Messages

101

General Software Discussion / Re: Complaints about Direct Access Text Expander Taking Ideas from Others - Split Topic

« on: February 03, 2009, 05:57 PM »

my irritation is growing with this constant moaning and whining.

Nobody is moaning or whining, Carol.

I made a statement, people answer on my statement and everybody tries to clarify their standpoint. Which is very much appreciated.

Certainly, there are different opinions but I hope this does not violate any forum policy as long as everybody respect each other and the language is clean.

But I agree that a certain endless loop is showing up. I never said anything about patents. Then, somebody brought up something about patents. Then I confirmed that my posting was never about patents. But somebody brought up something about patents again. Then I confirmed again that my posting was never about patents. But somebody felt the urge to bring up something about patents again. Then I confirmed again that my posting was never about patents. But somebody brought up something about patents again. It seems to never stop.

Indeed, this certainly has the potential to make me start moaning. :-)

actually by this point you have ceased to do any damage to your 'rival'.

If you read my later postings you will find that it was not my intention to continue to damage my "rival" as everything was said already. But I rather had to answer on other's replies. Just like this posting. Or shall I not answer postings if I feel that there is a misunderstanding?

I would argue that there is nothing that is really new in the market place anyway

Wow, you quoted a wonderful classic:
http://www.quotationspage.com/weblog/2005-08-26-239/

:-)

102

General Software Discussion / Re: Complaints about Direct Access Text Expander Taking Ideas from Others - Split Topic

« on: February 03, 2009, 04:17 PM »

app103, I wonder how you actually have any word about the accusation's content itself while solely bashing me for standing up saying that enough is enough.

You sound to me like "Regardless if he might have stolen, you are the moron because you reveal it instead of just shut up".

I would be curious to learn more about this kind of thinking and your motivation why you completely ignore what he actually did.

103

General Software Discussion / Re: Complaints about Direct Access Text Expander Taking Ideas from Others - Split Topic

« on: February 03, 2009, 03:55 PM »

1) Do you have ANY shed of evidence that code was copied? (Yes/No)

-ropt (February 03, 2009, 12:09 PM)

I hope you have not the impression that I accused him of stealing code. I NEVER wrote that anywhere. Not even close.

2) Is your process patented?

-ropt (February 03, 2009, 12:09 PM)

It is not about patent. I wonder why so many ride on the patent thing because I NEVER wrote the slightest about violating a patent. Not even close.

I said this earlier already:
https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=16640.msg149301#msg149301

3) Why are you harassing a competitor in public for?

-ropt (February 03, 2009, 12:09 PM)

I thought it is well explained in my postings.

104

General Software Discussion / Re: Complaints about Direct Access Text Expander Taking Ideas from Others - Split Topic

« on: February 03, 2009, 03:36 PM »

I respectfully agree to disagree and withdraw from the conversation, as it seems a lot like beating a dead horse on a mouse wheel.

-wraith808 (February 03, 2009, 10:36 AM)

So why did you bother to post in this thread at all, Wraith? Just a "hit & run" attack leaving funny animations? ;-)

105

General Software Discussion / Re: Complaints about Direct Access Text Expander Taking Ideas from Others - Split Topic

« on: February 03, 2009, 08:00 AM »

there was no theft involved.

If you would please watch the video you will find that his action include copying text 1:1 which I consider theft.

I send him a note about it at that time. He does not worry and just continued. No wonder, he actually advertises such sort of "idea finding": http://web.archive.org/web/20070128092405/http://blog.nagarsoft.com/2006/10/31/keep-an-eye-on-the-competition-with-updatepatrol/

The only difference is that he is at least so "clever" now to slightly adjust and rearrange the text he takes from other websites (as demonstrated in above screenshots and in the video).

but that you were trying to justify your attacks.

Of course, what else would you expect?

You may understand that I defend my accusations. This is known as a discussion.

Wraith, I don't know what it takes to explain to you that I do not want you as a PhraseExpress user if you do not like to use it for whatever reason. I kindly ask to read my above postings again.

106

General Software Discussion / Re: Complaints about Direct Access Text Expander Taking Ideas from Others - Split Topic

« on: February 02, 2009, 09:30 AM »

Paul, you are right. It is not about patent.

I wonder why so many ride on the patent thing because I never said the slightest about violating a patent.

Everybody can see that the program itself is not stolen. I would never claim that and it is not the case.

It is his version history that has too many congruences over the years to make us saying it is a "coincidence". 

