Hyperbole

Then just go and take a look at the code. Reviewing a plugin with five stars without having it in use or inspecting the code is worth nothing.

The plugin leaves the user without any control over what comes in and what goes out. So it is, what I wrote: A door where everything can get in. And aside from that, every $_POST request gets processed without a single check. So even if the author swears on the bible (or whatever book) that he wouldn’t do anything to the users installation, someone other could.

Long story short: Write a real review after actually reviewing what you’re talking about.

As soon as he said “I haven’t used or looked at the plugin” – The rest of the comment was rendered useless and invalid. To give something a 5-Star rating without even looking at it.

Somebody’s got an invested interest in some way. You’d have to. Otherwise, how is it even worth the effort to comment at all? How do they even come across the plugin with a mindset of contributing to a community that actually has knowledge of it in the first place. In every single instance, a person who has used the plugin is going to have more valuable input than a person who hasn’t even looked at it.

… and all of those people, believe it’s utter garbage.

Invested interest? Nothing couldn’t be further from the truth.

I couldn’t comment without providing a rating. I could care less about this plugin. My comments aren’t about this plugin they are clearing up the gross misconception that is being perpetuated by some of the comments made here that then made their way into blog posts bashing this plugin.

I came across the plugin because of numerous blog posts that were written about it based on Franz public statements and those blog posts all pointed to the fact that this plugin “phones home” as some sort of malicious evil thing.

There was a lot of misinformation being spread about this plugin based on how people were complaining about it that impacts the SaaS community as a whole. One of the things that this plugin was being bashed for was “phoning home”, which is absurd because if a plugin interacts with a SaaS service it’s going to “phone home”.

So if you take that time to actually read what I wrote you’ll see that i’m clearing up the misinformation about plugins “phoning home” because that in and of itself is not a negative and is not something a plugin should be bashed for nor pointed to as being malicious.

But what do I know. I’ve only developed one of the most successful commercial WordPress plugins in existence today. So i’m obviously full of crap.

Some Q/A and Facts

Did Franz and 3 other guys have vested interested in this plugin’s failure?
I assume No, but looking at the comments “Don’t use it”, “full of crap” etc. I am not sure. You’d have to. Otherwise, how is it even worth the effort to comment at all?
Have they used the plugin and its SaaS service?
No, they haven’t created a custom plugin using this service. Franz thought there were some deficiencies in the way this plugin was written.(They said they will take a look at it).
Did Charlie Pryor ask Franz if he’s got vested interest in this plugin’s failure?
Nope.
Do I have a vested interest in this plugin’s success?
Yes. I have to. Otherwise, how is it even worth the effort to comment at all?
Does this plugin hurt some of other plugin owners selling pro versions of their own plugins?
Possibly. It might be the reason you see 1 star givers who are not plugin’s users.

Some Conclusions
If you write something negative in the form of a “review”, whatever you write must not be questioned. If you write something positive, you must have a vested interest, you have to. Otherwise, how is it even worth the effort to comment at all? Oh yeah, one more.. Don’t use SaaS services because they “phone home” and they are full of crap.