[vandy1997]

Here is a great application that will filter telephone calls, and, in a future update, will filter SMS messages as well. It is highly useful, and will be a welcome addition on the iPhone. I have attached some screenshots. If you can read Portuguese/Spanish or if you have a translation application, you can find more info on the application here: http://www.iphonemod.com.br/forum/vi...php?f=9&t=3245 .

Repo Source: http://repo.iphonebrasil.org/
Name of Application: iBlackList
Please NOTE that the initial password for the application is the number 1 ! You can then change the password.


I am not the developer of this application. iPhoneModBrasil, the site of the iDevBrTeam, the developers of this application, is as follows: http://www.iphonemod.com.br/forum/ .

[x999x]

I believe you forgot to mention that:

this is a payware application

Huge "Register" button at the bottom of the screen with a "Buy Now" button in the top right.

[Nettwerk]

Thanks a lot iDevBRTeam & you for info...

[jwcrash]

THIS APP REQUIRES AN $8.00 "DONATION" TO FUNCTION WITH MORE THAN 2 NUMBERS

[Bernie-Mac]

What happened to developing apps for the good of the community? And considering there is a free app like this just mentioned maybe this isnt such a good idea

[vandy1997]

Actually, the unregistered version works for two numbers. There is a donation of $8 required for the full version of the app. It does not expire or anything of that nature. People can decide to donate or not. I decided to donate, as I have done to the creator of another similar app. I think that there will come a time that people will start to help those individuals who are developing apps. There is no free lunch forever. People on these boards always seem to want everything for nothing. Do you work for no salary? I assume not. I am not a developer, and I am not affiliated with any developer. I just hate to see people making statements that are not true. In the case of this app, it is free and works fine for up to two numbers. If you like it and it works for you, then donate $8, and you will get a full version. Thank you all for your input.

[jwcrash]

Originally Posted by vandy1997

Do you work for no salary?

Actually, most of the developers around here DO work for free...hence the $0 cost of 99% of the available apps. Done.

Pretty weak position to assume based on an overwhelming amount of contradictory evidence.

[SiLeNtKiLLa]

Originally Posted by vandy1997

Actually, the unregistered version works for two numbers. There is a donation of $8 required for the full version of the app. It does not expire or anything of that nature. People can decide to donate or not. I decided to donate, as I have done to the creator of another similar app. I think that there will come a time that people will start to help those individuals who are developing apps. There is no free lunch forever. People on these boards always seem to want everything for nothing. Do you work for no salary? I assume not. I am not a developer, and I am not affiliated with any developer. I just hate to see people making statements that are not true. In the case of this app, it is free and works fine for up to two numbers. If you like it and it works for you, then donate $8, and you will get a full version. Thank you all for your input.

Agreed!

Originally Posted by jwcrash

Actually, most of the developers around here DO work for free...hence the $0 cost of 99% of the available apps. Done.

Pretty weak position to assume based on an overwhelming amount of contradictory evidence.

hhhhhhhmmmmm..... I'm just very curious, had you been an developer, that developed an app that is very beneficial to the masses, would you not want a cut? I mean, your right in 99% apps available are free, but at the same time 99% of the users don't donate either, and more than likely, you included. That would be the main cause as to why such many apps are now comming out and require donations or payment to be a completely useful app because the developers invest so much time and thought into these apps, and are getting no where income wise. So I personally think its a good thing that these apps are requiring donations or payment because its worth it. What sucks is that we been so dayum spoiled of the free factor that we can get outta our shell and offer payment. Well times are changing, and gas is too dayum high, and now they are needing more money. LOL!

[x999x]

We're on a hacked OS, paying for apps with the Appstore just around the corner is absurd.

Furthermore, I have contributed MUCH of my time to the community with my personal Repository (Fight Club receives 3 million hits a month) and never asked for one donation. If you have to ask, then you've obviously had ulterior motives all along.

