HTC's Facebook Page Hit By "Mostly" Unwarranted Kernel Source Spam Campaign

[dgstorm]

Sometimes, that old adage, "when it rains it pours" rings very true. Last week, it was Samsung getting slammed over and over, this week it appears to be HTC. Some impatient users have created a spam campaign against HTC on the HTC Facebook page. Apparently a horde of users are going out of their way to slam HTC claiming that they’re violating GPL requirements by not releasing source code for new devices and updates directly on HTC's Facebook page. Here is one of the messages being sent to HTC practically every five minutes,

Please release the kernel source for the EVO 3D, EVO 4G, EVO Shift, Sensation, and Incredible 2. I love HTC devices, but am saddened that HTC refuses to follow GPL requirements to release source code.

After the spamming got so bad, HTC began deleting some of the posts, and several users called them out on this. Here is HTC's response to that,

I completely understand your concern regarding the lack of source code, Nick, and I would be more than happy to clarify this for you.

Unfortunately, I cannot confirm whether these comments were actually being removed, or whether they were automatically removed due to being reported as spam, which is against Facebook’s ToS — we definately hear you guys, and we’re not deliberately withholding the code from you, and we absolutely plan on making it available, as soon as it’s ready.

We are still working on the source code for some devices. We are unable to provide it to you at this time as it is not currently in an easily accessible format. Sure, it works on the phone just fine; but, for development purposes, that same software also needs to be able to function with the SDK provided by Google. For it to be flawless for our customers, it’s going to take some time. As for a time frame, our usual estimate is within 90-120 days of the device’s release. Sometimes (read: most of the time) we can have it sooner than that. I assure you we are working towards having this software available to our customers as soon as possible.

This pretty much sums up the facts of the issue. HTC is apparently doing their best to get the source code out to users as quickly as they can, and are well within the time frame that they need to be. This means the spam campaign is mostly unwarranted, and the users should really just calm down and exercise some patience. At the time of this story, it appears that the spamming is slowing down some, but there still appears to be a few grumps posting occasionally.

Source: Android.net via PhanDroid and HTC Facebook

 

[anuraj1]

I don't know if I would call it "unwarranted"... They say that they usually get the source code out earlier than 90-120 days after release of device. The Evo 4g is a year old.

 

[dgstorm]

I don't know if I would call it "unwarranted"... They say that they usually get the source code out earlier than 90-120 days after release of device. The Evo 4g is a year old.

Yep. I went back and looked at the list of phones too, even before you posted this reply, and saw the Evo 4G on there, so I updated the story with a qualifier of "mostly". Still, spamming HTC's Facebook page isn't really going to get it done any quicker. It's mostly just a big waste of time...

 

[OneTenderRebel]

I don't know if I would call it "unwarranted"... They say that they usually get the source code out earlier than 90-120 days after release of device. The Evo 4g is a year old.

Yep. I went back and looked at the list of phones too, even before you posted this reply, and saw the Evo 4G on there, so I updated the story with a qualifier of "mostly". Still, spamming HTC's Facebook page isn't really going to get it done any quicker. It's mostly just a big waste of time...

yep waste of time but also if I were working at HTC and someone spammed my site constantly I would not release the code just in spite of those spammers. There are other ways of going about this.

 

[dgstorm]

I don't know if I would call it "unwarranted"... They say that they usually get the source code out earlier than 90-120 days after release of device. The Evo 4g is a year old.

Yep. I went back and looked at the list of phones too, even before you posted this reply, and saw the Evo 4G on there, so I updated the story with a qualifier of "mostly". Still, spamming HTC's Facebook page isn't really going to get it done any quicker. It's mostly just a big waste of time...

yep waste of time but also if I were working at HTC and someone spammed my site constantly I would not release the code just in spite of those spammers. There are other ways of going about this.

Indeed!

 

[czerdrill]

the ever mature android users strike again. when all else fails, spam facebook pages...

 

[pc747]

This is the part of the community that makes me shake my head. In the end it is still a phone. Again there are a large population of android and iPhone users who could care less about jailbreak or rooting. In the end I want a phone that works.

Sent from my ADR6400L

 

[OneTenderRebel]

This is the part of the community that makes me shake my head. In the end it is still a phone. Again there are a large population of android and iPhone users who could care less about jailbreak or rooting. In the end I want a phone that works.

Sent from my ADR6400L

exactly, I feel like the generation right below mine like the 18-25 year olds now have such a ridiculous sense of entitlement to EVERYTHING. If they don't get what they feel they deserve it's curse the world and it's everyone else's fault. Not all of them are like that thankfully, but the ones who are more than make up for the ones who are not.

 

[rbw62]

Amen Bro!

Sent from my ADR6400L using DroidForums

 

[Limbwalker]

I must admit, they have been dragging their feet on this . . . dancedroid

 

[BlueSami]

Maybe next time they should write their congressman?

I think the point is people want to be HEARD! facebook does that. People might saw its "childish" but this is what social networking is...

 

[OneTenderRebel]

You can be heard without being an annoying mosquito constanstly swarming in your ear. This is not what social networking is. This is a group of people who feel entitled to something that really isn't theirs to begin with. Now HTC has been very kind to releasing their source codes but they certainly dont owe that to the consumer base.

To be or not to be........................wait what was the question? This signature has been Tapatalk approved.

 

[czerdrill]

Maybe next time they should write their congressman?

I think the point is people want to be HEARD! facebook does that. People might saw its "childish" but this is what social networking is...

Spamming a company is the most childish way to get heard that I can think of...

 

[BlueSami]

Maybe next time they should write their congressman?

I think the point is people want to be HEARD! facebook does that. People might saw its "childish" but this is what social networking is...

Spamming a company is the most childish way to get heard that I can think of...

eh... I think it works.

just sayin. dancedroid

 

[czerdrill]

Maybe next time they should write their congressman?

I think the point is people want to be HEARD! facebook does that. People might saw its "childish" but this is what social networking is...

Spamming a company is the most childish way to get heard that I can think of...

eh... I think it works.

just sayin. dancedroid

yeah it does, that's why the little kids do it...it's pretty sad.