Patch 5.4 patch notes
Virtual Realms feature revealed
The Proving Grounds are coming
The latest patch 5.4 newsCurse, WoW Interface band together to block WoWMatrix
by Eliah Hecht 
Apr 14th 2009 at 9:30AM
WoWMatrix is a program of dubious morality. It sucks down bandwidth from sites like Curse and WoWInterface like crazy, and displays its own ads while doing so. It does, however, work like a charm. So it is with mixed feelings that I report that Curse and WoW Interface have gotten their heads together and figured out a way to keep WoWMatrix from accessing their files, which means WoWMatrix is of little use going forward.
The idea is that we will now use the official tools provided by those sites: Curse Client from Curse, and an updater that is still in the works for WoW Interface. Unfortunately, the Curse Client for Mac is a work of pure evil uses a lot of obtrusive and non-standard interface elements, as well as being pretty unstable, so I'm not a huge fan of it; I'm not sure how the Windows version stacks up. It also didn't find about half of my addons, including some that I know are on the Curse site, like ClearFont2.
Furthermore, the WoW Interface updater, the only other game in town as far as I can see, appears to have been in limbo for quite some time. So although I recognize that WoWMatrix was putting a drain on the sites, I'm sad that there is no longer a pleasant way for me to update all of my addons, and at best (when the WI updater is released) I'll need to run two separate programs to do the work that WoWMatrix used to do on its own. But if that's what had to happen for Curse and WI to keep their doors open, that's what had to happen.
Filed under: News items, Add-Ons
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 27)
honem Apr 16th 2009 7:21AM
Working together ? Don't make me laugh.
Kaelten's been talking with them for at least a year. And yet they still refuse to co-operate.
Lephturn Apr 14th 2009 9:53AM
This was bound to happen. You can cry all you want, but there is no way Curse and WoWInterface can pay all the bandwidth and hosting bills to provide add ons while WoWMatrix scoops all the advertising. It's not sustainable. Either WoWMatrix needs to host them itself, Curse and WoWI will block them, or Curse and WoWI will collapse due to high expenses and no revenue to cover it. No matter how you slice it, the current situation will not last. You can "boycott" Curse and WoWI all you want... if you are a WoWMatrix user it doesn't hurt them, you effectively boycott them now while at the same time using their bandwidth and hosting to get your files.
What would be great is if there was a free central repository where the bandwidth bills were a drop in the bucket to a bigger company... like say Google or MS... that would host the addons and then let WoWMatrix do their thing.
I don't trust any program to automagically update my addons, so I update my addons manually. It's easy for me to see what to update with WoWInterface's "Favourites" feature. I tried WoWMatrix and it's nice, but I understood how they were getting all the benefit for none of the cost so I prefer to support the addon sites by visiting them directly.
Slartie Apr 14th 2009 10:21AM
Full ACK...FINALLY someone who truly understands this matter and doesn't just think as far as his own little horizont goes.
zweitblom Apr 14th 2009 10:24AM
You see, it is like this: Currently I update my addons using WoWmatrix. I never clicked one of their *very* unobtrusive text links but I do not mind them.
Now I will have to browse the websites. It is known that curse.com has repeatedly infected accessing machines via their ads. So I block those ads. So what they get now from me:
* _more_ bandwidth use due to me having to browse the site
* still _no_ ad revenue whatsoever
* a frownie face
I mean, yes, I can see that the current situation is not sustainable for them. But I tried the curse client ONCE, I am never going to repeat that mistake. That client is a piece of unreliable, buggy, cumbersome spyware.
EvilGrin Apr 14th 2009 10:39AM
In a perfect world, I'd like Blizzard to pickup the tab for this one. Run a site along the lines of Curse/Curseforge and integrate automatic addon updates into the WoW Launcher (obvious place to do it).
Of course now it's 'Activision/Blizzard' they'd probably do something boneheaded and charge for such a service or have some annoyingly restrictive EULA practically preventing anyone from using it.
K Apr 14th 2009 11:52AM
Ever heard of code.google.com? Or sourceforge.net maybe?
WI and curse are hosting them on their own sites because they make money from other people's work - just what they're accusing wowmatrix of.
Lephturn Apr 14th 2009 1:09PM
@K
"Ever heard of code.google.com? Or sourceforge.net maybe?"
Yes, that's the kind of thing I was thinking of for hosting the addon content. You still need somebody to aggregate a list though.
"WI and curse are hosting them on their own sites because they make money from other people's work - just what they're accusing wowmatrix of."
No, that's not the problem. The problem is that WoWMatrix the way it works before today, will likely lead to the death of curse and WoWInterface.... who host the files, killing WoWMatrix as well in effect.
