still open to suggestions.
Here are a few screenshots. I'd love to get some opinions.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

A few possible domains for the website:
deviceroms.com
wmroms.com
To-do:
-Implement the ratings system
-Spread the word
-"Share this page" and other similar features.

[this used to be a reply to a post that was deleted]
I'm also looking for a complete list of Windows Mobile devices so I can list them in the catalog. I already have HTC devices, but I'd need the devices from Acer, HP and the rest too.

So, what do you people think?

Too many usernames
Hi,
That's a tidy looking design, from a user point of view I like XDA Developers because I sign in, and have access to some user support, software downloads, and ROM updates - without having to sign-up for another website...
I really like the idea of a dedicated portal for ROM updates, and detailed instructions for newbies - how about using your portal as an affiliate to XDA developers? So, for instance, I would use the same credentials to log into either site, or even a shared cookie / user database?
For obvious reasons I do not like to use the same credentials between sites, so for you to broker an arrangement with the administrator of this website for sharing the credential database / profiles / and web site traffic would make life for people like me easier....
If I were the administrator of this website with a large following I'd jump at the opportunity for portals and shared resources on other hosts to boost popularity...
There is a new portal on xda-developers coming soon, perhaps they'll address this?

there's no place like xda for ROMs, i'll pass. nice effort though.

mybetrayal said:
I really like the idea of a dedicated portal for ROM updates, and detailed instructions for newbies - how about using your portal as an affiliate to XDA developers? So, for instance, I would use the same credentials to log into either site, or even a shared cookie / user database?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mybetrayal said:
If I were the administrator of this website with a large following I'd jump at the opportunity for portals and shared resources on other hosts to boost popularity...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless they bring you on as a contractor to add something to their existing vBulletin install, having a new 3rd party website access their user database is a major security worry. I guess they could create a user authentication API for you to plug into but that'll still be something to be concerned of both from XDA and existing XDA users trusting a new website.
Also with the gray shade legality of these non-MS authorized ROMs, I wouldn't expect their stance to be that accomodating to this. Perhaps you should consider focusing on helping them orginize these new software releases created by the XDA community. That's even harder to sort thru than the ROMs.
Just giving honest opinion from a fellow web developer.

I mostly made this to practice PHP while creating something that could potentially maintain itself financially (domain name+hosting).
I want to provide a way for newcomers and old users to easily find and compare ROMs for their devices. The forum as it actually is is not exactly a welcoming place for those looking for step-by-step guides and organized information. As for software releases, I'd be glad to support them to and even host them if I can afford it. Once the main frame is built, it can and will be reused for Android and software.
As for working with XDA-developers, I'd love it. I aim to integrate XDA-devs as tightly as possible with the rest of the site. However, credentials will stay separate from this site. It's not secure as stated above and might require ridiculous amounts of work from me and the (possibly disinterested) XDA-developers admin. Yet, there will be XDA-developers integration to a certain level.
deviceroms will be a tool, not a community.

I like this concept, please make it real soon and use a better design and simpler design for it

Semseddin said:
I like this concept, please make it real soon and use a better design and simpler design for it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to make it as simple and efficient as possible; navigation is simple, registration does not require email confirmation and everything is listed as to make browsing easier for a "ROM shopper". There WILL be moderation as I opted for full HTML support in the description.
As for the delivery date, expect it to be soon enough. I've got only a few work hours and I've done 75 percent of the job after already after 40 days.
The site as it is works but lacks critical features (editing existing listings, rating ROMs and changing account password).

If you need help with maintenance or moderating, let me know. Btw a small forum wouldn't hurt,too. At least a tool to comment on roms will be nice. People might read the reviews of them before downloading.
All the best !

nice job
really hope that you finhish the site soon

Semseddin said:
If you need help with maintenance or moderating, let me know. Btw a small forum wouldn't hurt,too. At least a tool to comment on roms will be nice. People might read the reviews of them before downloading.
All the best !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, you just gave me an idea! I know there are a lot of support/bug report posts in the ROM threads. This will also happen in the comments, so I'll include a dropdown box where they can select the comment's nature so they can be filtered.

You're welcome

That's a great idea.
N1c0_ds said:
Hey, you just gave me an idea! I know there are a lot of support/bug report posts in the ROM threads. This will also happen in the comments, so I'll include a dropdown box where they can select the comment's nature so they can be filtered.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should consider DIV tabs separating between comments/bug reports. Also you should consider doing a multi-faceted rating system:
Speed
Stability
Free Memory
Built-in Applications
Style/Visual
Then allow people to search and filter based on date plus the rating criteria they are looking for. (ie. within last 3 months that have average 5-star speed ratings)

Also please please please make sure your coding is secure.
The last person who posted on the board showing off that he made a windows mobile application blog/website had made his site public with major security flaws (SQL injection). If I didn't point it to him that there was a major flaw, it might have been left open and someone could have stolen all the e-mails and login info. Since it was a custom job he could have also stored the passwords in plaintext in the database, so any hacker using sql injection could have gotten XDA member's e-mail addresses and passwords which could be horrible if the XDA member is the type that uses the same password on multiple websites.

