Chrome Web Store Bites



  • @blakeyrat Further WTFs:

    1. Chrome Web Store has no way of creating an account for an organization instead of a person. (I have to create YET ANOTHER Google account for me, then just share the password to it to the rest of my org? Seriously!?)
    2. If you're logged into Gmail on one tab, and create a brand spanking new account for a completely different service using a completely different email address at a completely different domain, the two accounts are apparently inextricably linked forever.
    3. I have to pay a $5 fee to publish a Chrome extension? Srsly? I don't even want to publish it, I just want to distribute it to my org without everybody having to put their fucking browsers in "developer mode", jesus.
    4. Despite Chrome extensions' OWN PACKAGING SYSTEM using a .crx file extension, apparently you're only allowed to upload .zip files. I guess you just re-zip it? Or...
    5. All the documentation is about "apps". I can't find any goddamned documentation on how to put Chrome extensions in the store.

    If you need the app ID or an OAuth access token to complete your app's code, then you need to upload the app while you're still writing its code.

    Like... simultaneously via alt-tabbing? What the fuck does this even mean. What would I use the app ID or OAuth access token for. Why the hell is this little nugget of useless information right smack-dab in the middle of a page about how to publish an app.

    I should have made a thread for this.



  • @blakeyrat I really honestly truly and deeply do not understand why the Chrome web store only allows .zip files when the Chrome browser itself creates .crx files. Does the web store not bother signing code? (Seems unlikely.) Does it sign it but with its own key completely separate from the .pem key Chrome itself makes when you package an extension? (Seems more plausible.)

    I hate this so much.

    Has Google, ever once in their existence, brought an app or process to a human being and said, "hey, do you find this easy to use?" Just once. Ever. Have they ever done it?

    EDIT: ok I tried it, apparently they don't sign the code at all? Or they sign it in such a way that the developer can't see/download the signing key? Which is different than the signing key Chrome creates fuck this I hate this so much


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    @blakeyrat said in WTF Bites:

    @blakeyrat Further WTFs:

    1. Chrome Web Store has no way of creating an account for an organization instead of a person. (I have to create YET ANOTHER Google account for me, then just share the password to it to the rest of my org? Seriously!?)

    As I understand it, the organization would have it's own account, why are you doing that? Unless you don't mean "a personal Google Apps account in an organization"?

    1. If you're logged into Gmail on one tab, and create a brand spanking new account for a completely different service using a completely different email address at a completely different domain, the two accounts are apparently inextricably linked forever.

    Nooooo, they're both logged in. Not the same as "linked".

    1. I have to pay a $5 fee to publish a Chrome extension? Srsly? I don't even want to publish it, I just want to distribute it to my org without everybody having to put their fucking browsers in "developer mode", jesus.

    🤷 what a poor organization that won't foot money for a cuppa for their developers.

    1. Despite Chrome extensions' OWN PACKAGING SYSTEM using a .crx file extension, apparently you're only allowed to upload .zip files. I guess you just re-zip it? Or...

    Yes, crx is literally just a zip file. But their uploader is :doing_it_wrong:

    1. All the documentation is about "apps". I can't find any goddamned documentation on how to put Chrome extensions in the store.

    IIRC they're the same (at least the getting in the store part), just the metadata is different.

    If you need the app ID or an OAuth access token to complete your app's code, then you need to upload the app while you're still writing its code.

    Like... simultaneously via alt-tabbing? What the fuck does this even mean. What would I use the app ID or OAuth access token for. Why the hell is this little nugget of useless information right smack-dab in the middle of a page about how to publish an app.

    I'm scratching my head at this as well. Normally when you're developing an app for the store you would have already received your tokens et al because you're the one who requested access to those APIs...

    I should have made a thread for this.

    🍿



  • @tsaukpaetra said in WTF Bites:

    As I understand it, the organization would have it's own account, why are you doing that?

    How do you create one? I couldn't find a way.

    @tsaukpaetra said in WTF Bites:

    Unless you don't mean "a personal Google Apps account in an organization"?

    ???

    I can't even parse that.

    @tsaukpaetra said in WTF Bites:

    Nooooo, they're both logged in. Not the same as "linked".

    Then explain why I can go into Gmail and click my avatar image and see this new account listed. I'm sure you're going to give me some pedantic explanation of how that's different than "linked", but to a normal user looking at the fucking dropdown in Gmail, they're linked.

    @tsaukpaetra said in WTF Bites:

    what a poor organization that won't foot money for a cuppa for their developers.

    The point is I'm giving them $5 to solve a problem ("virtually impossible to distribute a Chrome extension inside an org") they created. That's complete bullshit. It feels like extortion.


