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Holy shit y’all. Developers need to eat too. It’s totally fine to charge for an app or serve ads. LjDawson is a fantastic developer and really listens to his user base. Yes there are plenty of open source apps to use, but sometimes closed source is way more polished because the developer makes it their job to create the app. Living isn’t free. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Free as in freedom. Not free beer.
You lost this fight decades ago
And it’s a one-time fee.
I used Sync for Reddit for 11 years.
Holy shit y’all. Developers need to eat too. It’s totally fine to charge for an app or serve ads.
You might be forgetting that these same developers refused to simply put in a subscription to their reddit apps to continue them, instead closing their apps and telling everyone to move to lemmy because that’s where their app will be…and now adding huge subscription fees and one-off fees on a platform that doesn’t charge them to use their API lol.
Maybe I’m just cynical but this really seems like the dollar signs lit up in the reddit app devs eyes the second reddits API changes got announced.
Okay let’s do the math. According to here there is expected to be about 55.79 million folks using reddit daily. Let’s say a good 5 million folks use Sync. Now, reddit said it would charge $0.24 per 1000 API calls. You can find that here. Now 1000 calls isn’t much at all really. Let’s say those 5 million folks just 1000 API calls a day ( they wont’ actually use ONLY 1000 ). So we have 1000 * 5,000,000 * 0.24 = $1,200,000,000. That’s per day. Does that seem sustainable to you? Like if folks were using MUCH MUCH less I could see your point. But the fact is…they weren’t and reddit were being assholes about it. Now compare that to what he’s charging. $17 bucks for a year. Let’s break that down and compare it to what he’d be paying per day. Say all 5 million users were paying for Ultra. That’s 5,000,000 * 17 = $85,000,000. Divide that by 12 to get per month. 85,000,000/12 = $7,083,333 per month. Divide by 30 for average revenue per day. $7,083,333/30 = $236,111. Now tell me that even comes close to $1,200,000,000. Your logic is flawed. This doesn’t even account for fees and possible server costs.
Let’s say those 5 million folks just 1000 API calls a day ( they wont’ actually use ONLY 1000 ).
Correct - 99% of those people will use nowhere near 1000 API calls a day. Each persons subscription only has to cover the costs of their API usage.
A $5/month subscription, at $0.24/1000 api calls, gives each user just under 21,000 API calls per month. Most people aren’t going to be doing anywhere close to that.
This doesn’t even account for fees and possible server costs.
Sync doesn’t need any server costs. It’s not hosting an instance of Lemmy.
Also your maths is off by 1000x lol. The cost would be 1.2mil a day, not 1.2bil a day. You’re multiplying by 1000 for some reason, when the $0.24 already gets you 1000 api calls. So if all 5 million used 1000 calls per day, that’s 5 million x $0.24, which is $1.2mil.
They would actually use much more. See [here] ( https://www.reddit.com/r/redditdev/comments/141mjij/lets_talk_about_those_api_calls/). Basically almost everything is an API request. Just loading a post and doing very little you have close to 33 requests. Even if my math was wrong it’s still way too much to pay for per day. Especially if folks are using much more that 1000 API calls per day.
Just loading a post and doing very little you have close to 33 requests.
No you don’t. You can open Reddit and open a post with ~3:
1 for getting the posts on your front page
1 for checking your messages.
1 for getting the comments on a post.
Where are you getting “close to 33 requests from”? That post that says they’ve done “very little” and used 33 calls? Ah yes, because everyone “checks who the mods are +1” every time they log in to reddit. Every single user is a mod who checks their modmail (+1).
BTW I know how API’s work, I’m a web developer. Most people will not go anywhere close to using 1000 API calls a day.
Okay so say I believe you. Why do you think a large majority of third party devs shuttered their projects they worked on for so long if it was just as easy as adding a subscription fee? Why didn’t more of them do it? I know of one that actually implemented a subscription. If folks were actually doing much less than 1000 API calls daily then you’d think most devs would have gone that way right?
They want people to move here instead where they can continue having zero costs and making millions of dollars.
