The world of hacking one's iPhone. - THIS IS A GEEKY POST! You're warned
***SURGEON GENERAL WARNING***
The below blog is EXTREMELY geeky and talks about a community that almost NONE of my usual readers belong to and probably won't understand. However...I felt like writing...so I did. If you're offended by geekiness or feel that by writing this I'm showing how not 'with it' I am...or that I care too much for something so trivial...I encourage you to close this now and read another post. I don't really CARE care about this...but just wanted to share my observations about things as I've been watching this play out over the last 6 days. You've been warned. ******
Man...who knew?
I haven't had the iPhone a month...and already I'm hooked.
Ok...if you know me at all you knew THAT would happen...let's face it I'm a gadget fiend.
What I didn't know though was that there was a whole COMMUNITY based on this. See when I first got the phone I said I wouldn't 'jailbreak' it. I thought that meant that I would be setting it up to go to T-Mobile or something and that just seemed dumb. Who'd want to use T-Mobile right?
Well...I was wrong.
Jailbreaking is a software 'mod' to your iPhone to release and add functionality to it that either AT&T or Apple didn't either build or approve of having in their premier handset. Things like (at least in the old version) picture messaging, tethering (using your data plan as a modem) and skinning or applying themes to the main screen etc. Nothing like trying to hack your way into places you shouldn't go or stealing software. It's really just unlocking your phone to do what others do.
So anyway...once I realized what Jailbreaking was I was ON BOARD! I decided to give it a try (mostly cause I wanted to change my sms tone to "I've got a Message" from I've got a Feeling by Third Day)...and proceeded to use a tool called quickpwn that would do it rather easily while allowing me to roll it back to Apple's basic should I wish to. IT was a win-win and for 2 weeks I enjoyed the Jailbreak and kept my finger on the pulse of Apple for the 3.0 firmware.
Last Wednesday they released it and I immediately downloaded it and put it on my iPod touch and iPhone...and then realized I needed that break. The iPhone interface is soooo boring. SO I began researching.
Imagine my surprise when I find an entire COMMUNITY setup around the hacking of one's iPhones. There is a group of people called the "Dev Team" and they were the ones who perfected the process. They even found a way to unlock it and allow users to go to other carriers (for me...not sure about that...feels kinda like stealing; but that is just my conviction and noone else's). So I started researching and looking for quickpwn (what I used last time) .
I discovered however dissension was building in the ranks. Apparently someone in the community not associated with the Dev-Team registered quickpwn.com and this made them slightly annoyed. Not that a person was willing to do that...but they were charging ads and profiting from their software. I found this fascinating for two reasons:
1: That the dev-team REALLY does do this for the joy of doing it. They're not profiting. They even said they don't want donations of money for their work/site which I find just awesome. Granted...if they took money I imagine Apple may consider them more than just a nuisance (so it's smart NOT to)...but still as the guy who registered quickpwn can show they could EASILY profit with little work.
2: That the community really does CARE about these guys. Sure there was one dude who went out and hijacked (and let's face it...that's what it was) the site...but once people realize that's what happened (a lot of people I don't think DID realize it)...they've shunned this guy.
What I find most fascinating though is the shunning process. IN some cases I've read that the Dev-Team should seek litigous answers. I kinda giggle at that. Of course the dev-team can't go after quickpwn.com's owner. What they're doing isn't illegal...but it will CERTAINLY bring a lot of light and attention to them. Apple would get involved and may subpeona their code/holes to try and figure out how they do what they do and shut them down. Again too...litigious means they've been 'damaged' in some way. If they give away all their code, and time...and there's no ads on the site...then guess what...they're not damaged.
For me personally...if the quickpwn guy makes a quickpwn app...I won't run it. I dig the style of the "Dev-Team". I like the thought of using your labor and time to help those around you without any thought of reward. I dig the way they operate and so I'll support them.
To the owner of quickpwn.com...I registered for your free iPhone 3gs...without realizing at the time that you weren't associated with the 'dev-team'. I'm removing myself from your site/twitter/youtube today. I encourage you bro...take your site down. Don't say it'll take a lot of time. It'll take 10 minutes to transfer ownership of the name to them. You can pull that stuff with non-geeks...but dude we HACK our IPHONES! Odds are good you can't snow us as you would your Aunt Esther. If it does take too long...then just setup a cname record to point to their site and say "Hey I meant it as a homage and info site that went too far". The peeps in this community seem genuinely cool and will no doubt forgive and forget. Next year just let the domain expire and let the guys know they can probably grab it. (It would be better if you transferred...as no doubt with the traffic uptick you got this week there will be people waiting to grab it). You can make this right. However...if you don't...then just acknowledge what you're doing. "Yes...I like money...I want a profit. I live in America and this is LEGAL! Deal with it...and please use my app and come to my site". You'll probably get a good year out of it before you will just start seeing a decline...but you'll have the money and if that's your goal...congrats you win.
To those of you reading this who are used to me waxing philosophical...this is an open 'geek' letter and I"ll probably return to my humourous outlook on things in the future.
So as always;
Thanks for reading.
The below blog is EXTREMELY geeky and talks about a community that almost NONE of my usual readers belong to and probably won't understand. However...I felt like writing...so I did. If you're offended by geekiness or feel that by writing this I'm showing how not 'with it' I am...or that I care too much for something so trivial...I encourage you to close this now and read another post. I don't really CARE care about this...but just wanted to share my observations about things as I've been watching this play out over the last 6 days. You've been warned. ******
Man...who knew?
I haven't had the iPhone a month...and already I'm hooked.