SeanFromSoCal said:
You should consider DIV tabs separating between comments/bug reports. Also you should consider doing a multi-faceted rating system:
Speed
Stability
Free Memory
Built-in Applications
Style/Visual
Then allow people to search and filter based on date plus the rating criteria they are looking for. (ie. within last 3 months that have average 5-star speed ratings)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a great idea. There is no ratings system yet, so that might be a cool idea. I still can't figure out a better way than storing individual votes in a table to limit users to a single vote per ROM.
SeanFromSoCal said:
The last person who posted on the board showing off that he made a windows mobile application blog/website had made his site public with major security flaws (SQL injection). If I didn't point it to him that there was a major flaw, it might have been left open and someone could have stolen all the e-mails and login info. Since it was a custom job he could have also stored the passwords in plaintext in the database, so any hacker using sql injection could have gotten XDA member's e-mail addresses and passwords which could be horrible if the XDA member is the type that uses the same password on multiple websites.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a starter but I am well aware of the risks of SQL and script injection attacks. I am actively reading on the topic in order to prevent these before going live.

N1c0_ds said:
That's a great idea. There is no ratings system yet, so that might be a cool idea. I still can't figure out a better way than storing individual votes in a table to limit users to a single vote per ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's the best way to do it. You could always have a CRON script to run everynight to parse the votes and store that value in a separate "ROM_Rating_Summary" table.
ROM_ID, RatingCount, AverageSpeedRating, AverageStabilityRating, AverageMemoryRating, AverageFeatureRating, AverageStyleRating, TotalSpeedPoints, TotalStabilityPoints, TotalMemoryPoints, TotalFeaturePoints, TotalStylePoints
So the cron will add up all the SpeedPoints from each user rating (4+3+5+2+3+4+4) and then divide it by RatingCount. 4+3+5+2+3+4+4 = 25 / 7 = 3.57 avg rating in Speed category. The cron will add the last days' new rating points and increment the rating count and then you divide and get the revised average rating. By parsing only the last day's worth of comments this way, it should be fast to loop thru even 1000 ROMs.
Have fun with it.

Alright folks! I'm 90% done! Once I get the BBCode support working, I'll upload it online for bug testing

More Info on SOPA/PIPA

Hello fellow members of XDA. I feel as though there is not enough information regarding some issues going thru th US Congress in the next week and a half that are going to affect the internet and the way our privacy is in turn treated. As you can see up top of screen there is an annoucment regarding this issue but its not informative enough to speak loud enough for this cause.
If you use any form of the internet this is going to affect you. Below is a short list of some items that are of the worst parts of this bill trying to stop the first admendment and our use of free speach.
Please Contact you State Rep use facebook,twitter,any outlet you can to get these messages to the public.
ADD WHAT ELSE YOU FIND
LETS PUT A STOP TO THIS
The examples used below have come from various sources such as CNET,Craigslist,and EFF.
Q: What's the justification for SOPA and Protect IP?
Two words: rogue sites.
That's Hollywood's term for Web sites that happen to be located in a nation more hospitable to copyright infringement than the United States is (in fact, the U.S. is probably the least hospitable jurisdiction in the world for such an endeavor). Because the target is offshore, a lawsuit against the owners in a U.S. court would be futile.
For example, Monster Cable considers craigslist a "rogue site" for takedown under PIPA - they want to prevent YOU from selling YOUR unwanted cables so they can increase sales and stop second hand sales.
On November 15, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Zynga, eBay, Mozilla, Yahoo, AOL,Craigslist and LinkedIn wrote a letter to key members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, saying SOPA poses "a serious risk to our industry's continued track record of innovation and job creation, as well as to our nation's cybersecurity." Yahoo has reportedly quit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over the organization's enthusiastic support for SOPA.
What will SOPA require Internet providers to do?
A little-noticed portion of the proposed law, which CNET highlighted in an article, goes further than Protect IP and could require Internet providers to monitor customers' traffic and block Web sites suspected of copyright infringement.
"It would cover IP blocking," says Markham Erickson, head of NetCoalition, whose members include Amazon.com, Google, eBay, and Yahoo. "I think it contemplates deep packet inspection" as well, he said.
The exact requirements will depend on what the removal order says. The Recording Industry Association of America says that SOPA could be used to force Internet providers to block by "Internet Protocol address" and deny "access to only the illegal part of the site." It would come as no surprise if copyright holders suggested wording to the Justice Department, which would in turn seek a judge's signature on the removal order.
Deep packet inspection, meaning forcing an Internet provider to intercept and analyze customers' Web traffic, is the only way to block access to specific URLs.
Would SOPA block Tor?
Perhaps. In an echo of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act's anticircumvention section, SOPA targets anyone who "knowingly and willfully provides or offers to provide a product or service designed or marketed by such entity...for the circumvention or bypassing" of a Justice Department-erected blockade.
Legal scholars contacted by CNET said Tor could qualify as a "circumvention" tool, which would allow it to be targeted.
What happens next?
In terms of Protect IP, the Senate Judiciary committee has approved it and it's waiting for a floor vote that has been scheduled for January 24.

