Remove the new advertising
This is a load of bull! iChrome has long been one of my favorite extensions and you ruin it by placing ads right on my new tab screen now. I feel betrayed and disgusted. No way in heck I'm going to be forced to pay $2 like that! If you want money, find another way to do it. Please don't jeopardize both my security and eyes by placing ugly and stalkish ads on my lockscreen. You did this suddenly and act like you think I'd keep the extension after that. There are plenty of alternatives, I was just looking at one yesterday even, what a funny coincidence I thought "nah, I'm happy with iChrome I'd only switch if iChrome changed to something stupid" and now here we are literally a day later.
Please tell me if you're gonna take them away or not. If not, I will be walking away from iChrome but I'd like to know within the next week because I'm not sticking around very long with this bull update.
At the moment, the ad is providing the revenue iChrome needs to keep growing.
I’ve spoken with a number of users (500 actually) about the ads and have tried to make the addition as smooth and non-intrusive as possible, although there is no avoiding an update like that disturbing things a little.
The vast majority of users don’t mind the ads so it looks like they’re here to stay. I’ll keep exploring monetization methods, and if in the future I find another sustainable one that generates similar revenue, I’d definitely explore switching.
Thank you for your understanding,
Avi
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Anonymous commented
I had posted a comment earlier today calling @Jon to task for his comment about charging for upgrading. I was going on his comment about the $2 charge. I was under the impression that it was a one-time charge. Then I checked and found it was a monthly charge...forever. Or you can pay $20/year...forever. I have the agree with @John that a one-time charge of $10 would be acceptable.
The current structure is out of line.
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@Ducks, I think betrayed might be a bit of a strong word. I offer a free service here and make no commitments as to what I might be able to offer in the future.
If you check the settings, you'll see that a one-time purchase lifetime plan does now exist and has for nearly 4 months.
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Ducks commented
Avi, what about making it a one time-payment instead of a monthly payment? I'd like a response on that
Anddddd if I get no response on that... does anyone happen to have the file for his old extension, the great one from before he betrayed us that didn't suddenly have ads with no warning and letback?
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Spell commented
Hello Avi,
I do like iChrome. I really do. I wouldn't even be upset about the ads, but
1. they were added without warning. At least do the announcement -> opt-in -> opt-out -> permanent -transition to ease users in. Otherwise you stand to lose a lot of users.
2. On iChrome's page of the chrome web store it actually still says iChrome is ad-free, quote: "Sick of homepage extensions that lock you in and don't let you customize things? Getting blasted with ads?" If you can add ads, you can change the description to stay truthful.I have since replaced iChrome with something I cobbled together in javascript. Sure, I need to dig into the html if I want to change stuff, but it beats ads and what is to me, from a fellow developer's standpoint, fuckin' rude.
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Robyn commented
Avi, I am afraid you have lost me. I refuse to be bombarded by adds and don't need to pay to remove them as there are many alternatives I can use. Considering I was one of those who donated to you in the early stages I consider this a betrayal.
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jec . commented
have you thought about lowering the cost of ichrome? $2/mo or $24/year (or is it $20/year) is too much for a browser extension.
try one-time $10 and you'll have more buyers.
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Anonymous commented
Furthermore, unless I missed it, I did not yet see any sort of written statement on these pages to make clear that ads will be removed if you pay for the Pro version...
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marquardt.dave commented
I'm trying to organize my life and reduce clutter, which is why I chose this app. The last thing I need is a bunch of annoying flashing lights and advertisements on my PRODUCTIVITY page.
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juan vázquez commented
What I see on my screen right now after switching on the PC is much worse... your banner planted on the bottom... Well, it is really going to be time to say good bye. I am evaluating already a few options and, this morning, my screen reminded me that today I will spend some time on that evaluation. Ultimately I am not going to pay a cent to someone who plays this way. You know... I prefer to pay the same, or even more, or perhaps even much more, but to someone else.
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Jon commented
It beats what it was before, but I think I'll be moving to Live Wallpapers or a similar extension now. Thanks for the old iChrome, it was great while it lasted, still a shame it had to go.
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JANIS BESTER commented
Of give us the choice of ads we like, like sales at local stores like Walmart or Market Basket's sale paper, I'd go for that. Or what new product is coming out. Things like that. That's one idea. Thanks
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JANIS BESTER commented
I guess you have heard what the people want. I don't like ads either but please put them someplace else or give us the button to delete them from our home page, Youtube does this and other sites.. I just switched from Yahoo because they would taking features away and I like the idea of customizing my homepage and have features I like the Address Book on Yahoo homepage they took it off . The Address Book comes in handy like on the IPhones , could you please put an Address Book and find another way to make money or I will also have to find another home page and I just got here. thanks you very much for the work you are doing. We need people like you to find a great homepage. Thanks again.
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Anonymous commented
What I dislike enormously is the way this has being introduced. I indeed pay for many things on the internet, but I hate to be treated like a mere potential source of money that you can start exploiting by putting a banner one day without some sort of personal explanation... I wonder whether it is time to look for alternatives.
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Jon commented
I'm sorry Avi mate, but then stop expanding it. We love iChrome as it is and if you want to expand it and make the features you're now adding cost money, do that, but don't ruin the rest of the thing because of it. Like I said, you have enough complaints here and if you've watched your chrome ratings, same there too. We get that you have to make money somehow but don't screw the entire thing up because of it mate... i doubt it will even work, we'll all just switch.
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Oxizee commented
@Avi: Like Jon said, there plenty other alternatives. Dont put some crappy shitty banner in the middle of our page. Its fricking ugly, and you get alot of negative publicity by this.
Search for an other alternative. Remove it now!
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Oxizee commented
WTF after manny yearsa of use, your suddenly gonna use this ads crap? Not going to pay for this. Goodbye Ichrome, gonna search something else.
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Roman commented
Yep! Ads just in front on my face, on my homepage, it's total bullshit!
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Anonymous commented
I really like iChrome, but this new nasty advertising is reason to search an alternative...donations yes, but no forced advertising panels..
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Collin Rowe commented
adblock https://ichro.me/blockad.html#blockAd61##
oh wait that already exists....
make gadgets have two colum width, email is kinda annoying some times.
weather that can update based on my location
a calendar, like a just 30 day month view calander