Please remove code that maliciously disables WP-SpamShield

You added code to your plugin to delete the MU plugin file and disable Plugin Organizer. I’m just preventing you from doing that.

FYI. You started disabling Plugin Organizer and as you did the other day play the victim. So good luck to you.

@foomagoo,

That’s simply not accurate. We did not go and completely disable your plugin like you’re doing.

Correct order of events:

1. Your plugin starts by breaking other plugin functionality. To be clear,
   yours broke other plugins first.
2. We added code (a long time ago) to prevent it from breaking WP-SpamShield functionality. Other plugin devs have have to do the same thing, because Plugin Organizer breaks theirs too. If you had added an opt-out/opt-in/whitelist functionality for other plugin devs, this would not be necessary.
3. A couple days ago, a user brought conflict issues to your attention. We tried to discuss with you professionally, and let you know that you were welcome to contact us and discuss compatibility solutions. You made it clear that you preferred an adversarial approach.
4. Yesterday you added code that breaks WP-SpamShield again.
5. We updated WP-SpamShield with code to prevent WP-SpamShield functionality from being broken.
6. Instead of simply whitelisting the plugin, since you know that it’s code needs to not be interfered with, you released yet another update that specifically and malicious disables WP-SpamShield.

You did not need to choose an adversarial route. We’ve had good experiences working with other plugin devs.

Wrong.

1. My plugin allows users to disable any plugin on any page. I never targeted your plugin or any other plugin. It is up to the user to know what they are doing. If they want to disable your plugin on any of their pages then they should be allowed to do that. If it causes issues then they should deal with the issues.

2. You added code a long time ago that specifically targeted Plugin Organizer and prevented it from disabling your plugin anywhere on a users site. Even though if they did disable it then that is their choice. So you prevented Plugin Organizer from doing what it was intended to do.

3. Why would I add an opt out for any plugin? That would defeat the purpose of Plugin Organizer. If a user wants to run your plugin but doesn’t want it to load on a certain page then it’s their website. Let them do it. They are making an effort to disable your plugin and you are preventing it.

4. Yesterday I added code to stop Spamshield from targeting Plugin Organizer and preventing it from disabling any plugins.

5. You updated Spamshield with more malicious code that called the unlink command and deleted the MU plugin file. Which makes Plugin Organizer not work.

6. Instead of working with me you have continued to target my plugin and break users sites.

And now you are playing the victim as if I was the one that started targeting your plugin. As soon as you remove the malicious code you have put into Spamshield that deletes core plugin files from Plugin Organizer and manipulates the post variables used by it I will allow it to run with Plugin Organizer. Until then you have prevented Plugin Organizer from running. So the only way Plugin Organizer can continue to run on a site with Spamshield installed is to disable it. You chose to target Plugin Organizer and delete files released with my package. So stop playing the victim. I’m more than happy to remove the code I added. It is only there in response to what you are doing and to prevent your malicious code from causing issues. I never write code specific to other developers plugins. That’s just bad practice.

@foomagoo,

You’re welcome to spin it any way you like, but that’s simply not true.

The whole purpose of Plugin Organizer is to interfere with other plugins, yet you do not like it when other plugin developers add code to protect teh integrity of their own code.

You do not sufficiently warn your plugin users that there is a high likelihood PO will break other plugin functionality.

Why would I add an opt out for any plugin? That would defeat the purpose of Plugin Organizer. If a user wants to run your plugin but doesn’t want it to load on a certain page then it’s their website. Let them do it. They are making an effort to disable your plugin and you are preventing it.

That’s really the crux of it: You don’t want to add an opt out, because you’re worried that people won’t use PO anymore. That’s the definition of not being willing to work with other plugin developers.

You updated Spamshield with more malicious code that called the unlink command and deleted the MU plugin file. Which makes Plugin Organizer not work.

First off, you shouldn’t even be installing an MU plugin. That’s suspicious to start off. Protecting the integrity of our code is not malicious.

And now you are playing the victim as if I was the one that started targeting your plugin.

We don’t “play” anything. It is a fact that you’re adding code to target the plugin. As of the other day, we were minding our own business.

So the only way Plugin Organizer can continue to run on a site with Spamshield installed is to disable it.

No, you could have simply whitelisted the plugin. If you know that your code is purposefully breaking another plugin, that’s at the very least irresponsible, and at the worst malicious.