int DropboxIssueResponse;
String name;
//SOPA PIPA email received
if (DropboxIssueResponse ==1){
emailResponse.addLine("Dear "+name+",");
emailResponse.addLine("
I have read your correspondence and have considered your email deeply in the upcoming SOPA/PIPA legislation debates.");
emailResponse.addStandardResponse();
}
emailResponse.sendEmail();
trashInitialEmail();
---------- Post added at 08:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:54 PM ----------
Send your friends messages and tell them to either send a mailed physical letter or just spread the word even more so that if any of them get polled they can express their disdain for this legislation.

Thanks Jim...anything we can do to spread the word..xda is at risk so anyone here looking should do something to help stop this
jim93 said:
int DropboxIssueResponse;
String name;
//SOPA PIPA email received
if (DropboxIssueResponse ==1){
emailResponse.addLine("Dear "+name+",");
emailResponse.addLine("
I have read your correspondence and have considered your email deeply in the upcoming SOPA/PIPA legislation debates.");
emailResponse.addStandardResponse();
}
emailResponse.sendEmail();
trashInitialEmail();
---------- Post added at 08:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:54 PM ----------
Send your friends messages and tell them to either send a mailed physical letter or just spread the word even more so that if any of them get polled they can express their disdain for this legislation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thanks! appretiate the info we need more people out there!

Thanks. I'm very happy to see more people worried about sopa and spreading the news around. I really hope this law is not passed.

mrgman421 said:
Thanks! appretiate the info we need more people out there!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone that has an ear..spread the word.
This is an amdement changing law that will challenge our legal right to free speech,freedom of information ....its a matter of coming together and stoping this..one person is not enough..thanks for reading

Wikipedia joins in online protest.....
Wikipedia plans to take its English-language site offline on Wednesday as part of protests against proposed anti-piracy laws in the US.
The user-generated news site Reddit and the blog Boing Boing have also said they will take part in the "blackout".
The sites' webmasters are opposed to the Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (Pipa) being debated by Congress.
However, Twitter has declined to take part in the shutdown.
Wikipedia's founder, Jimmy Wales, told the BBC: "Proponents of Sopa have characterised the opposition as being people who want to enable piracy or defend piracy.
Sites taking part in the shutdown plan to go offline for 24 hours from midnight Eastern Standard Time (05:00 GMT) on Wednesday.
"But that's not really the point. The point is the bill is so over broad and so badly written that it's going to impact all kinds of things that, you know, don't have anything to do with stopping piracy."

As far as I know so far SOPA has been shelved even though they can unshelve it later on but we are kinda safe from it for now doesn't mean I'm gonna stop spreading the word lol

i don't think it has been shelved per say my friend.as i right this i am on my way to a meeting regarding these bills.IT IS NOT BEING STOPED NOT YEY..it goes into vote next week.. tomorrow is blackout status on some sites(xda,wikipedia) so i think this is very serious...today on abc's good morning america there was a 2 second story about it . not even enough to hear...its sad that no media outlet is backing this due to media ,music and movie industry support.. I believe that with the enactment of martial law a couple months ago combined with this bill its only so long our liberties are at jeopardy...
ACT NOW..SHOW THE TRUTH BEHIND THE CURTAIN.
FIGHT FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR RIGHTS
I am FIGHTING THIS BATTLE...SPREAD THE WORD...
Knowledge is free
we are anonymous
we are legion
WE DO NOT FORGIVE
WE DO NOT FORGET
EXPECT US.....​

Go sign petiton
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!VOTE NO TO PIPA AND SOPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IF YOU SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION PLEASE REPOST THIS. AND GO SIGN PETITION
https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/
https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

soldier6981a said:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!VOTE NO TO PIPA AND SOPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IF YOU SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION PLEASE REPOST THIS. AND GO SIGN PETITION
https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/
https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not done. We need to fight this till they're mentally exhausted
I'd also like to pose the question..
has this impacted you enough to feel what will come to our internet privacy? Will you do or say something to stop this ?

