Another new bad extension

[ArtArs]

Hi everyone.

Today like many other users (https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/g/chromium-extensions/c/52n4suktuG4/m/P0cv3dofBAAJ?pli=1) I found extension with a fake number of active users.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/font-detector/knkfaddiinlfcchohkpiicbnflopnlfn

I ask that this extension be removed to avoid negative consequences.

[Julio Marin Torres]

Hi ArtArs

Chrome Store doesn't care about this.

Even extensions featured in the "Editors picks extensions" section and that are chosen by the Chrome Store Team itself are using this type of practice, the details of cheating in ratings are so obvious, it shows that cheating and deception don't really matter to them.

I give you an example. Cute Cursors - Mouse custom cursor  https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cute-cursors-custom-curso/anflghppebdhjipndogapfagemgnlblh

See number of ratings. Real? This extension also used fake user installs to position itself. 

Adequate steps are not being taken to review or track extensions.

The appropriate measures are not taken to review extensions or follow-up. There is no security.

This is used by many bad guys to copy existing extensions and rank by cheating, many of the extensions that apply these practices are insecure and the Chrome Store to this day still does nothing to protect its users or comply with its own rules.

This has been proven for a long time, since they do not establish a reliable verification system of accounting or real user ratings.

His system is designed to be deceived. They want to protect Chrome Store users, I don't think so.

Regards.

[Julio Marin Torres]

Hi ArtArs

If you want this extension to be removed, notify it. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/report/knkfaddiinlfcchohkpiicbnflopnlfn?hl=en&gl=EN

They delegate all vigilance to us. It's ironic, but like this.

Maybe they will do something, it is clear that this extension is against policy and uses fake installations.

Select this reason "Misrepresents its value or features" or explain well what happens.

Good luck!

El sábado, 26 de diciembre de 2020 a las 17:20:10 UTC+1, ArtArs escribió:

[Shu]

Chrome store team was very friendly 2-4 years ago. But now something changed :/

They don't care about a lot of fake extensions, but care when they need to ruin someone's business... they do.

I had paid extensions, but some users were not able to pay, so I created a hidden copy of the extension (not visible in the store) just to share it with those people (few downloads, link wasn't posted anywhere), and my extensions (both: paid and hidden) were removed due to spam in the store...

I tried to contact support - nothing, wrote here but Simeon ignored the topic. And then we see a lot of fake things on the store and nothing :( I am really disappointed how google manages this, maybe something changed in the team, or they are under pressure to make chrome more secure and don't have time to deal with verification. I don't know, but it doesn't seem fair what is happening :/

[Simeon Velichkov]

How can an extension have fake number of active users? Just curious.

[Julio Marin Torres]

Hi

If I say that, trust me, a lot of developers will try to cheat. Maybe it is the best idea and the spam will go down with the Chrome Store at once.

But all users are the ones who will lose.

But I give hints for good developers.

There are 5 main ideas to keep in mind.

- 1. Make a good extension.

- 2. Density and prominence of your keywords.

- 3. Internationalization (languages)  

- 4. Increase your number of users.

- 5. Increase your number of positive reviews.

Cheers! ;)

[hrg...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, December 27, 2020 at 9:11:45 AM UTC-3 simeonv...@gmail.com wrote:

How can an extension have fake number of active users? Just curious.

The Web Store doesn't count active users. They count "number of Chrome browsers that loaded the item in the past seven days".

So, all you need to do in order to artificially inflate your user count is to install the extension a lot of times from different browser profiles.

There's also a maximum number of installations per IP address, beyond which they are no longer counted.

You can find many places offering the service of fake views, fake comments, fake likes, fake retweets, and fake installs in the Web Store and Play Store.

This problem will not go away anytime soon. On the contrary, it's predicted to become worse and worse with time as AI technologies approach human-like behavior.

[Simeon Velichkov]

Never though about it but it totally makes sense, as long as you have all those gmail profiles .. and of course that market exists since forever.

Interestingly enough this article from about year and a half ago https://www.zdnet.com/article/half-of-all-google-chrome-extensions-have-fewer-than-16-installs/ claims that:

> 87% of all Chrome extensions have fewer than 1000 installs

so I guess it's not that rampant.

[ecco bln]

google_terms_of_service_de_de…

Intriguing

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[Simeon Velichkov]

Thanks, but I don't read German, plus everyone knows what is generally allowed and what not, but if you find a copy of it in English I'll take a look anyway.

[Владимир Янкович]

Good afternoon, colleagues. I would like to answer. The thing is, for several years, I was in charge of a large extension - the shopping assistant on AliExpress. In total, we had over 2,500,000 users across all platforms. And I regularly received incredulous comments that we are winding up these numbers. But we just worked hard. A large team of 30 people. Others wrote letters to us; of course, they had no time to deal with their users and products.

I looked at the extension mutating cursors. Have you installed it? There is only one bright button on the welcome page - rate us. Why do you think they can't have that many reviews? Or vice versa, do you think that this is not enough? But I will tell you that when you are making a really popular product, you find it very difficult to get most people to give you ratings.

I believe that we, the members of the developer community, should not blame each other like this without proof. Write them a letter, ask for advice, find out how they achieved their success. This is more interesting and productive than claiming that they are cheaters.

Let's make better Chrome and its communities.

воскресенье, 27 декабря 2020 г. в 14:52:57 UTC+3, jmarint...@gmail.com:

[hrg...@gmail.com]

The ratings on the "Cute Cursors" extension are most definitely fake.

You can tell by doing a simple calculation:

Extension: Grammarly for Chrome

Users: ~10,000,000

Ratings: ~40,000

Rating ratio: 40000/10000000 = 0.4%

Extension: Custom Cursor for Chrome

Users: ~4,000,000

Ratings: ~20,000

Rating ratio: 20000/4000000 = 0.5%

Extension: Cute Cursors

Users: ~200,000

Ratings: ~10,000

Rating ratio: 10000/200000 = 5%   <----------   ABSURD RATING RATIO 

[Shu]

This can be true.

Mine extension with 100k user has 6400 reviews. I was detecting when extension was working well and was showing "Please, review if you like it, you will help me a lot". Now as I understand it's against rules, so I don't ask anymore. Anyway, it's possible to have so many reviews (6.4% in my case)

[Jackie Han]

I start a new topic to discuss.

User Ratings, Reviews, and Installs: Developers must not attempt to manipulate the placement of any extensions in the Chrome Web Store. This includes, but is not limited to, inflating product ratings, reviews, or install counts by illegitimate means, such as fraudulent or incentivized downloads, reviews and ratings.

Ref: https://developer.chrome.com/docs/webstore/program_policies/

Simeon Vincent,

Could you explain the policy further? For example, give a few examples to say which behaviors are acceptable.

What I understand is,
1. Just showing a rating link without any additional explanation is certainly not a violation of the rules.
2. Providing benefits for rating is not permitted.

I was detecting when extension was working well and was showing "Please, review if you like it, you will help me a lot". Now as I understand it's against rules, so I don't ask anymore. -- Shu (an extension developer said on another topic)

Above behavior is Ok? I know many official Google apps on the Android platform often prompt me to rate apps in this way. Is it Ok on the extension platform?