@Josh: I fully agree with the Opera tabs example you brought up. It may be OK, if you take a idea and bring it onto a new level (which makes it a user benefit and this is competition in a positive way).

But it leaves a bad taste in the mouth if one never stops trying to imitate one feature after another, year by year. Especially if done uninspired without bringing anything new or unique. And it makes it utterly worse if it is copied with poor craftmenship.

107

General Software Discussion / Re: Complaints about Direct Access Text Expander Taking Ideas from Others - Split Topic

« on: January 30, 2009, 01:01 AM »

@wraith808:

How can stealing be justified?   

The only thing I could find is that he pretends to be clueless. And if you read my reply on his sort of "justification" you would find his counter-attacks a shoot in his own foot.

I could not blame you if you do not want to bother with actually verifying what is said but if you take his action even as an justification you find me wonder.

leave me as a customer cold on PhraseExpress

I just wanted to make you aware that if you wear a fake Rolex and believe it is original, that it is not so original. If you continue to wear it with pride and don't care, well... no problem. In this particular case, we do not share the same opinion about the value of originality and authenticity.

But again, we had no intention to use this thread as self-promotion for PhraseExpress. I gladly repeat above statement for you: I do not mind at all if you choose a 3rd party alternative. I gladly help:

www.autotext-software.com (Freeware, basic but completely free)
www.activewords.com ($50, out-dated but an established oldie)
www.asutype.com ($40, Best in class spelling-checker)
www.autohotkey.com ($0, cryptic but has extensive automation functionality)
www.clipmate.com ($20, if you only need the clipboard cache feature)

because of the price difference compared to DirectAccess for a similar feature set.

Only because there seem to be a lot of surprisingly coincident similarities of the feature list evolution over time it would be a wrong conclusion that the overall feature set is similar.

108

General Software Discussion / Re: Complaints about Direct Access Text Expander Taking Ideas from Others - Split Topic

« on: January 18, 2009, 11:43 AM »

Hello "app103",

Maybe whatever he does won't really affect your sales in a negative way, but what you do, will.

No need for you to worry about our sales and I am sorry if you have mistaken this thread as self-promotion.

If you re-read our offer you probably understand that there can be no sales loss for us as we give away PhraseExpress free-of-charge for personal use. “Free of charge” here means 0 (zero) dollars or in other words “no money involved”.

And we do not mind at all if you choose a 3rd party alternative. I gladly help:

www.autotext-software.com (Freeware, basic but completely free)
www.activewords.com ($50, out-dated but an established oldie)
www.asutype.com ($40, Best in class spelling-checker)
www.autohotkey.com ($0, cryptic but has extensive automation functionality)
www.clipmate.com ($20, if you only need the clipboard cache feature)

We just don’t want you to spend money on a product with a questionable business background. And if you do anyway, that you are at least aware of the issue. That's it.

Michael

109

General Software Discussion / Re: Complaints about Direct Access Text Expander Taking Ideas from Others - Split Topic

« on: January 17, 2009, 09:58 AM »

I would understand if Microsoft became upset about this, but legally they wouldn't have a leg to stand on

App103, I am sorry if I was mistakable. You are right if you say that we cannot do anything against it from a legal perspective. Just like the Apple/Vista case.

If you read my postings again, you would not find me saying, that his software is a complete rip-off. It looks different and he has apparently coded it by himself.

Here is another approach to describe the situation:

1. We release a new feature A. For Andrea, there would be hundred potential other features to make, but a he feels the urge to release a quickly drafted me-too feature A after a few months.

2. As we move on, we introduce a new feature B. Not, that we necessarily invented this feature and we do not hold a patent on it, nor would be valid to patent by us. But again, Andrea would have to close many gaps in his software or could have opted for hundred potential other features to make, but no, he seems to be in a hurry to release an uncut counterfeit version of feature B.

3. We then release a new feature C. Bet, was is next on his task list...

And this did not happen just two or three times, but way too often to let me believe that it is a "conincidence". The features I mean are also too special to let me believe they have been demanded by his users as he explains. Additionally, his strategy comes along with blatant 1:1 stealing of text copy as shown in the video.

And here is a very important point:

Have you recognized the similarity of the text copy in above screenshots? Would you deny that both versions are based on the same text but just slightly modified?

As he intentionally re-worded the text copy just slightly does it not mean that he is fully aware of doing a very questionable business and just tries to avoid copyright litigation?