MegaUpload has already been taken down.
The entertainment industry is aiming at everybody now.

Yea I just saw that write up past night its only a matter of time..sad to say America is gonna become the land of the media police ..sad sad day...
I fought for this country to be free. I did not goto afganastan to ****ing come home and be censored and told what to belive
Anyone that went to war...why'd we fight? For what freedoms did I have friends and others die over
Suck my sweaty nuts censorship ...eat a fatty..

I dont think sopa will ever be passed. Its just not logical

arthurleonov said:
I dont think sopa will ever be passed. Its just not logical
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never say never. "All that is required for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing."

Maybe the movie "Equilibrium" was a warning for things to come...
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

Another reason to love Google!

Check it out guys...
Google Launches Gay Rights Campaign ‘Legalize Love’
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Google wants to further gay rights across the world, launching a new campaign called “Legalize Love” on Saturday.
The tech giant hopes to advance marriage rights for gay, lesbian and bisexual people in countries where it has offices, beginning in Poland and Singapore.
Google exec Mark Palmer-Edgecumbe introduced the campaign at the Global LGBT Workplace Summit in London, reports dot429.
“We want our employees who are gay or lesbian or transgender to have the same experience outside the office as they do in the office,” Palmer-Edgecumbe said. “It is obviously a very ambitious piece of work.”
Google plans to develop relationships between companies and support grass-roots campaigning. Legalize Love will focus primarily on countries with homophobic laws and cultures.
“‘Legalize Love’ is a campaign to promote safer conditions for gay and lesbian people inside and outside the office in countries with anti-gay laws on the books,” Google wrote in a statement.
Palmer-Edgecumbe says Google is beginning the push in Singapore because the country is striving to be a global financial leader.
This is hardly Google’s first step toward advancing gay rights. Last month, during international Gay Pride celebrations, the search tool released a charming Easter egg. In a 2008 blog post written by co-founder Sergey Brin, Google also publicly expressed its opposition to California’s Prop. 8, the state constitutional amendment that took away the right of same-sex couples to marry.​
The story is from here: http://mashable.com/2012/07/08/google-gay-legalize-love/

I like this much better than their "It gets better" campaign geared towards gay teenagers and/or high schoolers. I think it would have been better for that campaign if they would have focused on ALL teenagers or high schoolers and not just the gay ones. A good portion of high schoolers have depression and suicide issues, my teenage cousin hung herself a few years back, and I have had other acquaintances kill themselves. Everybody needs the "it gets better" message, they should have included all teenagers regardless of sexual preference. As far as this campaign I support it. Legalize love!

I can't wait for the inevitable "BOYCOTT GOOGLE!!!!!11!!!1!" posts. Have using yahoo or whatever janky search engine.

I honestly don't think that I could care less. Personally I say just let them do what they want. I am so sick of having this gay rights crap shoved down my throat. Mostly because I'm straight and don't like things shoved down my throat. So just legalize it so that they will shut the hell up.

Mod edit: Offensive and childish comment removed. Post something like that again and I'll have words in private with you.

063_XOBX said:
I can't wait for the inevitable "BOYCOTT GOOGLE!!!!!11!!!1!" posts. Have using yahoo or whatever janky search engine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those people will also have to boycott these companies:
Allstate
Amazon
American Airlines
Apple
Applebee's
Best Buy
Clorox
Coca-Cola
Costco
Delta Airlines
Ford
Gap
General Motors
Gerber Baby Products
Hilton Hotels
Home Depot
IMB
Levi's
Marriot International
McDonald's
Microsoft
Nationwide
Nike
Olive Garden
Pepsico
Proctor and Gamble
Red Lobster
Rite Aid
Sears
Southwest Airlines
Starbucks
State Farm
Target
United Airlines
UPS
Walgreens
Walt Disney Company

Absolutely lovely to hear!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Im still pissed off at google for sensoring searches for firearms related items.
Im also not happy with apple but i run android on my tablet and use an iphone, both rooted/jailbroken of course.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2

