uBlock₀ taken down from Chrome store (I have no clue why)

[gorhill]

This is what I got today when I logged in my Chrome store dashboard:

• I have no clue why it was removed
• I did not receive any email about this
• I don't see any email which I can contact to find out what is the problem
• The version removed is exactly as the latest one in the release section
• The other uBlock is still in the store.
• The message says: "[...] did not comply with our policies or terms of service"

[harshanvn]

when i click the chrome store link, it says -

An error occurred:
Item not found. This item may have been removed by its author.

[my-password-is-password]

Could it be because the code was too similar to uBlock and they think all you did was copy it and add a ₀ to it?

[caizixian]

That's so strange.

[gorhill]

Could it be because the code was too similar to uBlock

Code is GPLv3. For instance, there are other extensions in there which use the same (older) code base.

Just on a somewhat related side note: notice how code changes from here were imported in the other repo yesterday without properly respecting git history.

[yuan18]

Please try to re-upload。

[gorhill]

Please try to re-upload。

There is no point. There is something the Google Chrome store doesn't like in there and whatever that is, they want it changed. But I have no clue what it is.

[AlexW-13]

You could always try contacting them (or banging head against wall) at
https://support.google.com/chrome_webstore/contact/developer_support/?hl=en

[gorhill]

@weakptr Thanks. I submitted a ticket complaint. Will see.

By the way, how did you find that page? I couldn't find any link anywhere for such page.

[lewisje]

"properly respecting git history"

I realize this sounds incredibly noobish, but how would that be done? I haven't been able to get merge conflicts resolved any way but manually, which means that git history is not respected. (Maybe it's something that can be done in command-line Git but not in Github for Windows.)

Anyway, it's nice to know that you didn't just take your own extension down; I was about to file an issue about it only to see that you already did.

[AlexW-13]

I found the page by following links from googling chrome store help.

[gorhill]

I realize this sounds incredibly noobish, but how would that be done?

Create a pull request as was done here, or git cherry-pick, or at the very least when manually bringing changes, keep track of where the code comes from in commit messages/code comments.

Imagine if everywhere whoever contributes to a project is stripped from authorship of their contributions. I am pretty sure this is a frowned upon practice.

[gorhill]

I received an answer for the above complaint I filed with the Chrome store. Full answer:

Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2015 16:16:46 +0000
Subject: RE: [1-5518000006704] 
From: cws-developer-support@google.com
To: rhill@raymondhill.net

[...]

Hello Raymond,

Thank you for contacting Chrome Web Store Support 

Sorry to hear that your extension was taken down.

It's seems it had a policy violation and thus it was taken down.

An email was sent to rhill@raymondhill.net  explaining in further detail.

Check your spam folder just in case. Let us know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Cheers,
Apurva
CWS Developer Support team. 

On 04/14/15 07:54:14 rhill@raymondhill.net wrote:

    dev_first_name: Raymond
    dev_last_name: Hill
    dev_email: rhill@raymondhill.net
    dev_chrome_ID: cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm
    dev_describe_issue: When I opened my dashboard this morning, I was greeted
    with a message telling me the extension's status was "TAKEN DOWN". When I
    click "Action needed!", this just reload the dashboard, with a generic
    message: "At least one of your items has been removed from the store
    because it did not comply with our policies or terms of service". So I have
    no clue what exactly is not in compliance with "policies or terms of
    service".

    I filed an issue here: https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock/issues/50
    developer_support_attachment: There was a file uploaded for this field.
    upload_original_filename: ublock-remove-from-chrome-store.png
    upload_cns_filename:
    AK6tmUNzDyRw2uQnonseDHAMqEIugrs78ElvAPk8cOAk5XjRf27T1Mz4bNtebAtSMPW-0aTeTYHyO52wTYls5x8JUWj2kBdgMj1NGdFhovo3RQLhtrrc2inD4ClREI-wnYJdw3m1rW-cTm4P5ihNvDzwgRRW3pP0fkqx_q4iIArFAQ1w3soB5wKX_c29819aeKzRmpi1r434iz0M2szaUCaXyevWytCAZoS7bNh2kypusV7UuQ67BE0gV0eBxHbKl7lYXo5UUbwbPuIoOKmlucFXWaD5xbM3qw
    upload_document_id: dade969940aa9ccb561478f3408333839e650130


    :---- Automatically added fields ----:
    Language: en
    IIILanguage: en
    auto-helpcenter-id: 1154727
    auto-helpcenter-name: chrome_webstore
    auto-internal-helpcenter-name: chrome_webstore
    auto-full-url:
    https://support.google.com/chrome_webstore/contact/developer_support/?hl=en
    auto-user-logged-in: true
    auto-user-was-internal: false
    IssueType: developer_support
    form-id: developer_support
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I did not receive an email "explaining in further detail", and I did triple-check my mailbox, including junk folder.

Looks like a dead end to me: something in the "policies or terms of service" has apparently been violated, and I am not told what exactly. This after being in the Chrome store since June 2014.

Policy violation??? Wasn't this also the justification why ABP and Adaway were removed from the Android Play Store 1 or 2 years ago?

[gorhill]

I replied to the email, in a last attempt at finding out what is going on. My answer:

Greetings.

You say:

> An email was sent to rhill@raymondhill.net  explaining in further detail

I did not receive any such email. I did look carefully in my junk folder.

I had no problem receiving your answer below.

Is it possible please to re-send the email -- or better, to attach it in
a reply to this email?

Thank you,
Raymond Hill.