It literally is as easy as adding a subscription. They know how many api calls the average person makes. Even if they put the subscription at $10 a month, they should have given people the option. It’s not like the users would run up absurd bills for them - the user would just get cut off in the extremely unlikely event that they use all their api calls. Hell why not make a tiered subscription for ranges from casual users to power users?
It’s hilarious that people jump all over the “the developers deserve to be paid” line, while saying Reddit don’t deserve to be paid for making these developers millionaires for free.
Can I ask why you think it isn’t as easy as adding a subscription fee?
You replied to the very answer to your question. Apps can still be businesses, not everything has to be free. There’s a bunch of free alternatives, this is just one of the paid ones.
They moved to lemmy because the fees on Reddit where exorbitant, and he’d have to raise the prices too much to keep same wage (Haven’t looked at the numbers). Afterall, it’s he’s app, and he’s to decide what wage he wants to keep working on it.
The boost developer that was at the heart of most of the uproar said that a subscription of $5/month would more than cover the API costs.
He made millions of dollars from Reddit, but drew the line at a $5/month subscription to compensate Reddit for making him a millionaire.
Oh alright, don’t know that much about it 🤷
No that’s not correct. sync for Reddit already had the ultra subscription. The problem was he would have had to up the price on the sub substantially to cover the Reddit API fees.
The problem was he would have had to up the price on the sub substantially to cover the Reddit API fees.
Less than $5 a month would cover it plus net him a few dollars profit off most people though.
Maybe a one time payment like for original sync, imagine supporting subscription services for a FOSS app 🤡🤡🤡
except sync isn’t FOSS, lemmy the fediverse link aggregator is 🤡🤡🤡
I’m obviously referring to lemmy when I say foss app, you think you look smart being a contrarian?
except lemmy isn’t an app, it’s a platform. sync is a lemmy app.
taken from the website:
“Lemmy is a selfhosted social link aggregation and discussion platform.”
so if anything it’s you who is the contrarian, lol. but I digress ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Ignoring my argument twice in favour of nitpicking words, youre not a contrarian keep going
now that’s the good old Reddit I used to know
Reading that argument makes me feel like we’ve made it as a platform 👍
🤝
made a whole meme to defend nitpicking words, 3 replies so far nitpicking my words and ignoring my original argument like a true contrarian, keep going
could’ve worded it better
only one of those 2 is foss app the answer was obvious but the contrarian wanted an excuse to reply to me with the clown emoji back
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The one time payment for no ads used to support the original app for years and now it’s forced in a subscription model, the definition of greediness. I dont know why you support such behaviour and insult others on top of it, (oh the irony) but you do you.
Perhaps when you create your own app you can determine your own cost model.
“Dont judge politicians unless youre one of them” nice mindset bro
If you’d like to have a real conversation, I’m willing. If you want to pretend to argue things no one claimed, you’re on your own.
I tried an analogy since you didnt see the fallacy of your point, that failed too I guess, telling me dont judge the dev unless youve been in their shoes would mean u cant judge politicians either, I can and should have opinion on stuff regardless
Again, point me to where I said don’t judge. I didn’t. Judge away.
If you look at my post again, you’ll find that I tried to suggest that when you make your own app (and you should), you should decide on your cost model which sounds like it’ll be free. I eagerly await your release!
Not replying to my points and telling me I wait for your app is called an ad hominem, is this how you reply to people in real life?
politicians are meant to be judged devs are meant to be criticized just for improvement, you can just use another app
Sure? I only criticized ill stick to liftoff since theres only subscription option
he has literally said he will add an one time payment
It is already implemented in the newest update
current comments defend his current actions so no opinion on that until it happens.
PS: weird how the no ads option takes more time to develop than the subscription option with 10x features, INCLUDING the no ads one !
I believe he has plans for that
Lemmy is funded by Patreon/Liberapay… Which are essentially subscriptions
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their default model isnt based on ads like sync for lemmy
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a third party client isnt as much work as the fediverse as u see it took him a month
3)ads used to be a one time payment for his old app, so the money was enough for him back then and now hes even richer so why do you excuse his greediness?
It took him a month because he adapted a code base he had been working on for a decade.
