Hacks - Traps for users?

[lanc3lot]

Greetings to all,

I am at vb.org some time now, and i am writting this thread, as i have to admit, i am very very offended from the workings and the tactics of someone who posted a hack here.

First of all, my "idea" of vb.org, is that this site is about sharing. I am very lucky that 2 years i am here, i have tested,installed and worked with many great ideas - hacks that helped me create a good forum and for this reason, i get the chance to know many good coders, around vb.org that i now talk them regularly in msn.

Its the first time that i had the following incident (maybe i was lucky?) and i felt as i wrote above, very very offended.

So after this small intro, here we go:

Forms Hack 3.5 - A Hack from user, Abe1, which is a Master Coder as he is saying, so i assume a respected coder of the community. A normal user like me, that is reading the hack description, understands that its a form hack which, u can make various forms easily, in your site.

In the hack description, i read:

I will create forms for who-ever wants me to. I have created something that will generate a form. You would give me the settings and questions you want and I will give you the file you need to upload so you will have a form for your site. This thing I created has some better features then the hack I distribute. Once you get the form, if you want to make any changes, you would be able to do it in the template. All the questions and descriptions are added directly into the template and are not located in the plug-in.

I also read:

This hack is created for your use free of charge. No payment is requested

Now, lets see the hack itself. Its clearly to anyone who see it, that a normal user, without much html knowledge, cant create himself the forms. Its not used with various menus for example through admincp (i wonder why it isnt, read more plz and u will understand), not have options to fill in, just a code u must write with the guidelines that the coder gives you.
So a normal user, that see this hack, what he will do? He will pm the creator, with the content of its form he wants, so he can have it in his site. Do u agree?

So i did that, as the php coder of my site was on holidays and i needed that for an occation.

Lets take a break here!

What is a form anyway? Is anything complex thing, that to fix it taking hours? Is not possible to fix it with various progz easily like frontpage and have it in zip time?

Break over, lets continue !!

So i send the pm, and after 9 days (just mentioning, have not nothing to do with the following), i got the following email, from the designer:

I will list here everything I need from you to make the form.


There is a fee of $25 per form made. You don't have pay it until you have the form up and running on your site. Payment can be made via paypal. my paypal email address is: xxx. You can also use the donation link that is posted with this hack.

If there is a bug fix or a new feature that comes out, you will get the updated XML for free.

In order to install the form once I have it complete, you will just have to upload the XML file I give you into your products.

Feel free to ask me questions. I will also add features as users request them.

Here is the info I need from you: (bla bla, its has the options of the form)

You can write up all the questions and tell me what order you want them in.

Feel free to ask me any questions you have.

Abe1

Now, if u forgot, go little upper and see what he wrote on the hack itself about payment.

So...i ask you and please a VB.ORG Officer (i am wow addicted, if the word is different, sorry) reply too...

The whole hack, is not now, after u read all that, a good trap, to bring users and have them pay money?
Why dont make the hack more easily configured or release a form creator (as he is saying he got it).

a) And in case a "friend" post here, and say, he has every right to ask money, i agree too...BUT, he must write this IN CLEARLY WAY in his hack, so ppl like me and others, dont be dupes!! He is not saying that the pro version is payed, he is not saying that with pm he, i will charge you money...he just FORGETS to say anything...

After all, i created my form my own (without the "auto hack of his") but i decided to write this to you (i already told abe1 that i will), so ppl like me avoid using something thats its clearly a money trick and dont get duped.

I have nothing against Abe1, i am just as i said 2 times now, very very offended, as 2 years here, i feel vb.org, as a very familliar place.

Your thougts plz and of course an official reply, mainly from vb.org if someone is available.

Lancelot