Apple Backtracks After Popular Mac App 'Amphetamine' Threatened With Removal Over Branding

[Okasian]

"freedom to express ourselves" doesn't mean that good sense, responsibility and good taste have lost value.

Taste is most definitely subjective. Not everyone likes vanilla.

 

[C DM]

as it turns out, sometimes it is much, much easier to move files with terminal. or rename them. point and click isn't always the right solution to filesystem problems.

Although that in itself doesn't devalue Finder (let alone makes it something along the lines of unnecessary or useless).

 

[allan.nyholm]

Good thing that Cocktail by developer Maintain.se isn't on the Mac App Store then. Uff. It's hard to even think about..
No it isn't. Because I just did.. the verdict is in - I have the mental capacity of a 100 year old steel door frame.

Also, I prefer using Theine over Amphetamine.

 

[C DM]

creating a GUI for a command line tool that only does what the command line tool does is lazy.

Not when it comes to a consumer product used by typical consumers.

 

[Okasian]

It is. If I am not mistaken, Caffeine was released first. I used it years ago. Shortly after its release, Amphetamine showed up as a rival app.

Yes. I remember using Caffeine before I discovered Amphetamine. Both in reality and on OSX.

 

[stevet]

This is a great app and I use it all the time. But I actually agree that the name and icon are problematic. I almost decided to not install it or use it, because it sounds sketchy. I can only imagine how many people have actually decided to not download or use it just because of its sketchy name and icon.

Gimme a break. What’s next? You can’t name your network ssid p0rn?

 

[C DM]

Gimme a break. What’s next? You can’t name your network ssid p0rn?

Well, something like that certainly might not play any role for some people, but it can for others. There's a reason why something like branding is a huge part of business and life in general even. None of that is to say there's something necessarily good or bad here, just that it can certainly play a role.

 

[Aoligei]

Gimme a break. What’s next? You can’t name your network ssid p0rn?

Well, If you are network SSID is p0rn, I am sure you have top class unbreakable password and your files are encrypted, so no one will able to hack into your network and enjoy some p0rn?

 

[Aoligei]

Well, something like that certainly might not play any role for some people, but it can for others. There's a reason why something like branding is a huge part of business and life in general even. None of that is to say there's something necessarily good or bad here, just that it can certainly play a role.

I don’t really think this any matters. I get it, if the name is offensive to someone, then sure.

If someone wanted to do drugs or whatever, do you really think a name would stop them getting it?

It is like we might as well rename all the drug to something else, so suddenly we don’t have drug problems.

 

[ignatius345]

wint, no one is going to delete their root partition by just typing that one command. heck that's even impossible now in big sur.

Nobody said anything about deleting a root partition. There are plenty of reasons users might prefer to use a simple, modestly priced app that puts a nice UI on something you can do in the command line for free.

 

[ignatius345]

as it turns out, sometimes it is much, much easier to move files with terminal. or rename them. point and click isn't always the right solution to filesystem problems.

For you, it is. Enthusiasts and professionals aside, the vast, vast majority of users are never going near the Terminal.

 

[C DM]

I don’t really think this any matters. I get it, if the name is offensive to someone, then sure.

If someone wanted to do drugs or whatever, do you really think a name would stop them getting it?

It is like we might as well rename all the drug to something else, so suddenly we don’t have drug problems.

That's not quite the part of it all that comment was about (given the context of the replies in that particular discussion).

 

[mondaiguy]

The name is cute but you might get more downloads if it was a shorter word that was easier to type and spell.

Just sayin

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Odd, but not unheard of.

Apparently someone poked the giant, and someone had to prove they are there getting paid. Weird... Especially 6 years! Wow...

Comment #25: I was wondering if there was a Caffeine app too. But of course. Too funny.

I guess I've never wanted to keep a MBP or Mac awake for long periods of time. I'm sure enough people use it to make it worth keeping it out there. Good for him.

 

[RalfTheDog]

I wonder if they will have any issues with my guide for repairing the chimneys on BBQ smokers. I called it smoking crack pipe. Perhaps if I add a soundtrack from a 1980's rock band they might like it better. Smoking crack pipe to Nirvana.

 

[nicfle]

Next week:
We announce Cannabis - keep your mac relaxed and all processes down!

So, I guess Cannabis would be fine. It`s also used for medical purpuse and the app function is related to the medical usage. The name does not promote drug usage.

Oh, an next we have Cocaine - force quit your unresponsive mac!

 

[jlc1978]

Alternatively they could have used the name “viagra.” That drug will also keep you up for a long time.

But after 4 hours you need to send your Mac to see a doctor...

 

[insomniac86]

In what sense?

Let me explain how some people’s brains work....

1. *Reads a word*
2. 🧐 Oh that words a drug....
3. *Downloads the app*....
4. Now I need to take drugs....
5. Dam this app made me do drugs
6. *Cries, I’m offended*

IMO, the kind of people that think like that need to be on some drugs to fix up that chemical imbalance of theirs.

 

[xnu]

Did the same with my "Black Tar Heroine" app. It was an app that showed where they were paving streets. Just kidding, but would have been a good idea... lol.

 

[laz232]

This is a great app and I use it all the time. But I actually agree that the name and icon are problematic. I almost decided to not install it or use it, because it sounds sketchy. I can only imagine how many people have actually decided to not download or use it just because of its sketchy name and icon.

? This makes no sense to anyone that has used a computer...

I guess SuperSafeApp77 from China Dev Corp LLC "sounds" safer?

What were you afraid of that a program called 'Amphetamine' would do? Run over to your house and drop tabs of acid into your drink?

Better not check out Linux - now that's an OS with obscurely and poorly named apps - e.g. "GIMP" is a legitimately bad name for a program. Come to think of it - "Unzip" sounds rather dangerous as well.

 

[laz232]

Interesting. On nearly all of these Apple vs. developer stories, after my first reading of the situation I come down on the side of the developer.

In this case, not so much.

And yet, it's the single example where Apple has immediately capitulated!

Interested to hear why you didn't think that Apple was being ridiculous.

 

[TVreporter]

Why after all this time it suddenly became an issue? Beyond ridiculous.

Which one triggered snowflake complained and naturally Apple responded with the most drastic action.

Can we file a complaint about Big Sur too?

After all I’m always being asked if I have installed BS!

 

[dannyyankou]

this might be the laziest app ever.

go into the terminal and type "caffeinate -t 60"

there. your mac will definitely stay awake for 60 seconds. need an hour? -t 3600

need forever? no arguments.

it's not that hard. been using this for years and years.

I’m sure the typical MacBook user doesn’t even know what the terminal app is.

Look, it’s free and it has an interface a child can understand. Why not remove control center while you’re at it, you can change many system settings in Terminal?

 

[axcess99]

this might be the laziest app ever.

go into the terminal and type "caffeinate -t 60"

there. your mac will definitely stay awake for 60 seconds. need an hour? -t 3600

need forever? no arguments.

it's not that hard. been using this for years and years.

That might be the laziest hot take ever. The app enables quite a bit more advanced usage than that in addition to providing a simple GUI toggle and useful quick status indicator.

 

[7493920]

Sometimes our own opinions surprise us. I agree with Apple here. I usually find them far too heavy handed, but I would say that yes this does encourage consumption even if it does not do so in a direct way. It encourages people to make the association of amphetamine with keeping awake, which is often how it is abused.