It’s not greediness to want to be able to pay your bills. This is his job. Also a single payment option has already been developed it’s just not made in live yet.
He was already paying his bills with the one time payment and now hes even richer, this is the definition of greediness. Also his future plans are irrelevant here I am judging his current actions and the OP comment defending them.
PS, weird how the no ads feature takes longer to develop than the recurring payment with 10 features, INCLUDING the no ads one!
Sync for reddit also had a subscription model
Which didnt have the no ads offer, which is what my one time payment is referring to.
One-time payment is already implemented. Update in the Play Store if you cannot see it. The “Remove Ads” button is below the settings.
Who cares if he is rich. He is making a good product and people want that product. He can charge whatever he wants, there is no point taking it personally. If you don’t want to pay, there is no one forcing you - you can even continue to use the app for free if you want.
Sure he can charge whatever, I’m just calling out his greediness idk what’s your point
Took closer to 12 years
Ad 2.
Tell me you know nothing about software development without telling me you know nothing about software developmentCharging 2.5x more in the span of one month for the same feature is the essence of software development and people cheer u for it? Sheesh im in the wrong business
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It’s like having Reddit back, this is amazing. 🙏
For as long as I can remember Reddit and Sync have been one and the same. I never used Reddit website or app, only ever used Sync to browse Reddit hosted content. I used it a lot. I’ve missed it a lot.
Between the Lemmy platform and Sync client, to all intents and purposes what Reddit was has been fully restored/migrated.
I know it’s early days, but I did not expect to see anything like this so soon and it gives me hope that Lemmy can grow and thrive into the network of people that always made Reddit what it was. Everything that’s needed is there - early, a little rough around the edges, but there. And being improved constantly.
Hallelujah!
Definitely agree. This has pretty much completely restored the reddit experience for me after I chose to delete my reddit account in the wake of reddit’s third-party app debacle. The Sync developer deserves major props. This app will surely make lemmy so much more attractive and accessible to a host of new users in the coming weeks and months.
It’s the same experience for me, but I still do a lot of Google searches based on Reddit content since there is a lot of information posted there over the years.
Privacy policy: AdMob
Personal Data: Trackers; unique device identifiers for advertising (Google Advertiser ID or IDFA, for example); Usage Data Amazon Mobile Ads Personal Data: Trackers; Usage Datadeleted by creator
Me too but it looks really good by the way , I am using liftoff right now if you are interested for a similar option.
Yeah, I’m liking lift off. Only thing I miss is better filtering options like keywords. But, it’s one I’m using right now to type this message.
I like connect. It’s similar to Sync.
Can someone please explain a bit what is included as part of a “unique identifier”… does it mean the app sends Google what communities you’re visiting or content you’re consuming, so they can advertise to you personally?
I believe that every android phone has a unique advertising ID and the app match it in order to serve you ads based on you also Amazon Ads are here.
Starting with Android 12 (and maybe earlier, I think it may be a part of a Google Play update?), you can delete your advertising ID in settings - definitely worth doing!
Unique device identifier would be some information unique to your device that can identify it. A common example of such a unique Id would be your IMEI although that isn’t necessarily what they are using. Minecraft as an example creates a unique user ID based on your account that system administrators can use to keep your player records even after you change your Microsoft account name or gamer tag.
It doesn’t have to be specific data related to your activities in the app per se, but it could potentially be used in that manner depending on the app.
This is present in all apps in the playstore for serving ads. If you are running away from it you have to run from the entire internet. You want to live a life like the people in privacy sub reddit with that tin foil hat. For the developer to serve ads this is necessary.
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Exactly people really dont care about privacy nowadays , even calling us thin foil thats. Just look at the republican states asking Facebook to share messages about abortion with a mom and her daughter.
I think there’s some nuance there too. I’m not keen on the idea of my facebook messages, or google chats, or private emails, things like that going into other peoples hands (regardless of how much I can do to stop it), but purely ad-based stuff doesn’t bother me. I’m gonna be seeing ads for something, and whether or not they’re things google or amazon think I might want doesn’t really change the equation for me.
However, I do hold it to be true people should be in control of that if they want to. I feel like the choice is important.