We do not believe that his software affects our corporate sales at all. PhraseExpress is free-of-charge for personal users and we only sell to the corporate market which requires professional features and an infrastructure which can hardly be provided by a one person part-time hobby project.

It is not about money. It is the embarrassment that he is taking ideas and concepts over an extended period of time regardless we told him that it is not appreciated.

110

General Software Discussion / Re: Complaints about Direct Access Text Expander Taking Ideas from Others - Split Topic

« on: January 17, 2009, 04:25 AM »

Mouser, thank you for taking care of this matter in such a respectful and professional manner.

By the way, we seems not to be alone in this case:

Andrea, can it be that have had a close look at other companies text copy as well as an sources for "inspiration" as you can see in attached screenshots.

Or is it yet another conincidence and do you still pretend to not understand what it is all about?

111

General Software Discussion / Re: Direct Access - text expander - Complaints about company

« on: January 13, 2009, 03:15 AM »

It was just that, if your ideas are being imitated over such an extended time, you hopefully understand that there can be a growing feeling to set the record straight.

I will stop here.

112

General Software Discussion / Re: Direct Access - text expander - Complaints about company

« on: January 12, 2009, 06:15 PM »

Should I avoid implementing a feature that my user request because it's something already available in PhraseExpress?

Certainly not. But I have difficulties to believe that your users only demand exactly the feature list of PhraseExpress. Or that they demand to use identical hotkey associations as in PhraseExpress.

for example, the ability to launch the email client.

Do you mean our #run or the #mail macro? Both included in PhraseExpress since v3 released in early 2006.

Another strange thing I notices is that soon after we published the autocorrection dictionaries in many languages on our website, they appeared on yours too.

Funny, that you bring on this one. Not that we or you invented AutoCorrect but here we go:

PhraseExpress AutoCorrect library download offer, dated 06/2007 as verified at Archive.org -> Link

Would you please tell the audience when you put on your first AutoCorrect library? 

113

General Software Discussion / Re: Direct Access - text expander - Complaints about company

« on: January 12, 2009, 05:19 PM »

Andrea, it is not about "frustration" or "chasing", it is about ethics. Continuous stealing of ideas is unethical.

Watch the video. Or compare the version histories over the years. You lack creativity so much that you steal even marketing concepts letter-by-letter.

Evidence required?!

1. Our website since January 17

2. Your website on Januar 25

...and suddenly a few days later (See "RSI syndrome").

And this is just one out of many "similarities".

Andrea, competition in general is not an issue. There is AutoHotKey, ActiveWords, SmartKey, Typing Assistant, AsUType, LetmeType and so on. You will not find us worry about these products which are all more or less distinctive.

Users have a smart sense whether a programmer has fully understood a feature and crafted it thoughtful with a bigger picture in mind or whether it is just a knock-off which tries to imitate superficially. The problem is that a copycat often ignore the "big picture" behind a long-term strategy and is rather busy with following others while realizing of always being 12 to 18 months behind. I will not comment on your product’s quality but I am certain that you completely understand what I mean.

We will give-away PhraseExpress wherever you post about DirectAccess until you re-think your business ethics. It was a "nice" move from you to even use the same hotkey associations as in PhraseExpress. Along with our DirectAccess import feature it will make it easier for the users to switch.

114

General Software Discussion / Complaints about Direct Access Text Expander Taking Ideas from Others - Split Topic

« on: January 09, 2009, 11:06 AM »

Normally, we do not comment competitor's products. But in this particular case we kindly ask you to check out this video:
http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=t36Omxil0Dw&fmt=18

There are many more conincidences if you compare the version history of both products.

That is, why we would like to give all DonationCoders 70% discount on the brand-new version 6 of PhraseExpress. This is less than $15!

Simply use the discount coupon "donationcoder" at http://shop.phraseexpress.com. The coupon is valid through January 2009.

PhraseExpress is even free-of-charge for personal use. More info at http://www.phraseexp...ess.com/freeware.htm

115

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / HTML Code Auto-Complete for free

« on: December 17, 2008, 08:39 AM »

Hello DonationCoders,

we have a little Christmas Gift for you.

We are maker of the Speed Typing and Autotext Utility PhraseExpress.

General Features - Video Demo

PhraseExpress is free-of-charge for personal use.

From time to time we add new functionality via additional phrase files. Today, we added a new phrase file which enables PhraseExpress to auto-complete HTML code tags for you.

HTML Code Completion - Video Demo

This extension can be downloaded here.

By the way, the latest PhraseExpress version can now import .da files.