Develop Bugs

New PPC web site

My new site http://www.wbic.co.uk has been launched. If you visit please at least stick a message in the forums, or register as a member so I know you all love me...LOL. Anyway I'm getting the bulk of the content ready now, but I will accect any submissions, and if you want to join me as a site admin let me know...Basically its a site BY geeks, FOR Geeks (whatever that means!!!)

The site now has more content...more is needed if you have always wanted to be a net-journalist nows your chance...Also there is a store opening to get your novelty tshirts mugs and thongs

couple of xda files for registered users

Thank you for the link and for your effort. 8)

the site is improving, but if you have any software projects needing a home, or wish to publisise your wares, or rant and rave in a way not allowed on 'other' sites come to http://www.wbic.co.uk

Sorry, site had isp problem. now its ok. If you need to share files that other sites wont host, i'll host them

Hey, Mate...
Your Site Down again....
Cannot be accessed on 28/12/04

Site closed due to an issue with pocketpcthoughts.com

and what did pocketpcthoughts.com say to you that made you close it?

.XAP Marketplace apps free (illegal) downloadable?

According to WPcentral:
Sounds like an innocent blog that reviews apps right? Well the concerns from the Twitter posts is that not only does the site review apps but it also contains download links for the .xap file that is residing on Microsoft's servers.
Even if you download the .xap file, it's going to take some effort to get it installed to your Windows Phone 7.
You will need the developer tools and device that is unlocked for development. While the developer tools are free, you have to be a registered developer to get an unlocked device. You CAN however download the .xap and rename it as a .zip and look at the structure of the app, though we're 99% sure that the real "code" of the app is compiled/encoded/encrypted.
Not many will be able to do much with this downloadable file. That is unless you're a developer looking to download free apps from other developers. Still, one has to wonder why it's so easy for a third party site to provide download links to Marketplace apps.
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They are talking about the website: http://winmobile7.apphab.com/
Kind of a strange site. They are offering free downloads of paid marketplace applications. Unless you are a developer, you can't do anything with it. But it's still strange...

This sounds like a good way to get in a lot of trouble. I would bet Microsoft can see what apps are installed when the phone checks for marketplace app updates even if you side load it as a developer.

And its still live and offering files to download. Shoddy MS security on display, extremely troubling for devs.

Hopefully Microsoft will look into that site and any similar sites.
We cant have developers loosing money because of these people.

I can't see where you download apps - if its real why not post a link on http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsphone7/threads ?

It says it's for free and trial versions. Isn't it pointless to provide download files anyway since you can only install apps via the Marketplace?

****, they have my app on there, not happy

my app does support trial, I'm not seeing anything about xap downloads, hopefully this means the breach has been fixed and not that I'm looking in the wrong place
I don't mind free publicity, but I put many hours into that and don't want it spread around in such a way (free, unauthorized downloads, raw code)

Definitely not cool for developers. One issue is that all the apps are silverlight and are only compiled to MSIL. Pop open the binaries with Reflector and you've basically got the source code. All devs should utilize Dotfuscator to at least help with this.
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_...-with-preemptive-solutions-for-analytics.aspx

ckacey said:
my app does support trial, I'm not seeing anything about xap downloads, hopefully this means the breach has been fixed and not that I'm looking in the wrong place
I don't mind free publicity, but I put many hours into that and don't want it spread around in such a way (free, unauthorized downloads, raw code)
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It looks like the site that had the links (http://winmobile7.apphab.com) took down the link to the XAPs but I bet the issue is still there. It was a pretty simple URL to the Microsoft server. You just had to know the application's GUID and you could download the XAP.

I don't see how this makes them free... you can easily see you need a registered dev device, I doubt it makes the app "free" because there is a fee you must pay.

efjay said:
And its still live and offering files to download. Shoddy MS security on display, extremely troubling for devs.
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Microsoft can check your device and see if you have pirated software on it, just like they do for XBox live. They already have the infrastructure in place and if you pirate be prepared to have your phone banned from Marketplace, Zune, XBox Live, etc.