[vandy1997]

I was happy to list an app on this forum to provide information relating to an app that didn't exist until today (a call filtering app), and I felt that some of the forum members were less than respectful in their responses. This is an app that has been requested by plenty of people, so I know that somebody will appreciate the information that I provided. It is always beter to have more options than fewer options, in my point of view.

Look guys. I agree with the fact that most apps are free and that a lot of people donate their time and resources (servers for repository purposes, etc). But there will be a time when people will start asking to get paid. Maybe it will not happen with all of the apps, but it already has happened with Blackjack and other apps that were free but will not be free once the AppStore is up and running. And there are quite a few, including Labyrinth, Caterpillar, iSIM, CameraPro, VoiceDial, etc.

With respect to this particular app, there are definite alternatives. There is Pysl (and I have helped to beta test it) which is free, but which has not worked well for me. There is also P-Firewall which just appeared as well, and which seems to have been created by a Chinese company. Pysl does ask for donations, and I donated to the developer. There is no proof that P-Firewall will continue to be a free app - who knows. But I am sure that most of the quality apps will become for-pay apps once the AppStore is up and running. Now, there are some developers who develop apps as a hobby, and they choose not to charge for apps - and I am grateful to them as I am to x999x for making your repository available. But that does not mean that all developers do this as a hobby. Some charge for their time because they spend a vast amount of time in developing their apps. Some need that money to feed their families and to pay rent. That doesn't mean that we should chastise them or their apps. In the case of iBlacklist, it is NOT payware. It is functional for free. You are just limited to placing two numbers in the blacklist. Some people may only need two numbers - so it is free for them. For those who want to have more numbers, they can choose to make a donation in the amount of $8. They are not forced to do so, and they can choose to use Pysl or P-Firewall. But some people prefer one aspect of an app over another. I have not tried P-Firewall, as it only came out today, but before today, there has not been another call filtering app. Pysl only does SMS filtering right now.

And jwcrash - I asked you if YOU work for no salary. I am an attorney, and I know that I get paid for my time. And your response to my question did not make any sense - it lacked a logical conclusion. I asked if YOU get paid a salary, and your response is that most developers do not get paid. Just because that may be the case right now, that does not mean that it is right. Just like I do not believe that it would be right for you to work without getting paid a salary. Please don't be a hypocrite! I did not ask if most developers are not yet charging for apps. Most of them do not, but they do ask for donations. And most people use the apps and don't donate because they deem it to be their right to get the apps for free. They are NOT free. The developers DO ask for donations. Just because YOU may not have donated does not mean everybody follows what you do, thank God. I have donated to individuals because, if you stop donating, at some point you will get only crappy apps or apps that are only half-finished or apps that take six months to complete. There will not be any updates, and you will be crying asking why there are no third-party apps that work with the next firmware version.

I don't want to go on about this, but I want to make it clear that THIS particular app is free to try and use. There is no fee required to be paid to use it. The only time you are asked to donate $8 is if you want the full version that allows you to have an unlimited amount of blacklist numbers.

The funny thing about people who are unwilling to pay $8 is that they probably buy coffee at Starbucks for $4 apiece or $8 shots at a local bar. These developers deserve to be compensated and not abused just because they are asking for a donation instead of requiring a fee to be paid before you get to see the application at all. Stop ripping off the developers!

I thank you for your input, but I respectfully disagree with your arguments and your logic. And I am confident that there are plenty of others on this forum who agree with me.

[dnoc]

if Donating its the cost for 100% working app, im donating right now . i just hate when i have to restored my phone cause a f..k up app . Just charge for ur app but make it work before u release public....

[kyteflyer]

$8 is not much (unlike another I was interested in which is $29.95)

I'll be installing and seeing how it goes. If it seems like something I'll want to use a lot (and it doesnt screw with my iphone) I'll donate.

[x999x]

Originally Posted by vandy1997

I was happy to list an app on this forum to provide information relating to an app that didn't exist until today (a call filtering app), and I felt that some of the forum members were less than respectful in their responses. This is an app that has been requested by plenty of people, so I know that somebody will appreciate the information that I provided. It is always beter to have more options than fewer options, in my point of view.