Ok...if you know me at all you knew THAT would happen...let's face it I'm a gadget fiend.
What I didn't know though was that there was a whole COMMUNITY based on this. See when I first got the phone I said I wouldn't 'jailbreak' it. I thought that meant that I would be setting it up to go to T-Mobile or something and that just seemed dumb. Who'd want to use T-Mobile right?
Well...I was wrong.
Jailbreaking is a software 'mod' to your iPhone to release and add functionality to it that either AT&T or Apple didn't either build or approve of having in their premier handset. Things like (at least in the old version) picture messaging, tethering (using your data plan as a modem) and skinning or applying themes to the main screen etc. Nothing like trying to hack your way into places you shouldn't go or stealing software. It's really just unlocking your phone to do what others do.
So anyway...once I realized what Jailbreaking was I was ON BOARD! I decided to give it a try (mostly cause I wanted to change my sms tone to "I've got a Message" from I've got a Feeling by Third Day)...and proceeded to use a tool called quickpwn that would do it rather easily while allowing me to roll it back to Apple's basic should I wish to. IT was a win-win and for 2 weeks I enjoyed the Jailbreak and kept my finger on the pulse of Apple for the 3.0 firmware.
Last Wednesday they released it and I immediately downloaded it and put it on my iPod touch and iPhone...and then realized I needed that break. The iPhone interface is soooo boring. SO I began researching.
Imagine my surprise when I find an entire COMMUNITY setup around the hacking of one's iPhones. There is a group of people called the "Dev Team" and they were the ones who perfected the process. They even found a way to unlock it and allow users to go to other carriers (for me...not sure about that...feels kinda like stealing; but that is just my conviction and noone else's). So I started researching and looking for quickpwn (what I used last time) .
I discovered however dissension was building in the ranks. Apparently someone in the community not associated with the Dev-Team registered quickpwn.com and this made them slightly annoyed. Not that a person was willing to do that...but they were charging ads and profiting from their software. I found this fascinating for two reasons:
1: That the dev-team REALLY does do this for the joy of doing it. They're not profiting. They even said they don't want donations of money for their work/site which I find just awesome. Granted...if they took money I imagine Apple may consider them more than just a nuisance (so it's smart NOT to)...but still as the guy who registered quickpwn can show they could EASILY profit with little work.
2: That the community really does CARE about these guys. Sure there was one dude who went out and hijacked (and let's face it...that's what it was) the site...but once people realize that's what happened (a lot of people I don't think DID realize it)...they've shunned this guy.
What I find most fascinating though is the shunning process. IN some cases I've read that the Dev-Team should seek litigous answers. I kinda giggle at that. Of course the dev-team can't go after quickpwn.com's owner. What they're doing isn't illegal...but it will CERTAINLY bring a lot of light and attention to them. Apple would get involved and may subpeona their code/holes to try and figure out how they do what they do and shut them down. Again too...litigious means they've been 'damaged' in some way. If they give away all their code, and time...and there's no ads on the site...then guess what...they're not damaged.
For me personally...if the quickpwn guy makes a quickpwn app...I won't run it. I dig the style of the "Dev-Team". I like the thought of using your labor and time to help those around you without any thought of reward. I dig the way they operate and so I'll support them.
To the owner of quickpwn.com...I registered for your free iPhone 3gs...without realizing at the time that you weren't associated with the 'dev-team'. I'm removing myself from your site/twitter/youtube today. I encourage you bro...take your site down. Don't say it'll take a lot of time. It'll take 10 minutes to transfer ownership of the name to them. You can pull that stuff with non-geeks...but dude we HACK our IPHONES! Odds are good you can't snow us as you would your Aunt Esther. If it does take too long...then just setup a cname record to point to their site and say "Hey I meant it as a homage and info site that went too far". The peeps in this community seem genuinely cool and will no doubt forgive and forget. Next year just let the domain expire and let the guys know they can probably grab it. (It would be better if you transferred...as no doubt with the traffic uptick you got this week there will be people waiting to grab it). You can make this right. However...if you don't...then just acknowledge what you're doing. "Yes...I like money...I want a profit. I live in America and this is LEGAL! Deal with it...and please use my app and come to my site". You'll probably get a good year out of it before you will just start seeing a decline...but you'll have the money and if that's your goal...congrats you win.
To those of you reading this who are used to me waxing philosophical...this is an open 'geek' letter and I"ll probably return to my humourous outlook on things in the future.
So as always;
Thanks for reading.
Comments
Please see this:
http://www.ipodtouchfans.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1656182&postcount=7 and also read this:
http://www.ipodtouchfans.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1656931&postcount=89
1: you say you can't stop the site. That's inaccurate. You WON'T stop the site. I work in IT my man...I know that you can transfer the owner of a domain pretty easily...if not I KNOW you can set a cname record.
My advise...register quickpwnhelp.com if you're REALLY all about helping those with quickpwn.
As to what you said that this is to cover your costs for 'helping' those who need it...why then doesn't the dev-team (who spend more time developing) who answer questions through twitter and other forums...I submit sir that that is justification for doing something that you know is wrong.
You squatted the site. You saw a possibility for profit and took it. If you took THAT stance "I saw a chance for profit and took it." You may lose people...but ya know...more people will respect you. A lot of people see through your excuses as just that...an excuse and I think that is what most people are bent about.
Just my opinion bro...but if you register quickpwnhelp.com and transferred quickpwn back to the guys who created it...you'd be a hero I think and not looked upon as a zero.
I updated my blog with the ipodtouchfans.com post and credited you for leading me to it.
Thanks Will!