RustyGrom said:
Definitely not cool for developers. One issue is that all the apps are silverlight and are only compiled to MSIL. Pop open the binaries with Reflector and you've basically got the source code. All devs should utilize Dotfuscator to at least help with this.
http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_...-with-preemptive-solutions-for-analytics.aspx
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Any decent develper will Obfuscate the code. If they didn't, they were kind of asking for it since it's hot hard to intercept data being downloaded over WiFi, etc. The fact that it can only come from the market was never enough to stop people from getting their hands on the files downloaded from said market.
It's no different than any other platform that uses a VM architecture (Android, WP7, WM 6.x .NET CF, Java ME, etc.).

I found my own app there. I don't however see a download link?
--edit: Nvm, should've read the thread to its end.

What is the URL? To replace with GUID or XAP filename? Could always use archive.org.

i guys!i have a mega pack xap installers with games and apps.
i poste for everyone previous.
sorry bad english...
cmpts

is a method to decrypt files xap
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=34246750&postcount=3

Outside links on xda are broken

There's something wrong with the links on xda. They redirect through api.viglink.com.
This is bad for a couple of reasons:
- Manipulating links so that they point to a different address than displayed in the status bar is generally considered bad behaviour equal to malware.
- It breaks context menu functions like "open in another browser," "send shortcut to desktop," "translate," "search," etc.
Can you repair the links on xda so that what you see in the status bar is what you get? You don't want to modify links in a way that breaks browser functions, do you? I understand that you need to make money somehow, but please try to do so in a non-destructive way.

rogier666 said:
There's something wrong with the links on xda. They redirect through api.viglink.com.
This is bad for a couple of reasons:
- Manipulating links so that they point to a different address than displayed in the status bar is generally considered bad behaviour equal to malware.
- It breaks context menu functions like "open in another browser," "send shortcut to desktop," "translate," "search," etc.
Can you repair the links on xda so that what you see in the status bar is what you get? You don't want to modify links in a way that breaks browser functions, do you? I understand that you need to make money somehow, but please try to do so in a non-destructive way.
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Sounds like you may have some malware installed on your PC or your web browser screwing with your links, you might want to check that. All of the outbound links in the XDA forums that I checked just now link directly to the external URL, standard "A" tag links.

My university is gonna like that. It's happening on their computers.
That'll teach them for forcing internet explorer on the entire department
(But it only happens with outside links on xda, not on other sites. Is there some xda-specific malware running wild?)

Nah, it's not malware or anything. It's something the owners decided to implement at some point. Sorry don't have any specific information though. Just letting you know it's not anything on your end.

This happens on almost every link I click on on my nexus 5 from any browser.