Look guys. I agree with the fact that most apps are free and that a lot of people donate their time and resources (servers for repository purposes, etc). But there will be a time when people will start asking to get paid. Maybe it will not happen with all of the apps, but it already has happened with Blackjack and other apps that were free but will not be free once the AppStore is up and running. And there are quite a few, including Labyrinth, Caterpillar, iSIM, CameraPro, VoiceDial, etc.

With respect to this particular app, there are definite alternatives. There is Pysl (and I have helped to beta test it) which is free, but which has not worked well for me. There is also P-Firewall which just appeared as well, and which seems to have been created by a Chinese company. Pysl does ask for donations, and I donated to the developer. There is no proof that P-Firewall will continue to be a free app - who knows. But I am sure that most of the quality apps will become for-pay apps once the AppStore is up and running. Now, there are some developers who develop apps as a hobby, and they choose not to charge for apps - and I am grateful to them as I am to x999x for making your repository available. But that does not mean that all developers do this as a hobby. Some charge for their time because they spend a vast amount of time in developing their apps. Some need that money to feed their families and to pay rent. That doesn't mean that we should chastise them or their apps. In the case of iBlacklist, it is NOT payware. It is functional for free. You are just limited to placing two numbers in the blacklist. Some people may only need two numbers - so it is free for them. For those who want to have more numbers, they can choose to make a donation in the amount of $8. They are not forced to do so, and they can choose to use Pysl or P-Firewall. But some people prefer one aspect of an app over another. I have not tried P-Firewall, as it only came out today, but before today, there has not been another call filtering app. Pysl only does SMS filtering right now.

And jwcrash - I asked you if YOU work for no salary. I am an attorney, and I know that I get paid for my time. And your response to my question did not make any sense - it lacked a logical conclusion. I asked if YOU get paid a salary, and your response is that most developers do not get paid. Just because that may be the case right now, that does not mean that it is right. Just like I do not believe that it would be right for you to work without getting paid a salary. Please don't be a hypocrite! I did not ask if most developers are not yet charging for apps. Most of them do not, but they do ask for donations. And most people use the apps and don't donate because they deem it to be their right to get the apps for free. They are NOT free. The developers DO ask for donations. Just because YOU may not have donated does not mean everybody follows what you do, thank God. I have donated to individuals because, if you stop donating, at some point you will get only crappy apps or apps that are only half-finished or apps that take six months to complete. There will not be any updates, and you will be crying asking why there are no third-party apps that work with the next firmware version.

I don't want to go on about this, but I want to make it clear that THIS particular app is free to try and use. There is no fee required to be paid to use it. The only time you are asked to donate $8 is if you want the full version that allows you to have an unlimited amount of blacklist numbers.

The funny thing about people who are unwilling to pay $8 is that they probably buy coffee at Starbucks for $4 apiece or $8 shots at a local bar. These developers deserve to be compensated and not abused just because they are asking for a donation instead of requiring a fee to be paid before you get to see the application at all. Stop ripping off the developers!

I thank you for your input, but I respectfully disagree with your arguments and your logic. And I am confident that there are plenty of others on this forum who agree with me.

Well, I don't drink coffee but you do make a point. However, we're right around the corner from legitimate third party applications, and its at that point we'll see a price median take affect. Furthermore, what kind of guarantee do you have that your application will work, or be updated in a timely manner to work with each new firmware upgrade? Is this developer planning on joining the Appstore? Will I have to purchase this software again if so? What if they don't, and I decide to go legit because the Appstore ends up fulfilling the voids we currently have? These are just some of the many questions consumers have with regards to buying software on a rogue platform.

My argument here isn't that developers don't deserve compensation for their time, we all get compensated one way or another, mine comes in the form of thanks and well wishes. Thats all I need to keep me going, but alas I have a job and this is only a hobby to me, so I can't speak for those who are hoping to make a living off selling iPhone applications. My argument, rather, is the way consumers are not always forewarned about the pay-to-play restrictions. The "Bait and Switch" seems to be the way everyone is going, and as a result we're left with pages of "are you crazy?" posts. I've seen this happen time and time again, starting with Navizon.