Then sell all your shit and live without any device connected to the internet. If you believe a trillion dollar company can’t track what you like then I’ve got bad news for you.
Oh wait, even if you sell your shit, they just need to know who your friends are and they can create a profile of you… Woops! 🤷
What’s funny is that you’re trusting a bunch of random Lemmy hosts right now, but not companies that can be identified and that you can tell which laws apply to them.
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Lemm.ee’s host is such a nice dude, I don’t think he’d sell people out either.
Individuals can’t be corrupted in exchange for money, good to know 👍
I’m sure they would also protect your data with their life if authorities came knocking.
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Wtf are you talking about? No one its exempt from authorities search , if a government wants you they will find you. We are against companies!! Not governments. You just want to be against open source free software if you want to pay for an app go ahead but stop minimizing people that wants privacy.
I am self hosting my instance , how ignorant you can be. And even if I have my account on a server do you think a regular person would care or have the capacity to create a profile on me. I do believe a trillion company can track me and its not 100% but the less they have the better. Also why does it matter to you? Fuck off. Laws? No law can apply to this coporporations.
Would love to see you GDPR your data from all instances 😂
Not important data at all. Probably my ip address not relevant to me.
I dont install aps from the play store , and what’s wrong with wanting to not see ads or my data with Google? The less data they can have from me , the less the ads are relevant, the less likely to work in me.
Or just block ads…
I entirely agree. This is breaking the unspoken rules of Lemmy for me.
Its not open source , how we all know if its not doing that?
Logcat is your friend. Someone on one of these threads mentioned they confirmed via logcat that the dev is correct.
This is all you need to see, folks.
My God, I missed Sync so much. Devs , thanks.
(シ_ _)シ
It’s identical to sync for Reddit. You even added the ability to restore from backup from Reddit. You’ve done amazing work
You know, you have many fans all around the world. This must be great feeling. And your product is/was the meaning of Redd*t for a long time, now it’s will be Lemmy=Sync
Great job! 5 stars!
(☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞
I need an excuse to try a comment and this seems perfect. Thanks dude you’ve clearly been putting in some work. It’s like coming home.
It was seriously like hugging an old friend when I woke up to the download this morning! So happy and warm to be back!
I was about to uninstall the other Lemmy client was never going to return Lemmy until the notification
Jesus, the absolute entitlement in this thread. Can everyone just chill until the app is out of the beta version? Some of us are fine with seeing ads until the lifetime fee is available, and some of us are fine paying a subscription until the lifetime fee is available. If you’d rather not use the app until then don’t, but trashing the dev for getting paid while he works endlessly to create the sync experience for us is so ignorant and childish.
Sync is by far the best user experience app for lemmy that’s available for Android, just as it was for reddit, and it’s worth the wait and the price until the pro version is available.
I hope the dev ignores the whiners and focuses on those of us that get it. How demotivating to see people run their mouths when they dint know what they’re talking about.
Yeah man. I was a sync for reddit user for like a decade. I don’t actually know, but my reddit account was more than a decade old, and I really only was a user on sync for as long as I can remember. Sync was reddit for me.
I happily paid for the app forever ago, and I reckon I’ll use lemmy much the way I did reddit. And I tried a bunch of the different FOSS clients and none of them are as clean and polished as Sync was or is now. Maybe that’s because I just got so used to sync? I don’t know. But I do know that at this point in time, paying 20 bucks a year to support a developer whose work I’ve enjoyed for a significant portion of my life is 100% worth it. And I can afford it.
I used to have to use open source software all the time. I used gimp for so long, I’m just glad I have a job now that I have free access to photoshop. Why? Because it’s fucking better! Because paying for a well refined product makes it easier to use.
So all these sync haters, keep hating. But now, I can highlight the haters so the next time I come across them I already know what they are about and how they are just haters.
Hey buddy, we are having a discussion about ads and tracking not the developer. I am really thankful for this guy to make a great app so everyone who used to like the app for Reddit can have a great experience here in Lemmy. If I like the app , I will pay for it for sure , but I dont like ads and I have the right to say no I dont want ads , and I want an open source app.
