Very sad to say that we’re on version 1.17.8 now with some great improvements, and we can’t release it because Google Chrome Store has removed our Smuuvr extension. Apparently after being featured for years as an app they reviewed and approved, they suddenly changed their mind and now decided we violate their terms.
Complete BS Reasons for Removal
They’re saying specifically it was a violation of directing users to adult sites, when we have never ever ever done that. Not once. In fact we don’t “direct” users anywhere, we don’t link to any site except our own from the about page / help section, and we don’t change the URL on people, or redirect people to any website, ever, let alone adult sites.
They also say that the primary purpose can’t be enhancing adult sites, which we don’t singularly focus on as our primary purpose, we try to support all sites, like YouTube, Amazon, WordPress sites, other video sites, etc, and all other sites if possible, especially popular ones, and that’s a huge umbrella that encompasses adult sites, and we don’t discriminate compatibility except to say we do what users ask for the most in working on compatibility with LOTS of sites. So I don’t see any violation there either.
And, as if that would even matter, because that’s not even what they said was the reason they cited. They say it was directing users to adult sites, specifically, which like I said, we never did and would never do.
So I think the real reason is…
They Just Don’t Want You Having This Much Power.
What really probably happened here is they don’t like that our users are able to skip their non-skippable ads, and they just chose another reason as a way to remove our plugin. We have been skipping ads that other extensions were not able to block for a long time, and given their recent crackdown of blocking those apps from being used, we can see it fits into a trend of them trying to shut down plugins that offer users that power.
Well, we’re going to continue to offer our add-ons for you, even if you just might have to manually install it… and come to think of it, I guess if we aren’t going to be allowed in the Google Chrome Store, we can really just support all sites without them restricting us giving some control over ads to the world.
The Downside of Manual Install
The main downsides to just making it a manual install are that:
- it’s annoying to do, compared to the one click install option we’re used to
- it doesn’t get the visibility it got from being a featured app on the google chrome web store for years.
- And, it makes it a pain in the butt to update it by having to re-install manually every time you want an update.
So, we’re still thinking this through.
Individual Features as Apps
We may need to put out individual features as apps and try them in the Web Store for people who only want ad skipping, for example, and nothing else. It seems like other apps have done really well by just being a one trick pony rather than a swiss army knife of upgrades like Smuuvr has always been.
Maybe we do both… we’ll see. Stay tuned.
If anyone has any suggestions or would like to offer development assistance, please let me know.
Thanks
- Smuuvr