Recently a post was made in the XIV boards announcing the release of the Windower for XIV. This was a hot topic for XI's Windower because it represents a ToS violation simply on the basis of the user employing an application that interfaces directly with the game client. I'm sure I don't need to rehash the points pro/con of the debate here, but suffice it so say I was a bit surprised to read of the admin position on it for XIV. At first I didn't really care, but now every time I read a post that mentions the Windower, it irks me. After watching the XI endgame scene destroyed by bots and third party applications, the last thing I expected to see here was a blind eye turned to the discussion of third party applications for a game still in beta.
SE may not be exactly generous with perks and exclusives to ZAM in exchange for the effort made to accommodate their wishes regarding such things as NDAs and other taboo issues, but that's largely irrelevant. What happens if, somewhere down the line, someone reads on ZAM about this great and wonderful Windower for XIV and does a Google search for it only to be led to a site that offers a delicious keylogger as a "free bonus" with the installation of the Windower application?
I'm going to be honest...is ZAM really that hard up for users that now anything goes? We're part of the solution or we're part of the problem. I took a couple of months away from the forums because it was made clear to me that some admins were of the impression that I was spearheading a problem. I can't envision myself continuing to financially support a site that turns a blind eye to these kinds of things because it might **** a few people off. (I know, I know, my $3/month or whatever it works out to is sure to be the end of all things ZAM...call it an issue of principle.)
Seems to me like it might be better to nip this in the bud now before people grow accustomed to open, supportive discussion of things that violate the ToS and could snowball into bigger problems later on. If we help teach the community now that unsanctioned third party applications are acceptable, it will not end well.