Bought the one month sub to tide me over, but bought the Ad free as soon as it released. Honestly, cost me less than half of a decent steak dinner so I ain’t mad. A man’s gotta eat and there is no guarantee that Lemmy is ever gonna pull Reddit numbers. Dude basically spent a month blasting out what I consider the best experience for Reddit, now for Lemmy, he deserves a pay day.
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Huh? You can test it though. The app’s functionality is totally free. You’re just not entitled to an ad free experience if you don’t pay.
What the fuck are you talking about? When did he ask you to pay anything before the app is released?
Storing data usage, personal ads, 21.99€ just to remove ads or a subscription model.
I’m a dev myself and I get that everyone needs to be compensated, but right now I have only one thought:
“You either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain.”
ITT, bunch of people who have never used Sync for Reddit whining about Sync Ultra and the app having ads. 🤦🏻♂️
The ads through me for a sec, but then I realized this wasn’t the Dev or Pro version.
I’ll end up subscribing at some point, but I do wish there was a one time option like last time. Not really interested in the cloud backups and all that, just the ad free experience.Edit: Spoke too soon. Looks like there wil be a one time option at some point in addition to a version with no ads. Looking forward to it.
Just pushed beta 25 that adds a one time option.
Thanks mate, your work is deeply appreciated the world over.
How does that work if I already purchased the yearly model? Can I transfer the yearly to the ad-free one time?
Email me your order number and I’ll help here
You know what, I had paid for the lifetime pro mode in sync for reddit, and usually prefer one-time payments to recurring subscriptions, but I chose to go with the recurring ultra subscription this time, to contribute to your regular financial stability. Your dedication is commendable. Thanks for all the work you’ve done over the years!
Thanks for that. Before I go ahead with it, just wondering if there will be a Dev version similar to the way you did it with Sync for Reddit that has beta updates baked in or will this be that version.
No. In a previous post he mentioned that Google has really cracked down on apps that are too similar. I really enjoyed Sync Pro in the past, but looks like papa Google said no.
Damn it. Thanks for the heads up anyway.
Awesome 👍
$115, are you fucking mental!? I paid $35 for the “lifetime” option 13 months ago
That’s for ultra bruv which includes his own server features
Still more than triple the price for the same thing
A wise decision.
See everyone, it’s this level of responsiveness and communication that’s led many of us to want to pay for this app.
I haven’t seen any ads yet. Where are they
After a while, I realized i was not seeing ads because I use adguard DNS.
I am using the VPN (I think DNS too) and I get an empty box between posts saying “sponsored content” or something like that
I used sync for reddit for a decade. No way in hell I’m paying $20 for the ad-free upgrade. Explain how lemmy which is months old and a minute fraction of the size of reddit, should cost me more to browse ad-free than reddit? It’s mind boggling that we’re in the age where asking $20 for a 3rd party social media app is being defended as reasonable.
you aren’t paying for volume of content available, that would only make sense if you were subscribing directly to reddit or lemmy as you would with netflix, disney etc
revenue goes to the app dev, and sync for lemmy and sync for reddit have i would presume, identical development and maintenance costs.
your logic is like saying that fuel should be cheaper for a 1.4l mini than it is for a ferrari
That said, I do think £18.99 lifetime just to remove ads is a bit extreme, its certainly not affordable for me. That’s more than a year of Ultra without the extra features. I think sweetspot for “pro” edition that has no ads certainly would have been sub £10, especially when im gonna be a large volume of users have dns that removes ads anyway and really the “pro” is just a “one time donation” kinda thing
Yeah, I wasn’t seeing the ads on the free beta because of my dns settings but immediately bought the remove ads version when it became available to support the developer. I bought Sync Pro for Reddit ages ago for a very small amount and used it every day for years. So happy to have the one time option as I am not a fan of the subscription model.
My issue with lemmy being young isn’t the lack of content, it’s that he’s selling a “lifetime” option on something that’s barely been around long enough to know we’ll keep using it/it’ll be around in a year.
I completely agree that it should be sub $10.