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    @blakeyrat said in WTF Bites:

    @tsaukpaetra said in WTF Bites:

    As I understand it, the organization would have it's own account, why are you doing that?

    How do you create one? I couldn't find a way.

    Perhaps I'm misunderstanding. Does your organization use Google Apps? In the administration page ( https://admin.google.com/ ) there's a section called "users" that the uses to create an account. What you do with the password is your own business.

    @tsaukpaetra said in WTF Bites:

    Unless you don't mean "a personal Google Apps account in an organization"?

    ???

    I can't even parse that.

    The difference between an @gmail.com account an an @myGoogleAppsDomain.com account.

    @tsaukpaetra said in WTF Bites:

    Nooooo, they're both logged in. Not the same as "linked".

    Then explain why I can go into Gmail and click my avatar image and see this new account listed. I'm sure you're going to give me some pedantic explanation of how that's different than "linked", but to a normal user looking at the fucking dropdown in Gmail, they're linked.

    Linked to me means each account is the same in all but name. Meaning if I'm in gmail as account a I see emails for both a and b (and vice versa),and if I'm on YouTube all in subscribed channels are the same, etc. Working going through some sync BS.

    Actually, I think this was discussed previously. If it bothers you so much, log out of one and BAM 💥 no more "link".

    @tsaukpaetra said in WTF Bites:

    what a poor organization that won't foot money for a cuppa for their developers.

    The point is I'm giving them $5 to solve a problem ("virtually impossible to distribute a Chrome extension inside an org") they created. That's complete bullshit.

    Again, I feel like you're using a personal account, as this would have been taken care of by the organization. That fee (which I believe is one time) is meant to prevent casual spammersusers from just automatically uploading arbitrary "apps" to the store. You get the same treatment uploading to the Google Play store too. And Apple as well, though it's a bit different where the charges occur.



  • @blakeyrat said in WTF Bites:

    The point is I'm giving them $5 to solve a problem ("virtually impossible to distribute a Chrome extension inside an org") they created. That's complete bullshit. It feels like extortion.

    Are the computers in the org under some kind of device management (Group Policy, MDM, Forefront, ...)? There may be another way...



  • @tsaukpaetra said in WTF Bites:

    Perhaps I'm misunderstanding. Does your organization use Google Apps?

    Not that I'm aware of. Why would that matter? I want to define an org responsible for a browser extension, not get a groupware server set up.

    @tsaukpaetra said in WTF Bites:

    Actually, I think this was discussed previously. If it bothers you so much, log out of one and BAM 💥 no more "link".

    I did that. It's still there, just greyed-out.

    @tsaukpaetra said in WTF Bites:

    Again, I feel like you're using a personal account,

    I SAID I WAS. Goddamned, could you maybe read the posts you're replying to?

    @tsaukpaetra said in WTF Bites:

    as this would have been taken care of by the organization.

    As I've stated multiple times now, I don't know how to create an organization. You're saying if I somehow figured that out, Google wouldn't ask for the $5 fee?

    @tsaukpaetra said in WTF Bites:

    That fee (which I believe is one time) is meant to prevent casual spammersusers from just automatically uploading arbitrary "apps" to the store.

    I know what it's for. It's still bullshit.

    @twelvebaud said in WTF Bites:

    Are the computers in the org under some kind of device management (Group Policy, MDM, Forefront, ...)? There may be another way...

    I brought that up to my boss. The thing is we're in a very large org, and neither of us have any clue who we'd contact about making AD policy changes and/or if we could control who receives the AD policy instead of blasting it out to 100,000 people all at once.

    That's now our plan C.

    Plan A is to rewrite the product using Office 365's add-in architecture (which I didn't even know existed, and my boss didn't tell me about until this morning, and we should have goddamned done that from day one.)

    Plan B is to jump through Google's bullshit.

    Plan C is to see if we can figure out the AD shit, and naturally Google will disable the AD integration 5 minutes after we have it all solved because Google is assholes.



  • @blakeyrat said in WTF Bites:

    Then explain why I can go into Gmail and click my avatar image and see this new account listed. I'm sure you're going to give me some pedantic explanation of how that's different than "linked", but to a normal user looking at the fucking dropdown in Gmail, they're linked.

    You can be signed in to multiple Google accounts at once and switch between them via the avatar in the top right. That's not linking because you can sign into each account separately without the other tagging along if you clear your cookies or use different browser profiles.


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    @blakeyrat said in WTF Bites:

    I SAID I WAS. Goddamned, could you maybe read the posts you're replying to?

    Wait a second! checks which category this topic is in oh good, for a second there it sounded like you were upset I wasn't helping.


