MacUpdate Developer Blacklist
MacUpdate provides a user review service that allows visitors to post their comments about each of the software titles listed
on the site. While this is a great system for users to hear from other users about experiences they've had with specific software
titles, it is also a system that is being abused by developers.
It has come to our attention that a number of developers are posting positive star rating reviews of their own software, or negative
reviews of their competitors' software. This behavior is unethical and unfair to the Macintosh community. It skews the real user
review ratings making them inaccurate.
In the past, MacUpdate has dealt with this issue by contacting the developer asking them why they acted as they did. Typically the
response is denial or redirecting the blame toward someone else. In the past we've given developers multiple chances, urging them
to do the right thing. Where this has worked with a few developers, many continue to abuse the review system.
Below is a list of developers who have posted positive reviews of their own products, and/or negative reviews of their competitor's products.
Helmes Innovations (webmaster@helmesinnovations.com) - Creator of Party-Pod College Edition
Posted positive reviews of own software 3 times. Was warned and continued behavior.
Babya Software - Creator of a suite of DVD/CD and AU tools.
Repackaged Apple products under his own name.
Julian Ashton (aka Jolix) (jolix@mac.com) - Creator of Xfactor.
Stole direct code from the Poisoned project according to creators of Poisoned.
It is MacUpdate's will that developers choose to do the right thing. We want to forgive people, even if they do abuse MacUpdate's services.
However, there are cases where we feel it's very important to let the Mac community know which developers continue to break
a trust system.
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