February 17, 2024. Update March 2, 2024.
A few years ago I did some due diligence, and concluded Tad [Redacted] was either quite open and transparent, or somewhat foolish or naive. Things change. People learn? Being open or transparent was consistent with developing free or open source software in public. Being naive or foolish was not protecting personal information like a home address, while claiming specialties or expertise in Defensive Computer Security, in Tad's resume, and on Tad's websites.
I've recently adjusted my conclusion to view Tad as a dishonest person acting like someone who has things to hide.
When someone selling something changes their name and tries to change and erase history, people who notice will be curious, suspicious, or worse. At least they will want some explanation, so they don't have to guess the reasons, or suspect foul play. Tad is selling operating system and app software by asking for donations. Tad has changed name to Tavi, and removed Tad's domains, Spotco.us and divested.dev, from the Wayback Machine (archive.org). No sensible explanation has been given when asked about it. Response was silly in f-droid forums - only posting an animal picture, and irate in XMPP Multi-user chats - see above page top quotes.
Spotco.us is a domain owned and used by Tad, the lone Divested Computing "Group" developer. Even as I write this in February 2024, whois spotco.us returns Tad [Redacted] for Registrant, Admin, and Tech Name. The Creation Date of spotco.us is April 2013. Spotco.us was in the Wayback Machine (archive.org) with about a decade of history. I know this because I viewed some of it, when deciding whether or how much to trust Tad. Spotco.us is also a domain Tad uses for email and app naming, such as the Mull browser, technically known as us.spotco.fennec_dos (domain names like spotco.us are reversed to us.spotco in app names). If not obvious, see the link URL, source link at F-Droid, and some permissions names. As of this writing, F-Droid search shows seven Divested Computing "Group" apps are associated with Spotco in F-Droid. F-Droid app search shows eight apps, adding MergedWiFiNLP, which wasn't displayed on F-Droid webpage search.
Tad posted introductions and other things you can search for yourself - hurry, they may get deleted - and signed off on code commits with spotco.us emails (archive). Now Tad uses "Tavi" and divested.dev emails (archive).
Divested.dev is another of Tad's domains, and the history was also removed from the Wayback Machine, archive.org, without explanation. This website is still online. I'm assuming github or gitlab history for this website has also been purged, but I didn't check.
I came across other things I will only mention, not upload or link to. In 2021, whois spotco.us returned complete address and telephone, without "privacy protection", so I kept a copy. I assumed the information could be fake, but the city and state matched what the Spotco.us website showed back then. Bizpedia gave me consistent information for an "inactive" [Redacted] Domestic Profit Corporation filed in 2015. Back in 2021 Tad apparently was considering applying for jobs, as Tad recently said Tad will do if enough donations are not received in 2024; I downloaded a copy of Tad [Redacted]'s resume in 2021. The phone number was different, but approximate location and spotco.us email was the same.
Update March 2, 2024. Spot Communications, Inc (Spotco) company by Tad [Redacted], circa 2015, 2016: In case you're thinking the whole Spotco corporation thing is really fiction like this website's disclaimer implies, here is a link to Florida state's corporation search result (archived). If the webpage isn't enough, check out the PDFs for Articles of Incorporation, and Effective Date Error form, which includes tad@spotco.us email and Tad's signature, near webpage bottom. You can't make this stuff up.
In conclusion, I don't know why Tad changed name to Tavi, re-wrote history on Tad's DivestOS website,
and had spotco.us and divested.dev deleted from the Wayback Machine (archive.org).
I do know the way Tad handled the change and questions about the change
looks immature and confusing at best, and dishonest and deceptive at worst.
Is Tad simply trying to put the genie (real name and location) back in the bottle?
Is Tad fearful of possible fraud charges?
Are there legal issues because of having an "Inactive" for-profit corporation registered,
but taking donations now?
Is there something about the history Tad/Tavi thinks was embarrassing?
Is there something about web searches of Tad's full real name Tad/Tavi thinks is embarrassing?
I'm not going to assume an answer.
What I do know is Tad/Tavi, using several aliases or nicknames, severely criticises other alternative Android
ROM operating system projects for using what Tad considers to be misleading or dishonest marketing language.
or for technical nitpicks, which Tad considers to be major issues.
In my opinion, Tad/Tavi attempting to disguise, change, and remove history is about as misleading and dishonest as it gets.
I recommend avoiding DivestOS, and using CalyxOS,
good ole vanilla LineageOS,
or PostmarketOS if your devices are supported.
Postscript: I have no problem with people using aliases or nicknames online to hide personal identity, assuming they don't abuse it by sockpuppeting, meat puppeting, or other dishonest practices. However, when you ask people to donate money to your project, and present yourself as a "group", as Tad/Tavi does with DivestOS.org and divested.dev, you should at least have a spokesperson and legitimate business structure, using real, legitimate name and contact information. Even Murena, which I could never recommend, does that, although they were caught improperly using sock and meat puppets at Wikipedia.
Copyright 2024-