Uhm, then don’t pay? No one is forcing you to pay or even use Sync. I don’t think it’s worth it for me too at this moment to pay that much for an app to browse Lemmy (because in my opinion it’s still riding the hype train, it’s long term future is still to be determined). So I accept that I will have to see ads.
Sync is an app by a private developer, who has his own rights to set the price for something he produced. He can put the price at 100€ and still no one has the right to whine about it. If you think it’s not worth it, then don’t buy it. It’s not like you need this to survive.
Yah no shit I didn’t say I’m starving bc of him. I asked for someone to make it make sense. Which you haven’t, instead you went with “wah wah go use something else then” - really constructive conversation, why raise complaints about things that could be better? Why try to push for improvements in something you like/care about, that’s what you’re arguing for me to do. “Pay for it or shut up”, how about I don’t pay, and instead voice my opinion on the Internet like the sites designed for.
I’m not defending Sync (I don’t even use it, I’m more of a Slide/Infinity guy; I’m just here to see how other Reddit app ports are doing), but Lemmy is not “months old”. It’s been a thing since early 2019, the recent Reddit drama just gave it a massive push bringing its userbase from negligible to tiny.
Right yah I felt like that was probably the case when I was typing that honestly, that’s my bad, I guess I should’ve said only really started taking off months ago, and is still rather small.
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It’s perfectly fine to use the app and only pay when you feel like it, say you feel when the Fediverse grows to be fun enough. Or alternatively never pay and just use the free version. Or use something like Voyager / wefwef which is a fantastic app in its own right. You have the choice.
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$20 really isn’t a lot when it’s an app you use everyday. If you don’t spend enough time on Lemmy then yes, it may not make sense to buy but if you do it’s really a no-brainer.
Also I would argue Apple / Google’s whole app store pricing model when it first started out really devalued good software. $1.99 for a lifetime support of an app? Come on. $20 is reasonable.
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It’s not about the app. It has nothing to do with the app itself to be fair. It’s the fact to have ads. Ads aren’t the spirit and the philosophy of Lemmy.
People are fine to pay for the app. Money isn’t the issue either. The dev should not assume Lemmy is a new Reddit. It’s different with different spirit and philosophy. This point has to be taken in consideration.
That’s the beauty of have a multitude of different apps. You choose the one that feels right for you. Much like how you can choose another Lemmy instance.
Yes, sure, you can choose whatever you want. It doesn’t make my opinion wrong. It’s not in the philosophy of the fediverse. People can use it with an ads tracked app of they want. I respect it.
It’s a hard no for me and I will express it. It could be a hard yes if they will be a one time payment version without free ads base one.
The dev said there already will be. I hope you’ll support a hard working, singular dev who puts a lot of work into an app and engages with its users like LJD.
I don’t think your opinion is wrong. It’s an opinion, and that’s fine.
As a developer myself, I do understand that the dev wants to be compensated for all the hours he puts in, but I am also aware that we’re all using software everyday in many different ways that are made in the free time of many people, without any compensation. Both are valid.
an opinion cannot be wrong. but it also cannot be right. you make a fair point with what you’re saying. the dev is already planning on a single time purchase, but a sub option is definitely not “morally wrong.”
It can be morally wrong depending on the person’s visions. It’s not that this vision is wrong or right. It’s a personal one. Nobody did this vision mandatory.
Although I do not agree with your opinion above, but I think your opinion is valid and you don’t deserve the downvotes.
My opinion is that Sync and Lemmy are two different things with two different philosophies. Yes they are interconnected, but they are both separate entities, and it’s not like Sync is built off of Lemmy’s source code. The dev should get compensated for the time and resources he put into the source code of Sync, and if ads is a way to contribute to that, then so be it.
You can choose whatever app fits you. That is the power of choice. Some of us are really ok with non intrusive ads or paying for the app. He said that one time payment for removing ads will come soon.
Ads aren’t the spirit and the philosophy of Lemmy
Says who? I’m just curious who decides what Lemmy’s philosophy is. Does that philosophy extend across all instances or only specific ones? Or is it baked into the source code somehow?
Personally I think ads are alright. But that’s just my philosophy.