[REQ][XDA WIKI]: Feature request thread

Request 1: Add HTML Tidy to the xda wiki stack
Template:Navbox @ Wikipedia said:
Using this template on other wikis requires HTML Tidy to be turned on. A version that does not require Tidy can be found at Wikipedia:WikiProject Transwiki/Template:Navbox. (That version generally shouldn't be used here on the English Wikipedia.) More detailed information on copying {{Navbox}} to other wikis can be found on the talk page.
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I've been doing a LOT of work adding stuff to the xda wiki, but I've hit an impasse, some of the most complex templates used on Wikipedia depend on it being 'scripted' with HTML instead of pure wikimarkup.
The main example is Template:Navbox. While this specific template does have a pupre wikimarkup equivilent (if it even is an equivilent, it's not maintained at the level of the normal one). The other templates I wish to use dont have equivilents.
Template:Navbox subgroup is the one (among others) that I wish to add in but cant because it depends on HTML Tidy. The Template itself is already on the xda wiki, but if you attempt to use it it's completely broken.
I cant say it's as simple as "install on server and turn it on" but the fact of the matter is that without it most of the fun/magic stuff on wikipedia cant be brought over to the xda wiki.
Some examples of recent stuff i've made (for reference):
Samsung Galaxy S Series Navbox
Samsung Galaxy S II Series Navbox
New Samsung Portal on Main page
Entirety of Dell devices page
If you look at the several navboxes I've made they have hacks in the code to get around the fact that I'm just a normal level editor.
Request 2: We need MOAR editors!
Also this doubles as a request for more editors on the wiki: XDA is the largest android development based site on the internet, yet here we are weeks after the release of the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Note and the pages didnt even exist until I made stubs for them.
As of this past quarter I've generated more edits then possibly nearly every other user combined, but there's only so much I can do at this point by my self. (With my primary style being to organize page layouts and tidying stuff up vs writing new content for devices)
[Edit count itself is a bad metric, but edits that arnt mine only number in the dozens a month]
Sure it's reasonable for minor devices and varients to be stubs, but the Note has sold over a million units and yet not a single person has even bothered to make as much as a scribble on the wiki about the device. That's just an example, but ultimately if this were wikipedia, the amount of pages rated 'good' or higher would only number in the dozens. (There's also the fact that my belief is that it's a bad idea to add anything intensive for a device you dont own, standard fare on one device can super-brick another due to quirks)
It's a rather sad state of affairs that for such a large web site with 22000 active users at any one time that there's not a single good consistant repeat editor besides me.
Edit: changed wording to not be inflammatory
Request 3: Turn on Subpages on the main namespace
Mediawiki:Subpages are by default enabled on the template and user namespaces, but not on the main namespace. I believe it's done this way because of editor policy and not technical reasons.
The xda wiki would HEAVILY benefit from having it enabled since it already currently manually uses them, the previous example of:
Samsung <Series>/<model number>/article has long existed this way but without the automatically generated anchors.
The majority of pages are already ready to accept it, it might simply need to be turned on.

XDA Wiki
TheManii said:
there's not a single good editor besides me.
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IMHO that is a rather sweeping statement and is likely to put off anyone from editing the Wiki. I would dispute even your claim as a good editor would not make sweeping changes to categories without discussion on the pages involved. Should I just "undo" them?
XDA has a problem with repetitive questions leading to user dissatisfaction with overlong forums and the loss of good developers such as AdamG.
One solution may be to create a FAQ Wiki for any thread over a certain size (for example 1,000 posts) and automatically link to that thread at the top of every page and above the reply box.
Cheers
Tom