  • ♿ (Parody)

    @blakeyrat said in Chrome Web Store Bites:

    I should have made a thread for this.

    Forked.


  • FoxDev

    @blakeyrat said in Chrome Web Store Bites:

    Chrome Web Store has no way of creating an account for an organization instead of a person

    obviously. you're supposed to sign up for gsuite and add accounts (at 10$/month/account*) fore everyone in your org. because that's the supported way to do it. An organization is an organization and an user is a user. as the goddess intended it to bed when she created the perfect User Interface: The CLI.**

    * At least that's the price i pay, it may have gone up since i started my org, and there are volumen licensing available too.

    ** Okay, that may have been a bit too far for the joke.... if so delete that last sentence and proceed with your day in the happy knowledge that you are superior to a mere set of pixels on a screen.



  • @accalia So it's impossible to say "this group of 5 people own this Chrome extension" without also buying Google's groupware product? And this isn't an abusive monopoly... ... ...how?



  • @blakeyrat said in Chrome Web Store Bites:

    I have to pay a $5 fee to publish a Chrome extension? Srsly? I don't even want to publish it, I just want to distribute it to my org without everybody having to put their fucking browsers in "developer mode", jesus.

    Did you not read the EULA? Paragraph 3: "I agree to be Google's little bitch. I understand that this is their product and they dictate what I can do on it, not me. I will say thank you for this privilege, sir out loud after paying them their publishing fee".


  • FoxDev

    @blakeyrat said in Chrome Web Store Bites:

    So it's impossible to say "this group of 5 people own this Chrome extension" without also buying Google's groupware product?

    Well, you could also just get a service account (for example maybe TheSockDrawer.TheDailyWtf@gmail.cam), and pay the five bucks to publish the app.....

    it's an option and it's one without a recurring cost too.

    @blakeyrat said in Chrome Web Store Bites:

    And this isn't an abusive monopoly... ... ...how?

    Dunno, maybe because Apple gets away with far worse?

    or maybe simpley because no one has tried to take them to court over it?



  • @accalia But I thought they were all "do no evil'-y. What the fuck ever.


  • ♿ (Parody)

    @blakeyrat You're defining evil waaaaay down here, I think.



  • @boomzilla I'd actually be all for a philosophy like: "we're evil as fuck, but all our processes are friction-free and well-designed".

    You keep those trains running on fucking time and I don't even care if you're Mussolini.


  • ♿ (Parody)

    @blakeyrat If they did let you do what you're asking for (as I understand, knowing who has your extension installed), people would be screaming about the privacy implications.



  • @boomzilla said in Chrome Web Store Bites:

    If they did let you do what you're asking for

    What I'm asking for is the ability to deploy within an org.

    @boomzilla said in Chrome Web Store Bites:

    people would be screaming about the privacy implications.

    Too bad, it's not their fucking computer.


  • ♿ (Parody)

    @blakeyrat said in Chrome Web Store Bites:

    Too bad, it's not their fucking computer.

    Right, in your case.

    @blakeyrat said in Chrome Web Store Bites:

    What I'm asking for is the ability to deploy within an org.

    And it's apparently "evil" for them to charge you to do that. It's not their fault that you can't / won't use the AD or whatever mechanism previously mentioned.



  • @boomzilla Yes yes I'm stupid and dumb and a moron and 100% wrong all the time forever.


  • ♿ (Parody)

    @blakeyrat said in Chrome Web Store Bites:

    @boomzilla Yes yes I'm stupid and dumb and a moron and 100% wrong all the time forever.

    That wasn't what I said, but I'll agree with you if it'll make you feel better.


  • Impossible Mission - B

    @blakeyrat Just rewrite it in AppleScript already. You know you want to... 🚎


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    @blakeyrat said in Chrome Web Store Bites:

    @accalia But I thought they were all "do no evil'-y. What the fuck ever.

    It's been a while since they lost that aspect. Was happening before they decided to name-change to Alphabet even IIRC.


  • BINNED

    @blakeyrat said in Chrome Web Store Bites:

    I have to pay a $5 fee to publish a Chrome extension? Srsly? I don't even want to publish it, I just want to distribute it to my org without everybody having to put their fucking browsers in "developer mode", jesus.

    Do note that they might just reject it with no explanation. This happened to me when I tried to publish the servercooties extension. The only clue I have is that Opera did the same, but they actually told me why it was rejected. Whether Google had the same reasoning I don't know, and good luck finding out.


    Filed under: I also wonder how TF there is at least one other extension that does the same thing I was found to be "in violation" of, but it's up on the store



  • @onyx Yeah I know.


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