You started off unprofessional. You specifically targeted my plugin. I pointed out the bug you created by relying on my plugin never changing. You came into the conversation with a condescending attitude. You clearly dont like my plugin. Thats fine with me. I’ve worked with many other plugin authors and occasionally run into someone like you who is rude and not very well versed in how to interact with a diverse platform like wordpress. So you write your hacks that end up breaking sites. Well seriously dude. Good luck. You can stop trying to justify your actions now. I’ve been doing this a long time and you aren’t the first developer I’ve dealt with who blames the bug they created with their poor coding skills on someone else.

@foomagoo,

That’s simply not accurate.

You started off unprofessional. You specifically targeted my plugin. I pointed out the bug you created by relying on my plugin never changing.

No, we did no such thing. You seem to be missing a huge point here: You created a plugin that causes massive interference with other plugins, with no way for other plugin devs to opt out.

As a result, other plugin developers are forced to create fixes to prevent your plugin from breaking their code and functionality. That is not targeting you…that is merely protecting their code, and more importantly: protecting their plugin users.

That’s the point you keep missing. Every single code edit we ever made, was a response to your code.

I’ve been doing this a long time and you aren’t the first developer I’ve dealt with who blames the bug they created with their poor coding skills on someone else.

Jeff, your attitude is simply unprofessional. The irony is that you’re blaming everyone else for the issues your plugin creates. Regarding the “poor coding skills” comment, I’ll simply ignore that as it is ridiculous. You don’t create one of the best WordPress anti-spam plugins, and build the reputation we have by “poor coding skills.”

Hi @redsand and @foomagoo,

I’ve been using both of your plugins on my sites for years with great satisfaction. I really appreciate the work that both of you have put into developing, maintaining and providing support for both plugins, I really do. I thank you both for that.

Seeing two of my favourite WP plugin developers in such a bad mood with each other makes me very sad.

Perhaps I am being a bit naif but I am wondering if the cause of the dispute might be a huge misunderstanding. I have read the whole thread and I have the impression that the key may be in the following:

By @redsand:

Your plugin starts by breaking other plugin functionality. To be clear, yours broke other plugins first.

By @foomagoo:

My plugin allows users to disable any plugin on any page. I never targeted your plugin or any other plugin. It is up to the user to know what they are doing. If they want to disable your plugin on any of their pages then they should be allowed to do that. If it causes issues then they should deal with the issues.

@redsand could you please be more specific (even if we get into technical stuff) regarding when you said “Your plugin starts by breaking other plugin functionality”. Do you mean?:

1. When the user decides to selectively deactivate WP-SpamShield using Plugin Organizer?
2. Or that even when configuring Plugin Organizer to keep WP-SpamShield active, it breaks your plugin functionality?

@redsand:
If your answer is number 1, I must say that if I install Plugin Organizer on one of my sites I expect it to deactivate what I tell it to deactivate (even if it is WP-SpamShield), where I tell it to deactivate, no less no more.

If your answer is number 2, I would really appreciate if you could give a more specific and technical explanation to all of us.

@redsand and @foomagoo, do you both really want this situation to keep escalating? It will not do any good to any of your plugins nor to the user bases.

Anyway, again, I truly appreciate everything you have done so far for the WP community.

Thank you both!

• This reply was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by diegocanal.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by diegocanal.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by diegocanal.

@redsand and @foomagoo – As a user I’ll chime in as well.

Like @diegocanal said, “I must say that if I install Plugin Organizer on one of my sites I expect it to deactivate what I tell it to deactivate (even if it is WP-SpamShield), where I tell it to deactivate, no less no more.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Hi @diegocanal and @jkirker,

The two plugins are not compatible and should not be used together. We have more info on our Known Issues and Plugin Conflicts page. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact our tech support and we’ll be happy to help.

— Scott

@diegocanal and @jkirker,
There’s no point in trying to get an answer out of this douche. As you stated they run just fine with each other. He doesn’t want you to be able to control the order of plugins or when his plugin is loaded. That is the only reason the 2 plugins are incompatible. Because he added malicious code to his plugin to prevent Plugin Organizer from working. So it’s best just to move on and let him have his way. I couldn’t care less if he deactivates Plugin Organizer. The admins don’t really seem to care about the malicious nature of what he’s doing either. I do this for free in my spare time. He’s doing this as a business and has his career invested in it. I’ll just keep releasing my plugins because I enjoy doing it and he can keep his crusade going. Meh.

For me it’s simple, I gotta choose performance over convenience. For others maybe not so much.