WiredPirate said:
I like this much better than their "It gets better" campaign geared towards gay teenagers and/or high schoolers. I think it would have been better for that campaign if they would have focused on ALL teenagers or high schoolers and not just the gay ones. A good portion of high schoolers have depression and suicide issues, my teenage cousin hung herself a few years back, and I have had other acquaintances kill themselves. Everybody needs the "it gets better" message, they should have included all teenagers regardless of sexual preference. As far as this campaign I support it. Legalize love!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It Gets Better works very closely with STOP Teen Suicide and while they don't directly associate their campaigns and products with them, the two pretty much go hand in hand.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

deerhurst said:
Im still pissed off at google for sensoring searches for firearms related items.
Im also not happy with apple but i run android on my tablet and use an iphone, both rooted/jailbroken of course.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had not heard about that, that doesn't make me happy at all, I am very pro-firearm.
thelowend said:
It Gets Better works very closely with STOP Teen Suicide and while they don't directly associate their campaigns and products with them, the two pretty much go hand in hand.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was not aware of that, I wish they would have directly associated the two campaigns.

StormMcCloud said:
I honestly don't think that I could care less. Personally I say just let them do what they want. I am so sick of having this gay rights crap shoved down my throat. Mostly because I'm straight and don't like things shoved down my throat. So just legalize it so that they will shut the hell up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

StormMcCloud said:
I honestly don't think that I could care less. Personally I say just let them do what they want. I am so sick of having this gay rights crap shoved down my throat. Mostly because I'm straight and don't like things shoved down my throat. So just legalize it so that they will shut the hell up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
No one cares which way you swing and all this nonsense about pro-gay societies/groups is getting really old...
Pin it to Win it.

deerhurst said:
Im still pissed off at google for sensoring searches for firearms related items.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am still extremely mad at Google for that as well....just not mad enough to use bing or yahoo...lol.

StormMcCloud said:
I am still extremely mad at Google for that as well....just not mad enough to use bing or yahoo...lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They only censored them in their shopping results.
From google on things not allowed in shopping results (ie Google Shopping).....
Affiliates, cataloged drop-shipping programs, and multi-level marketing
The promotion of affiliate or pay-per-click links, products sold through a commission-based relationship, or sites that bulk list products fulfilled through drop-ship consolidators is not allowed. This includes item pages that are made up almost entirely of advertisements, or pages where advertisements obstruct the view of the submitted product. The promotion of multi-level marketing (MLM) business products is also not permitted, such as businesses that recruit members and offer them rewards for recruiting others and/or selling services
Services
Services are not allowed on Google Shopping.
Examples of listings disallowed:
•Event tickets
•Subscriptions, such as magazine subscriptions or any kind of service subscription.
•Online courses
Other prohibited categories
The following products are not allowed on Google Shopping:
•Vehicles
•Guns, ammunition and knives
•Tobacco and cigarettes
•Traffic devices (Learn more)
•Products related to casino and gambling
•Products or digital goods that require additional software installation in order to be purchased.
•Products bundled with service plans. (Note: The only products that are allowed to be submitted with a service plan are mobile devices.)
Marketplaces, Marketplace sellers and Aggregators
EDIT: Left this out by mistake.....
Family status
Google assigns a family status to all products to make sure that content is shown to an appropriate audience. All products must be "family safe". All products in the "non-family safe" or "adult" categories are not allowed on Google Shopping.
For example, the following products are non-family safe or adult:
•Adult sexual products and content (including product images and/or landing pages containing nudity or adult sexual content)
•Alcohol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Hmm...Well at least Google is very open.

Why we should NOT use Cloud Storage!

