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Fact or fiction?
#43462 01/24/17 09:38 AM
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I like to support developers who solicit donations, but I've run into a unique situation with EtreCheck.

To me, that's just plain greedy! mad


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Fact or fiction?
artie505 #43464 01/24/17 10:51 AM
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It does seem a tad strange, but at the same time Etresoft's relationship with PayPal (according to the proviso given) would appear to be the culprit. Perhaps another example of unintended consequences?

Also, that's what happens when you update/upgrade your Mac OS. smirk
When I (still running Lion) checked it out, it merely offered me an update to the version I had installed.

Re: Fact or fiction?
grelber #43465 01/24/17 10:58 AM
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Originally Posted By: grelber
Also, that's what happens when you update/upgrade your Mac OS. smirk
When I (still running Lion) checked it out, it merely offered me an update to the version I had installed.

Huh? What's that got to do with this?


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Fact or fiction
artie505 #43467 01/24/17 01:24 PM
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What are you seeing as greedy? Is it the fixed donation amounts (the "technical reasons" explanation seems to be a strange explanation) or the fact they might be forced to shift the development to iOS if there is not enough support?


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: Fact or fiction?
artie505 #43468 01/24/17 01:57 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
Originally Posted By: grelber
Also, that's what happens when you update/upgrade your Mac OS. smirk
When I (still running Lion) checked it out, it merely offered me an update to the version I had installed.

Huh? What's that got to do with this?

Apparently only those who've upgraded to the latest Mac OSes and are wanting to run Etrecheck are the only ones who need to have versions revised to better do the job, so Etresoft seems to want to dun you for the extra expense involved in upgrading their apps. (They're not asking me.)

Re: Fact or fiction?
grelber #43470 01/24/17 02:38 PM
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Originally Posted By: grelber
Apparently only those who've upgraded to the latest Mac OSes and are wanting to run Etrecheck are the only ones who need to have versions revised to better do the job, so Etresoft seems to want to dun you for the extra expense involved in upgrading their apps. (They're not asking me.)

When you run Etrecheck, whether you are prompted to update or not, is there a donate icon (❤️) on the right side of the Etrecheck window tool bar? If so, try clicking on that and you should be taken to a web site where you will see what Artie posted. At least that is how it works in Etrecheck 3.1.5 (343) on MacOS 10.12.3.

blush I am embarrassed to admit I had not noticed that icon before.

NOTE: After further investigation it appears that Paypal cannot be setup to receive donations of variable amounts and instead requires fixed amount contributions. At least if you go to the Find Your Cause all of those are only fixed amount donations as well. I suspect that is Paypal's way of handling charitable contributions so that the charity does not have to have a "Merchant Account" with their bank.

Last edited by joemikeb; 01/24/17 03:16 PM. Reason: add Note

If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Fact or fiction?
joemikeb #43472 01/24/17 03:18 PM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
When you run Etrecheck, whether you are prompted to update or not, is there a donate icon (❤️) on the right side of the Etrecheck window tool bar? If so, try clicking on that and you should be taken to a web site where you will see what Artie posted. At least that is how it works in Etrecheck 3.1.5 (343) on MacOS 10.12.3.
blush I am embarrassed to admit I had not noticed that icon before.

You anticipated my question, namely I can't find that donation page anywhere on Etresoft's website; where is it? I didn't notice the icon either (but I'm not embarrassed).

Re: Fact or fiction?
grelber #43473 01/24/17 03:34 PM
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Originally Posted By: grelber
You anticipated my question, namely I can't find that donation page anywhere on Etresoft's website; where is it? I didn't notice the icon either (but I'm not embarrassed).

As far as I know there is no link to that page from the web site, however, if you run Etrecheck and click on the link you will end up here.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Fact or fiction?
joemikeb #43478 01/24/17 06:28 PM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: grelber
You anticipated my question, namely I can't find that donation page anywhere on Etresoft's website; where is it? I didn't notice the icon either (but I'm not embarrassed).

As far as I know there is no link to that page from the web site, however, if you run Etrecheck and click on the link you will end up here.

Jawohl. As soon as I ran the latest update (3.1.5), a window dropped down over the report with a request for donation, and at the top was the heart icon.

Re: Fact or fiction
joemikeb #43483 01/25/17 07:45 AM
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Originally Posted By: EtreSoft
Note: For technical reasons integrating EtreCheck with PayPal, it is no longer possible to provide a donation button where you can choose your own amount.

Originally Posted By: joemikeb
What are you seeing as greedy? Is it the fixed donation amounts (the "technical reasons" explanation seems to be a strange explanation) or the fact they might be forced to shift the development to iOS if there is not enough support?

Rather than fly off half-cocked about such a serious matter in a public forum I called PayPal, and the customer service rep to whom I spoke told me that the above quoted "Note" is A FLAT OUT LIE...that there's no aspect of the PayPal platform under discussion that prevents sellers from offering "Pay what you like" as an option, and that if the option isn't offered it's because of a SELLER decision.

And needless to say, she wasn't the least bit pleased by the fact that EtreSoft's statement (which borders on, if it doesn't actually qualify as, fraud) casts PayPal in a bad light as the bad guy.

All considered, I'll ride the theory that a conclusion was reached, perhaps even with the help of an actuary, that the CA$10 minimum justified by the "Note" is a palatable way to squeeze money out of EtreCheck, the theory being that enough small contributors would acquiesce to the roughly US$7.50 minimum to significantly overbalance those who'd be put off by it and give nothing. (I doubt that the data's available, but it wouldn't surprise me if the "technical reasons" and "no longer" portions of the "Note" pertain to the Canadian dollar's decline over the past few years.)

The way its donation options read, EtreSoft is getting the best of all worlds by remaining a benevolent donationware seller while avoiding, although approaching, shareware status, thus leaving the door open for eternally grateful users whose butts it's saved to shower them with $$$.

And call me a conspiracy theorist if you will, but I suspect that there's no donation link on either Etre... website in order to to keep their spurious "Note" away from the eyes of the curious public, reserved for those of only people who've already downloaded and used the software and are less likely to question or be put off by it. (Note that EtreCheck's status as donationware is 100% hidden until after you've run it.)

Don't misunderstand me: I realize that many donationware developers either need or just appreciate payment for their work, I support them with donations that I base on their apps' contribution to my situation and my fiscal means (*), and I don't regret a single penny I've spent over the years doing so, but in this instance I've got to balk.

EtreCheck... EtreCheckmate! mad

(I don't find it objectionable when developers suggest a donation amount based on their perception of their app's value, because that at least gives me the opportunity to weigh their perception against my own and proceed from there.)

(*) It's an entirely different issue, but I never make donations to developers, like EtreSoft, who don't accept US$.

Originally Posted By: joemikeb
After further investigation it appears that Paypal cannot be setup to receive donations of variable amounts and instead requires fixed amount contributions. At least if you go to the Find Your Cause all of those are only fixed amount donations as well. I suspect that is Paypal's way of handling charitable contributions so that the charity does not have to have a "Merchant Account" with their bank.

That's not pertinent to the present discussion, because it applies to sellers' elections to donate a portion of their proceeds to charity, NOT to the donations they solicit for their products...an entirely different part of the PayPal platform.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire

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