Somebody like Google has the bandwidth and $ to host it all and not even notice. A much more sustainable solution. Now if WoWMatrix could put a deal together with Google to host the files... probably with some Google advertising deal, and they could get the addon authors to use it, we'd have a workable solution.
Anteia Apr 14th 2009 1:36PM
I used Wowmatrix to visit the sites of addons I like to hit that little donate button on them, or give them ad revenue occasionally. Now? If they're affiliated with either of these two groups, I'll learn to live without the addon when it breaks. If that's today, so be it. I have alot of addons. I probably have alot of addons I don't need but just had for convenience and can toss.
Very simply, Curse installed addons I DID NOT WANT when I tried their client the one time. Several of my frieds had the same experience of having to figure out what the hell Curse downloaded and tracking them down. Curse is shady and I have no intention of supporting it. WowMatrix DID used to have a more shady, but has tried to take steps in the right direction lately. You can argue bandwith hosting all you want, but ruining another program instead of fixing your own shady practices and own questionable program hardly seems like much of a solution.
Shikozu Apr 14th 2009 9:52AM
I use the Curse Client on Windows XP and it works like a charm. Too bad the Mac version doesn't work as well.
Sysgoddess Apr 16th 2009 3:44PM
The curse client never worked worth a damn for me under any flavour of Windows (32 or 64 bit XP or Vista) and even the site is an annoyance to use half the time but I'd rather use their site than be forced to fall back and use their previous product. If they have improved it to something useful I will reconsider. Until then, I'll manually update or look for a competing product that is functional.
Dragonshadow Apr 14th 2009 9:53AM
http://wuu.vagabonds.info/intro.php
Doesn't find the addons, but works for keeping them updated.
zweitblom Apr 14th 2009 1:44PM
Too bad curse.com now blocks that one as well...
Furiursa Apr 14th 2009 9:53AM
Also, if people were SOOOOO concerned about bandwidth issues... why not *GASP* HOST YOUR ADDONS ON WOWMATRIX TOO??? (they offer that free of charge for people... funny how nobody'll mention that right?)
Bugaboo Apr 14th 2009 2:58PM
Great solution, except WoWMatrix doesn't host anything.
Furiursa Apr 14th 2009 3:36PM
http://www.wowmatrix.com/faq/
Please read item #8.
Khon Apr 15th 2009 11:11PM
@Furiursa
1. The items are all unnumbered.
2. Item no. 8 does not mention hosting addons.
3. Wowmatrix says :
"Q. From what sources does WowMatrix download WoW AddOns?
A. WowMatrix checks for and downloads each WoW AddOn directly from that AddOn's official website, or from one of the major WoW AddOn websites if that AddOn doesn't have an official website.
...
Please note that we do not host any WoW AddOns (other than those as requested by their authors, or those released with free distribution rights) ..."
And of course, there is no mention of how authors can request for this service on their site at all. A genuine option? I think not.
4. Furiursa is either a plant or very gullible. I'm leaning to the latter.
Furiursa Apr 16th 2009 3:04AM
@Khon
Actually they shuffled a lot of things on that page apparently. I would assume you'd simply tell them where you can find the addon file to copy to their server in the FEEDBACK FORM. Isn't it amazing when you read instructions?
Oh and they DO actually respond to author's requests not to list their addon (the creator of TradeJunkie did this, and to date WM has honored that request), and several mods DO host files on WM already apparently.
How that makes me gullible is a mystery to me.
honem Apr 16th 2009 7:21AM
@Furiursa
And I've heard of authors who have asked them to remove their addon and they say they do but low and behold checking back a month later ...Back on there. 2 faced bastards
Show me a few examples of addons actually hosted by them. I'll be pleasantly suprised
Furiursa Apr 16th 2009 9:34AM
@honem: off the top of my head I know of
Questhelper
Cartographer
Remember, they may very well grab mods that have 'free/open distribution' clauses in their notes. They also have donate buttons set up for most of the mods (even the ones you can't access... I find that almost laughably ironic.) They may also be hosting copies of DBM, but I can't quite be sure.
If nothing else, WM still provides a handy way to FIND the homepage for every mod you run. (yes, every mod that they don't themselves host has a link out to the site the mod is most commonly available at... which kinda shoots down the other argument I always hear about WM that it "doesn't credit the authors"... bull) That's why I won't use a mod that has 'removed itself' from WM, because I don't want to have to search 2-3 sites to find out what's the latest news on it.
Shawn Apr 14th 2009 9:54AM
How do you mean the wowinterface updater is in limbo? I have been using it for months. Works fine for me, always has. So all my addons are kept up to date by it.