I know a lot of people are upset about the fact that the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 doesn't have a SD card slot and this right here is exactly why I have a 2TB backup drive in my house and it's also the reason I tell people not to use any type of online cloud storage..
Microsoft sues US over secret demands for customer data
Apr 14, 2016 07:29 PM
By BRANDON BAILEY
AP Technology Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Microsoft sued the U.S. government for demanding access to user emails or online files in secret, saying a provision of a 1986 law that authorities use for such undisclosed searches is unconstitutional.
The lawsuit is the latest clash over privacy rights in the digital age. Law enforcement officials want freedom to view a treasure trove of information - including emails, photos and financial records - that customers are storing on electronic gadgets and in so-called "cloud" computing centers.
Microsoft says the U.S. Justice Department is abusing the decades-old Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which allows authorities to obtain court orders requiring it to turn over customer files stored on its servers, while in some cases prohibiting the company from notifying the customer. Microsoft says those "non-disclosure" orders violate its constitutional right to free speech, as well as its customers' protection against unreasonable searches.
A Justice Department spokeswoman said the government is reviewing the lawsuit, which was filed Thursday in Seattle federal court.
One former federal official was critical of Microsoft's position, saying it could lead to warning "child molesters, domestic abusers, violent criminals and terrorists that they're being investigated."
The non-disclosure orders must be granted by a judge who has concluded that "notifying these individuals will have an adverse result, which could include messing up an investigation or even endangering the life or safety of individuals," said Daniel "D.J." Rosenthal, a former National Security Council and Justice Department attorney.
But Microsoft argues the law sets a vague standard for granting secrecy around digital searches. Authorities are required to disclose most search warrants for information stored in filing cabinets, safes or other physical locations, the company noted in its court filing.
"At the end of the day, when you are being investigated by the government, you should know about the investigation so you can prepare a defense," said Mark Jaycox of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group.
Microsoft said government demands under the ECPA law are increasing in number for a variety of investigations, including white-collar cases.
"We appreciate that there are times when secrecy around a government warrant is needed," Microsoft Corp. President Brad Smith said in a statement. "But based on the many secrecy orders we have received, we question whether these orders are grounded in specific facts that truly demand secrecy. To the contrary, it appears that the issuance of secrecy orders has become too routine."
The Redmond, Washington-based company says authorities used the law to demand customer information more than 5,600 times in the last 18 months. In nearly half those cases, a court ordered the company to keep the demand secret.
Although some orders expired after a period of time, Microsoft said the gag orders were indefinite in about 1,750 cases, "meaning that Microsoft could forever be barred from telling the affected customer about the government's intrusion."
As more people store data online, Microsoft argued in its lawsuit that the government is exploiting that trend "as a means of expanding its power to conduct secret investigations."
In an interview, Smith said the company decided to sue the Justice Department after a case where authorities threatened to hold Microsoft in contempt when it sought to contest a particular secrecy order.
"That caused us to step back and take a look at what was going on more broadly," he said. "We were very disconcerted when we added up the large number of secrecy orders we've been receiving."
While the lawsuit specifically challenges ECPA's secrecy provision, Congress has been debating a number of reforms in response to criticism that it's outdated in various ways.
The House Judiciary Committee this week approved a bill to amend the law so authorities would need a warrant to see email and other digital files that have been stored online for more than 180 days. Currently the law allows access with a subpoena, which can be obtained more easily by satisfying a weaker legal standard.
But a recent amendment to the bill would still allow non-disclosure orders lasting up to six months, which could potentially be extended. Microsoft's Smith said he's not optimistic that Congress will pass any reforms this year.
Microsoft rival Apple has been waging a high-profile legal battle over the FBI's attempt to compel that company's help in obtaining data stored on iPhones.
"It's part of the same trend," said Alex Abdo, a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union. He said tech companies "have gotten the message loud and clear from the American public, that privacy matters."
The source link to this is here.
http://m.wtvm.com/wtvm/db/376055/content/8llRzBFa

is a good point - but you should also never use a VPN hosted by any of the "five eyes" countries, or all of the "fourteen eyes" either, also you wouldn't run a Samsung account, use Google services such a Gmail, Facebook, or any other myriad of (especially) US based privacy invasive "free" services online.
Privacy is very important. But people forget that their free Gmail account does come at a cost, so does Facebook (loathe that platform).
You cannot just stop using a cloud based storage service (personally I use Tresorit - end to end encryption and a zero knowledge service) and we all use Android devices here (MM privacy settings are a step in the right direction, but also reading and learning about what you can do to make sure your phone isn't the information leak Google would prefer it to be is a wise thing to do)
Change your email to something offering zero knowledge and end to end encryption such as Protonmail or Tutanota. Create a "throwaway" email and account for Google Play and their services. Always use the Google Play gift cards rather than a credit card for purchases.
Don't use Google Maps period. Use Open Street Maps instead.
Use DuckDuckGo as your search engine, never Google.
Find out what a warrant canary is and check them for all the services you use regularly!
Use a firewall on your device. Use Tor on your device. Don't ever use Chrome, use Firefox and make sure you adjust the privacy settings hidden inside it.
As you can see, there is a lot to consider and do if you value your privacy, not just cloud storage.
All of this is easily searchable on the internet so it pays to read.
To paraphrase Glen Greenwald, many people will say they have nothing to hide, well if that is the case send me your login details to your email accounts and online social media accounts. No one has ever taken up that offer......