I am testing it out now. It seems really good.
if it’s your first time using sync…open new window is a great feature for muti tasking subbed list…look at your subscriber list, press the 3 dots and open in new window will appear, you can open a subbed community entirely in a new window
it has ads.
and you can’t post.
but otherwise I agree.
IAP for ad removal will come soon. It’s the first open-beta, give it some time.
weird, I haven’t seen any ads yet
Interesting! Here’s what it looks like for me:
Beta 25 is available for internal testers and guess what…
What a boss!
I had the Reddit Sync Pro lifetime thing so I just kind of figured it was because of that, but I straight up haven’t seen a single ad. It’s not like I have an ad blocker on or anything. How weird!
Sync for Reddit and Sync for Lemmy are separate, so the license and all don’t transfer. You’ll see ads sooner or later if you didn’t do anything to block it.
I did post.
I can’t post?
i couldn’t post.
Lol! The choice is ads or a SUBSCRIPTION!?
My friend, we know other 3rd party Reddit app developers are working as fast as they can to make lemmy apps. One of them is bound to have a one-time pro version upgrade. I’ll hold out for that.
LMAO … Subscriptions. Why on earth do you think we left Reddit?!
I left Reddit because Spez is an asshole and he killed third-party API access (which, btw, impacted more than just clients - many useful bots/scripts died too as a result of this change).
For many of us, Sync was Reddit, and killing Sync basically killed Reddit for us, but now that Sync is back (for Lemmy), many of us are more than happy to pay a subscription to support the dev, instead of supporting Reddit. ljdawson is an awesome developer who actually listens to his users and updates his apps regularly. If you don’t want to support him and/or use a different app, that’s your call of course, but for fans of Sync, it’s like coming back home after a long time and getting that feeling of “there’s no place like home”.
It’s certainly a nice app, but I’ve also grown attached to Connect over these last few weeks. I even donated to the dev, which is something my stingy ass never does.
While I loved Sync, I’m not paying $20/yr for any social media. If I recall, Sync Pro for Reddit was something like $5-6 lifetime. I’d pay that again without blinking an eye.
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If you use private dns if on android then no ads in sync. I just saw this post and noticed there were no ads in my sync app. Then I remembered that I am using private dns for blocking ads. I might switch it on for supporting the dev. Because non intrusive ads are fine for a great lemmy experience. Now I am having the same experience of sync when I use reddit.
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I don’t see ad because I have it blocked system wide on the phone, but I’ve moved towards not keeping apps that show ads installed anymore. Have moved onto either foss or paid versions.
And subscription only model to remove ads is definitely not something I want to support, and the first of its kind I’ve encountered on Android outside of Apple.
I was on Reddit for 13 years, and bought the pro version every app ever made for the platform (sync, RiF, bacon reader, boost, Apollo, Joey, etc, etc.). Sync was … fine. But in no way was it a stand out. RiF had them all beat by a mile for nearly a decade, then Joey elbowed them out in the last few years.
Anyway, I’d have been happy to buy sync Pro for lemmy, but a subscription is bonkers when there are free alternatives.
If the RIF app comes to Lemmy I will die happy.
My phone screen has burn in of the RIF refresh button lol
Dev has to somehow pay their bills. And for continuous support they need some kind of reward for their time and effort. Eventually other apps will be moved to subscription or they will just stop updating. These apps will still run because of ad support or subscription. Ads are actually non intrusive.
If you think ads are non intrusive we have different definitions.
If any selection of the free content network I’m a part of isn’t showing me the content I want it’s an intrusion.
There are umpteen services that run on donations, telling yourself ads are necessary is the same deal with the devil as the public Internet.
Dude. There are different types of ads. Small ad banners which don’t affect normal posts is not an issue for me. I am getting a good experience so this is the way I am going to pay for it.
There are umpteen services that run on donations
A lot of them when the user base has grown, wasn’t sustainable and also got closed down and moved to subscription.
If any selection of the free content network I’m a part of isn’t showing me the content I want it’s an intrusion.
You can pay for subscription or use another app. It’s fine. Other devolopers who don’t charge a single bit now will change it in the future. Who is mad to support an app without getting any kind of benefit. There are some open-source developers who do that. Still.
I’m here on the fediverse because ads are poison.
