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Re: Idea: consider crowdfunding UBports project

 

"NeoTheThird, community manager at UBports"- Nice to know that. That's a part of what I meant by saying "Russian hackers". I know it well that nothing is 100% safe nowadays.  However if more people would know with whom they are talking/working with, Ubuntu Touch would get more support? An Internet site with clear rules, links, description, MILESTONES etc? I meant that this project needs more transparency so that people who want to support it know why, what for and who stands behind the steer. 

I think they do it very well:

https://ubuntu-mate.org/


Cheers
Marcin


      From: NeoTheThird <neo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
 To: ubuntu-phone@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
 Sent: Sunday, April 16, 2017 3:48 PM
 Subject: Re: [Ubuntu-phone] Idea: consider crowdfunding UBports project
   
 Hi, i can't wipe away your allegations, but i can try to put them in perspective.
  
 You have a point there. Ubuntu Touch is very unstable in many areas and that will have to change. Our target audience are Linux users and that won't change for the foreseeable future. If your grandmother doesn't know how to bring up a terminal and execute a script to flash her device, Ubuntu Touch is not for her. UBports only has a very small team of volunteer developers, so marketing to Dorothy Default and Gabe Generic does not make sense right now, it would just cause confusion and disappointment. It's not feasible to make something for everyone without a large team and lots of funding, at least not right now. Remember the early days of Android? Then you know what i'm talking about. Ubuntu Touch devices being sold to consumers too early is one of the reasons why this project did not take off as planned. I agree with you there: UT needs *a lot* of polish and testing. Calling, SMS, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and AGPS, essential apps - those are all on our to-do list. We won't get it stable until tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. So until it's really really good, we're targeting the nerds. About that russian hacker comment: You can't be sure, i could be lying to your face right now. Remember that UBports was already a thing before Canonical ditched Ubuntu Touch. There are devices running our images out there right now, so we could already be back-dooring a lot of devices, maybe even yours. I like your shirt, btw, but you really need to clean your apartment. 
  The thing is: It would not make sense to put all the effort of integrating back-doors in such a niche OS. Vault 7 shows that there are back-doors in many Devices at a layer below the Kernel, so why would we even bother? Also, it's all free software, so all the code (except the hardware enablement blobs that are not written by us but by the device manufacturers) can be checked by third parties and the risk of getting caught spying on people is pretty high.
  No, seriously, you have a point. We understand that it might be difficult for many people to put there trust in a project run by some random nerds from the Internet. But we're trying to be as transparent as possible. All code that ships is open source. We try to answer all the questions in our bi-weekly Community Q&A (https://blog.ubports.com/2017/04/15/community-qa.html). We share our financial details with our Patreon supporters (Except the 10 Million rubels we recieve from the KGB each month of course). 
  I hope that answers some of your questions. If you have any suggestions how we can improve transparency and accountability, feel free to raise your voice.
  All the best, Jan Sprinz, aka. NeoTheThird, community manager at UBports 
  On 16.04.2017 14:40, Marcin Xc wrote:
  
 Money is not enough. I think this project died for the same reason as Ubuntu Edge did: poor organization and managing skills. Programing consist of a few levels. Some people here seem to completely ignored them. Someone just wakes up and says "hey, I have an idea: convergence" ignoring the very basics that would let the idea grow.
 I wrote it already once: I wouldn't invest a penny in a project without clean rules. These rules would be: 
  1. Ringing, reliable phone with sms, offline/google independent contact synchronization, alarm clock FOR EVERYONE (also my daughter, Mother, G-mother, not only for a geek) just like this one: http://www.computerbild.de/artikel/cb-News-Handy-Nokia-3310-Remake-17350321.html
  
  1a. testing
  2. Bluetooth, wifi, etc, etc 2a testing
  3. Additional apps + convergence 
  I would invest in a project like this.^ 
  We should have right from the start a reliable device which would grow. What happened was development of fully unreliable device.
  
  I will not invest neither my time nor money in a project developed by people who wake up and code. Try to use "Activity Tracker" on UT if You want to know what I mean. Full respect for a developer... who wasted his time because of UT system policies. 
  Now if the project is not traded through Canonical brand I'm not sure if one of You will not be a Russian hacker - doing a perfect work but backdooring devices. Or even if not perhaps again through people filled with passion but going different ways. Give me the reason to support this behaviour?
  
  How wil You brush aside my allegations? 
  Best regards
 
 GTriderXC
   
 
        From: Vincas Dargis <vindrg@xxxxxxxxx>
 To: ubuntu-phone@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
 Sent: Sunday, April 16, 2017 10:34 AM
 Subject: [Ubuntu-phone] Idea: consider crowdfunding UBports project
  
 Hi,
  
  I am user of BQ Aquaris E5, which is my actually first ever smart phone, and I am deeply saddened that Canonical had to 
  end Ubuntu Phone project. I am very thankful for them for creating this awesome, free operating system for smart phones, 
  with convergence with Desktop, which I am really not ready to leave it in the drawer. Big thanks to them!
  
  I have discovered that UBports project, which is continuing Ubuntu Phone developing, has Patreon site [0] to collect 
  funds for it's development, and for the main goal they set to have full time developer working on system we love.
  
  I am encouraging you to consider funding UBports by becoming patreons to help them continue Ubuntu Phone development.
  
  There are actually lot's of free software projects and their supporting organizations that needs our money too, may it 
  be Debian and Ubuntu, or maybe Free Software, Document and Linux Foundations, but these mentioned have already their 
  stones set, meanwhile UBports really needs a kickstart (pun intended? :-) ).
  
  Thanks for hearing.
  
  [0] https://www.patreon.com/ubports/posts
  
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