geekygrl said:
is a good point - but you should also never use a VPN hosted by any of the "five eyes" countries, or all of the "fourteen eyes" either, also you wouldn't run a Samsung account, use Google services such a Gmail, Facebook, or any other myriad of (especially) US based privacy invasive "free" services online.
Privacy is very important. But people forget that their free Gmail account does come at a cost, so does Facebook (loathe that platform).
You cannot just stop using a cloud based storage service (personally I use Tresorit - end to end encryption and a zero knowledge service) and we all use Android devices here (MM privacy settings are a step in the right direction, but also reading and learning about what you can do to make sure your phone isn't the information leak Google would prefer it to be is a wise thing to do)
Change your email to something offering zero knowledge and end to end encryption such as Protonmail or Tutanota. Create a "throwaway" email and account for Google Play and their services. Always use the Google Play gift cards rather than a credit card for purchases.
Don't use Google Maps period. Use Open Street Maps instead.
Use DuckDuckGo as your search engine, never Google.
Find out what a warrant canary is and check them for all the services you use regularly!
Use a firewall on your device. Use Tor on your device. Don't ever use Chrome, use Firefox and make sure you adjust the privacy settings hidden inside it.
As you can see, there is a lot to consider and do if you value your privacy, not just cloud storage.
All of this is easily searchable on the internet so it pays to read.
To paraphrase Glen Greenwald, many people will say they have nothing to hide, well if that is the case send me your login details to your email accounts and online social media accounts. No one has ever taken up that offer......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of those thing's I don't use and the rare times that I do use them I have account names that mean nothing and have no important information in them. Any important emails that I get are sent to my own personal encrypted mail server and I don't bother with VPN connections because Tor Browser is good enough for me. This is also the reason I don't use Microsoft Windows at all and use Linux instead because when something gets installed on my system it's because I did it but with Microsoft Windows it's to easy to get viruses and whatnot and I've yet to ever have that happen to my nix. I also loathe Facebook and I rarely ever get on there because it seems like people detail their entire day every day from the time they wake up until they go to bed and that's a treasure trove to anyone who is looking for information on you! But let's face it though, there really is no way to 100% truly secure your information online because if someone is determined and smart enough they'll get what they want but we don't have to make it easy for them to get it!!

Same here - but I am always surprised at the other people out there that complain about privacy but never do anything about it, or don't know anything about how to fix it...
Unfortunately I am locked into Windows 10 as I have a SP4.....until the touchscreen and the pen works with Linux it is pointless to move OS's - I do have it locked down and no longer sending any telemetry as much as humanly possible!
I spend a lot of time being mobile so setting up my own email servers or use something like OwnCloud (isn't there a vulnerability with that at the moment?) to sync my phone isn't practical as it would require more than a SP4!
Agree that if they really want to know what you are up to they will, but why make it easy eh?!

geekygrl said:
is a good point - but you should also never use a VPN hosted by any of the "five eyes" countries, or all of the "fourteen eyes" either... <snip> Protonmail or Tutanota
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, basically, I agree with what you said, and I've looked at both those providers. Protonmail is based in Switzerland, and Tutanota in Germany. Um... given the Snowden revelations (and other things) can we actually depend on any German company? Is Switzerland even secure anymore?
Maybe I'm being silly, ignorant, or whatever about this. Got any thoughts on this?

Leave Twitter - move to Mastodon

You've probably read it too: Elon Musk, the new sole owner of Twitter, wants to monetize the existing accounts: hence it's time to switch to Mastodon, IMO.
Mastodon is the largest decentralized social network on the Internet. Instead of a single website, it's a network of millions of users in independent communities that can all interact seamlessly with each other. No matter what interests you, you can meet passionate people who post about it on Mastodon! Join a community and create your profile. Find and follow fascinating people and read their posts in an ad-free, chronological timeline. Express yourself with custom emojis, images, GIFs, videos and audio in posts
​
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Mastodon is open-source and has an elegant, well-documented API that is available to everyone. Make your own app, or use one of the many third-party apps made by other developers!​
Requires Android 6+ ( API 23 )
As a centrally operated service, Twitter – in contrast to decentralized platforms such as Mastodon – can be censored. Tweets can therefore be deleted, both by the author and by the platform operator.
More info here:
Mastodon - Decentralized social media
Learn more about Mastodon, the radically different, free and open-source decentralized social media platform.
joinmastodon.org

Basically it's rich jerk owner with outdated technological concept vs leftish wannabees with decentralized approach.
Generally I prefer federate systems just I fail to see the benefit in either:
xXx yYy said:
Express yourself with custom emojis, images, GIFs, videos and audio in posts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did that mistake once with facebook. Very glad I left. Such social media is for companies and morons.
Isn't it?
Or is it?