It is sweeping, but the fact is there arent many repeat editors, many devices havnt not seen edits in months because a great deal of the changes dones are a one-time batch job with a single theme.
I'm not at all saying that the other editors are bad, though yes that what the impression was (and perhaps I should have worded it better). I'm saying that few wish to stay with it for the long-haul.
There's few editors that consistantly return to add/update/expand artitles for their own devices or other devices. That's my main issue. I actively want to be proven wrong in this regard, I'm inviting other to prove me wrong. I myself am somewhat guilty of this myself, I primarly concentrate on the dell devices, but I've kept them very up to date for the previous year.
One example I have issue with is: Acer A500 -xda wiki the entire page are just forum links. I have no issue at all with the contents of the posts (just as much my opinion on them is irrelevent) but the fact they are just links and not part of the article. The fact it's not on the wiki means that other editors cannot make changes themselves, which rather defeats the point of the wiki, which leads to,
The other issue is, unless the OP is excellent at keeping the thread organizied, you often have to wade though the entire thread to keep up to date. With a thread with +200 posts even if you wanted to it's a huge effort to do that. Even in the most complex of topics, they can be broken down a couple bullet points and approx a paragraph each to elaborate. There's also 'bad' advise that doesnt get edited away on topics ('bad' as in it may simply be the case that it was the right thing at the moment but there was eventually a more 'correct' method discovered later and the original 'bad' one is still reposted for whatever reason)
I could copy the posts onto the wiki verbaitm, but you really should have the poster's permission, what if the poster isnt active? It would be a bad idea to paraphrase advise/guides without context, what if you remove an important small detail. The right way to be to frequent the device and get context, but that triples the amount of work to do so properly.
It's no secret that there's always users that refuse to read topics and simply skip straight to posting repeat questions. Short pages with clear instructions are much easier to recommend then having them read though dozens and dozens of posts (which they skipped as they posted without reading in the first place)
Discussions dont really work on a wiki, esp one without consistant-repeat (or even repeat) editors. There's a fair amount of edits for various devices, but there are obviously more devices then editors. Lets walk though it: I want to make an edit, do I post it on the topic's talk page? Short of doing so on wikipiedia proper on a popular change, you wont recieve much feedback.
Do you make a post on each of their device's forums? XDA has sub-forums for each device, but not really a sub-forum for the family itself (back to the SGS/SGS2, there's the main device's subforum and each varient's subforum but none for the entire family, i think) That means making dozens of posts to talk about each major change.
What if it's an old device such as the winmo devices? The HTC HD2 is the only one left on the active part of the xda forums, because it's obviously not just a winmo device now. You're going to have to wait a very long time as they naturally only get a couple posts a month now.
Just as much, unless a mod/admin states to the contrary, you can always assume Wikipedia:Be Bold is implied to apply. I honestly have no issue if my edits are reverted if they are constructive reverts, as that's how wikis work.
If anyone has a issue with the edits I make, you're welcome to discuss it with me and hopefully we'll find a middle road.
Also I've made a reply on User_talkaveShaw#Page Name & Categories (as a fun note: & is translated to _.26_ in links while / isnt, though mediawiki has no issue with either of them, though you cannot directly use & in page names while you can use /) You should read it if the critisim is directed towards me.
tl;dr prove me wrong, Be Bold, help make the wiki better
Edit: HTC_HD2 - NexusHD2 ICS CM9 FAQ is an excellent example of why things should be on the wiki as articles instead of just merely links to a thread. It's about 3 pages of topic points and contains the majority of the topic points instead of having to read 225 (currently) pages to get the same info. (Also, just as much if I inadvertently remove valid content, revert/add it back! That was not my intention, everyone makes mistakes. The xda wiki is pretty well off in that it has little/no intentional vanadalism, you can always assume an edit is in good faith, I dont recall more then 1-2 legitamitely bad edits in nearly a year)

I've asked someone to look at Request 1.
I'm not sure what can be done about Request 2, if people don't want to maintain it, we can't make then

Thanks!
I dont really expect req 2 to be fullfilled in any real manner. Just pointing it out.

Added request 3: enable subpages on main namespace

TheManii said:
Added request 3: enable subpages on main namespace
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Our server admin has told me this has been done.
Dave

I can confirm it's on now, all the subcatagorized pages seem to be working great now

TheManii said:
I can confirm it's on now, all the subcatagorized pages seem to be working great now
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Thanks
Dave

malicious impersonator of xda

I just stumbled on this malacious impersonator/mirror of xda, maybe you can take steps against it with the hosting provider. I have replaced the tt in http with xx to make the link non clickable as the site contains malware: hxxp://forum.datadevelopement.com/

@bitpushr

Thanks guys, another proxy site. They are blocked.

bitpushr said:
Thanks guys, another proxy site. They are blocked.
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they are not a proxy, they impersonate XDA to spread malware. They copy all our posts and articles (or intellectual property), some of which have our real names attached to them, to spread malware (in our names) you should contact the authorities and at least the hosting provider and domain registrar

godutch said:
they are not a proxy, they impersonate XDA to spread malware. They copy all our posts and articles (or intellectual property), some of which have our real names attached to them, to spread malware (in our names) you should contact the authorities and at least the hosting provider and domain registrar
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I would love to have the authorities go after them, but from experience they are not very interested in people like this. They use multiple hosting providers and multiple IPs to essentially fetch our site and automatically inject their own ads (and malware). It's a proxy and we are able to track which IPs they connect from, and block those IPs.
There are a few pages thay they cache and are still serving but typically they will shut down the site in a few hours.

Came across this thread when searching the above website. I am also seeing that the website is now showing up on xda aswell. If you do a search for the site name there are 193 results. Luckily my firewall blocked the website but, others may not be so lucky. Just wanted to give a heads up so the links can be removed or somehow sanitized.