Knowing my neighbors are swigging more of that shit doesn’t make me feel any better.
When I accidentally tapped on the first ad and it automatically opened a shopping app I had on to a product I have no care for. Personally for me, the ads ARE intrusive. I instantly uninstalled after that.
The issue people have with Sync is the model going against the philosophy of Lemmy and the fediverse.
People aren’t mad at paying for the app if it was a one time payment.
Yup and I added the option
who actually listens to his users
Support of non-Google-Play version is where? I personally asked about it multiple times and I’ve seen many other people ask as well.
there will be a separate in app purchase structure
the ultra subscription was a separate sub model from sync for reddit that was on the side to help support the 1 developer who works on the app if you want to. the model was already there and nothing has changed from reddit, so it was probably easy to leave the code in with the same features and keep it in.
you also need to realize this is a beta as well so it’s not “officially” released yet. if sync for reddit is anything to go by, once LJ is content on the app it will be released in full, with additional pro / dev variants to come. but since those are considered separate apps, those won’t come until later since they need to be reviewed and put on the app store… which makes sense there’s only 1 variant at this time
edit: pro model won’t happen due to Google play store policies on duplicate apps. one time in app purchase is coming
Sounds like pro will not be a separate app and will only be unlocked with an in-app purchase due to Google Play policies around ‘duplicate’ apps.
even better then!
I left reddit because of asshole decisions. I think 18 Euro per year is pretty fair for an app you probably use every day. I prefer one time payment over subscription, too. But the price for sync is nothing to rant about imo.
Chill, mate, it’s open-beta. Sync Ultra was a thing on Sync for Reddit as well, which comes with features that need constant cash such as server maintenance etc. IAP for ad removal will come soon.
Beta update released within the last hour adds the option for lifetime ad removal.
I disagree. I think there’s a lot of people living in a fantasy. Things cost money. You can’t rely on good will to pay for developers, engineers, and hardware.
Maybe ads aren’t the way to go but you’re not being realistic if you want this place to grow without some kind of funding.
I’m not addicted to any social media enough to pay for a subscription. And I’m sick of subscriptions in general. I’m fine with liftoff.
Voyager is the way to go. It doesn’t even feel like it’s “just” a WebApp.
I respect your opinion. For me it was super clunky. I tried every app for lemmy. The best one is sync for now. If there is a proper competition it will be boost for lemmy.
I’m back after testing Sync for a few minutes and… You’re absolutely right and I think Sync is winning me over!
I mean it’s nice, but it’s also super clunky
None of the other lemmy apps I’ve used have quite felt right, though I think voyager was the best of the ones I tried in terms of ease of use. I really liked sync for reddit, so I’m hoping I’ll like the lemmy version too. I generally try to avoid subscriptions, but if I like the app and they offer a one time payment to be ad free at some point then I’m fine with that. Tbh so far I haven’t actually seen any ads though so if they’re not obtrusive then they won’t bother me. Devs gotta put food on the table somehow.
I just started testing it out and I gotta say, Sync for Lemmy is absolutely beautiful!
I’d buy it in a heartbeat if it offered a one time option!
It’s available as a one time purchase now
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I haven’t checked out Thunder yet! I’m amazed at how fast apps for Lemmy started showing up after the whole Reddit API fiasco!
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It’s good to be home :)
lemmy users when a developer wants to earn money
Fediverse is when someone else uses their own money so I can post memes - John Lemmy
Going from $35 to $115 for the lifetime subscription is an absolute farce
I’m sorry. I get a developper needs to eat but 100+ dollars for the lifetime is absolutely outrageous. That is more than some AAA games on release.
Using Sync for Reddit for so long I realized I missed the layout of Sync so I’m glad to see it back for Lemmy.
Bought a month subscription since I can use my rewards to pay for it. Worth it for the no ads.
Long time Sync user and Ultra (lifetime).
Now I am really disappointed the lifetime membership isn’t transferable to Lemmy. Nothing. Not even a discount, a note, nothing.
And the best part is that settings backed up from sync for reddit, can be simply restored into sync for lemmy. Thank you ever so much dear developer!!!