Personally yesterday switched from Twitter to Mastodon because for me the most important thing to note about decentralized social media as Mastodon is that it doesn't consist of one central server. Many of the biggest social media networks out there today, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, are all centralized, meaning one core authority holds all the power over the network.
Decentralized social media outlets have a very special characteristic: multiple distributed networks can exist within them. This means that individuals can choose which network they'd like to join. Any user can create their own network, allowing for individuals with similar interests or ideas to connect.
These platforms use a system of governance instead of the word of a few individuals - or only one like Elon Musk - to make decisions. Users can vote on things to have their say in how the platform progresses, instead of having to go along with whatever the central authority wants.
So, decentralized social media as Mastodon offer a fresh take on digital communication, wherein multiple networks can exist within one platform, all of which are controlled by independent servers.

xXx yYy said:
switched from Twitter to Mastodon because for me the most important thing to note about decentralized social media as Mastodon is that it doesn't consist of one central server
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good choice! I wonder how mastodon will work out for you in the long run.
Federation works email since decades (unfortunately for spammers, too). Will you switch also to XMPP with your messaging then?

I stay on Twitter as long as people who i follow stays too.

Dayuser said:
stay on Twitter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As much as I despise social media, shouldn't you try to convince those people at least to switch to the better system?
Too often I see people I would rather admire, then I see them using twitter - instant turn off, I cringe.

SigmundDroid said:
As much as I despise social media, shouldn't you try to convince those people at least to switch to the better system?
Too often I see people I would rather admire, then I see them using twitter - instant turn off, I cringe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My twitter usage is mostly reading Twitter and not tweeting anything. I follow large tech companies and sites so me saying "switch to Mastodon or something else" does not have any effect.
and i don't see any major changes to my Twitter usage even that owner is chanced..

So whats the difference in twitter now and a week ago? The new owner has more money and the leftist dont like the new owner.
Most twitter users do literally nothing but complaining but never take any responsibility. Thats why they need a decentralized social media. In fact you will get more and more ideological owners, but in a smaller package.
You change from a regulated big system to a non controlled small system. Thats fine but there are consequences. Its on you which matter more to you.
Anyway i dont have Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Mastodon or anything else except XDA. This gives you much time to do useful things.

Mastodon that's been around for about 6 yrs, has emerged as a potential and popular choice. The very day of Musk's Twitter takeover, Mstodon gained 70,000 new users. As of 2Nov2022, it's grown to host 655,000 active users. Of course that's only a drop in the bucket compared with Twitter's reported 450 million daily users.
Warning: Mastodon’s model comes with its own risks. If the server you join disappears, you could lose everything, just like if your email provider shut down. A Mastodon server admin also has ultimate control over everything you do: if for some reason the owner of kpop.social doesn’t like that you boosted a toot from dolphin.town, they could remove it or even “defederate” the server, which would block all dolphin toots from the k-pop server completely. A server admin could also snoop on your private toots if they wanted to – or delete your account for any reason.

IMO the new Twitter boss now faces a difficult choice. On the one hand, the important advertisers are not very enthusiastic about the idea of seeing their messages next to potentially extremist, offensive or otherwise problematic statements that correspond to Musk's idea of free speech. On the other hand, Twitter must not only make up for its losses, but also bring in the interest if it does not want to finance the service out of its own ( Musk's ) pocket. Musk will have to pay a price – the only question is which one it will be.

Leave Twitter , Embrace XDA

karandpr said:
Leave Twitter , Embrace XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

karandpr said:
Leave Twitter , Embrace XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^ Worthy of having it's own Thread!

galaxys said:
^ Worthy of having it's own Thread!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

For me personally I'm not leaving Twitter (at least for now) reason for this is because people like XDA still use it and it's harder for me to live without Twitter as long as my favorite content creators still use it.

Dayuser said:
I stay on Twitter as long as people who i follow stays too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here

Dayuser said:
I stay on Twitter as long as people who i follow stays too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't this what these "companies" calculate with? That nobody makes the first step and tries to convince the others to follow...
I'm not using twitter, facebook, instagram, linkedIn, whatsapp (please name the rest), and I don't miss anything. And why do I only visit the portal when the forum goes "offline due to maintenance" (gratefully the bugs that made that regularly to occur a few weeks ago are fixed)? This is the reason:

Ive never suscribed to any newsletter, maybe its time to start...

Uhm, so twitter (and the likewise centralized alternatives) is worse is worse than mastodon (well, in a technical sense, not many people will disagree on this, I guess).
How about the next step? Going away from servers and use something p2p-like...
I know only of freenet (tried it eons ago), are there any other solutions?

I really don't know what's going on with Twitter right now, and I can tell you that there are a few others who can tell you that there are others who know it well. somehow the influence of musk is really different in how it's being made at this point. I can tell you that there are others who consider staying on the bird app simply because it's convenient. but then again, not everyone moves until they're affected, but I really couldn't recommend the mastodon if you want to do that too. just make sure you have even more options to consider.