That said, people who ask for payment should take into consideration one simple factor when introducing their software to the community:

Do not make the fact that your software is payware TRANSPARENT. This means taking screenshots of the full version, and or not disclosing the fact that you need to pay to fully utilize this product.

Programmers aren't sales people, but it doesn't mean they can't try to be. If you present your software in a manner which evokes value, and a reason to purchase, your customers will be more enthusiastic about ponying up their cash.

8 Dollars is not a lot, and if I did not have P-Firewall working for me, I would probably consider buying iBlacklist simply because it's not 29.99 as the stuff makayama puts out. I give credit to this app's author for at least considering a reasonable price.

[vandy1997]

x999x, I see your points as well. With respect to the screenshots, I just posted some that are on the developer's site. I did not mean to be deceptive by posting the screenshots that do not have the unregistered version bar; but to be honest with you, that bar is less annoying than the DONATE pop-ups that pop up each time you start up certain apps. I just know that people generally like to see what the app looks like, so that is why I put up some screenshots. I want to make it clear that this is not my app, and I am not the developer. I posted the information that I did because I found it to be a great app with functionality that was not available at the time. I was not aware of P-Firewall, but that would not change my post in any manner. I want to see quality and useful apps for the iPhone as does any other iPhone user.

And the fact that the AppStore will be available shortly is also a reality. However, I am not sure if these types of apps (that interfere with SMS functionality) will be allowed under the AppStore (because Apple has stated that it will not allow apps that interfere with SMS and iPod/Music Player functionality to be included in the AppStore). So these apps may all have to be installed using Installer or Pwnage. So any payment or donation scheme will be accomplished in the same manner (i.e., through Paypal or a similar service and not through iTunes).

And with respect to this app in particular, it will not time out after a number of days. So you can place it on your phone to test it out, and if you like it, wait until AppStore comes out and purchase it then. As I said before, people choose different apps for different reasons. Some people like certain designs better or specific functions that one app has that another one doesn't have. I just felt badly because some people were harshing on this app not because it was a bad app but because I didn't disclose that there was a cost if you want to have more than 2 blacklist numbers. That is, in my opinion, the developers should not be chastised (similar to witch burning in Salem) because they decided that they want to receive a contribution if people like the app and they want to have more than 2 blacklisted numbers on it. They are not evil people just because they want to be paid for their time. Some of the responses in this thread bashed the app because there is a donation required for full functionality, but those people didn't even comment on the app itself. They could say - "It looks like a nice and useful app, but you will have to pay if you want full functionality." Instead, one forum member just posted (IN RED CAPITALIZED LETTERS) that you had to pay for the app. That is not true, and it is like the app is inherently evil and bad just because you have to pay for it. The forum member is entitled to his/her opinion, of course, but it would be nice to have that individual review the app and say what he/she likes and dislikes. One of the dislikes could be the cost for the full version of the app. That is reasonable and civil. However, posting that the app is payware or something to that extent in capital letters and red lettering is a bit extreme. Maybe it's just me. And I find it unfair if some people choose not to download and experience the app because of extreme comments. It becomes unfair to the developers - as I said before, it is like the Salem witch hunts - people only say how extreme they were after causing more harm than good.

I hope that P-Firewall continues to work well for you. And that it remains free! But I always believe that more competition is better than less. I want to see these developers continue to create a product that meets the wishes of demanding iPhone users. Because Apple has so far screwed us by leaving out certain basic functionality - haha. I think that we can all agree on that.

Cheers x999x, and thank you for your contribution to the community as well!

[x999x]

Thanks Vandy1997, its rare to have an open discussion like this where both parties have a difference of opinion, but can respect each other's view and see the points they're making.

I look forward to seeing this app develop, theres definitely a value in the work being done.