Apple Cracking Down on "Cookie Cutter" App Store Applications?

[RalfTheDog]

Yes they changed their minds, that is the point. One minute the apps were good, now they are bad. The apps didn't change, only Apple's mind changed. As and when it suits them they change the rules.

Apples standards changed. This is a good thing when the standards change in the right direction. If your standards don't go up, your company goes down.

 

[cmaier]

Apples standards changed. This is a good thing when the standards change in the right direction. If your standards don't go up, your company goes down.

Apple wouldn't have to worry about disappointing apps clogging its app store if it allowed alternate means for distribution of software.

 

[Mr. Gates]

2 years later

 

[RalfTheDog]

Just a totally unrelated thought, I know why the iPad was named the iPad. Every Apple device (Not software) that starts with an i has P as the next letter. That is why they picked the stupid name.

There are a limited number of words that start with P. What will happen when Apple runs out of iP?

My mistake, the iMac. Every small device that starts with an i....

 

[Kristenn]

Pull Grandpa's finger...

I lol'd


I think this is good. Quality over quantity is what counts.

 

[ChazUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

I got my wife a 32gb iPod touch yesterday and one of the first things she did was hop onto the app store and have a browse.

She had no problems finding what she wanted to and it didn't seem too dire to me.

Something I'd like to see on either Android Market or the App Store is an uprank/downrank button (similar to digg) which would enable users to moderate the good or bad apps by burying the crap and upranking the good.

 

[marksman]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

I got my wife a 32gb iPod touch yesterday and one of the first things she did was hop onto the app store and have a browse.

She had no problems finding what she wanted to and it didn't seem too dire to me.

Something I'd like to see on either Android Market or the App Store is an uprank/downrank button (similar to digg) which would enable users to moderate the good or bad apps by burying the crap and upranking the good.

Yeah that is easily manipulated just like the rating system is now.

Congrats on your wife, but since she had no apps finding a few apps she might like is interesting, but not earth shattering.

The app store is a hot mess these days, and I think most developers and users would agree.

 

[gwangung]

Now you are inventing a "there must be no alternative means of free expression" requirement for censorship. No such requirement exists. The fact that censorship is unsuccessful because people have adequate alternative means of free expression does not change the fact that when a media conglomerate stifles communications based on content that it is censoring.

So size and corporate existence is what matters? If I publish my own blog/paper/etc. and choose not to publish your work, then I am now a censor of you?

That does not seem to get at the concept correctly.

You continue to insist, as well, that private entities cannot commit censorship. This is simply incorrect

It is totally correct. Censorship is backed up by law and by force, with behaviors of commission and intent. It has to do with platforms and channels that are inherently public.

You continue to insist that outsiders have a right to Apple's App Store. However, you have totally failed to support such a right.

 

[gwangung]

Apple wouldn't have to worry about disappointing apps clogging its app store if it allowed alternate means for distribution of software.

Why?

You can justify why it's good for you. You have yet to justify why its good for Apple or for others.

 

[jimmyjoemccrow]

Apples standards changed. This is a good thing when the standards change in the right direction. If your standards don't go up, your company goes down.

Apple's standards changed by removing wifi apps? Soft core apps (and even then some soft core apps from bigger companies remain)? Can't Apple treat their customers like adults?

 

[Journojulz]

Apple wouldn't have to worry about disappointing apps clogging its app store if it allowed alternate means for distribution of software.

So lowering the standards for distributing apps will drive the quality up?

How would that work?

Let the androids learn how to fart and the wankers willalways find the answer in their palm.

Its good to have a door policy lets the talented through and raises the average IQ.

 

[twilson]

That is why I said they should review them, but not necessarily remove them. After review, they could either remove it or move it to a separate section of apps that are categorized and ranked separate from the more commercial applications.

No, I want my apps in the same place as every other application thank you very much.

The "separate" part you alude to is really the "Featured" and "Top..." sections where the successful and notable apps go isn't it. I'm happy with that the way it is thanks.

Or didn't you think of that?

 

[twilson]

It sounds to me like there's a significant difference between your app and what they're trying to filter out. Apps that continue to move, however slowly, are apps that are still selling. On the other hand, a 'crude bodily noise' app is hardly likely to continue selling after its first rush.

I'm happy for them to remove the crap web-ware. It annoys me when I download a piece of it.

What I was objecting to was someone suggesting that less successful software should either be removed, or scuttled away in some rubbish categories (cos that's gonna really boost sales).

 

[sunfast]

Great news - we need to remove the weeds that stop quality apps (particularly those from unheralded developers) from flourishing

 

[Journojulz]

Jobs has achieved what he has by saying something that should be said more often.

"No - that isn't good enough. Do it again."

Today is a great day to grow up.

 

[peter2]

discrimination

n short, Apple doesn't want people using native applications for things that a basic web app could accomplish.

Based on this, Apple should drop the (current version of the) Skype application. As it stands, it can be implemented in a web browser. Maybe if apple dropped skype, skype would finally have a motivation to add push notifications .

The above example shows the main problem with Apple policy - it is discriminating. Apple won't risk dropping the skype application but it will drop other aps with the excuse that they can be implemented in a web browser. Only the market should chose which apps are to stay, not Apple.

 

[BaldiMac]

Yes they changed their minds, that is the point. One minute the apps were good, now they are bad. The apps didn't change, only Apple's mind changed. As and when it suits them they change the rules.

You keep making up stuff to back up your point. Apple never said the apps were good and now they are bad. They said that they no longer want to carry certain apps in their store. It happens all the time among retail stores.

This is not the same as discontinuing a book or a physical item because those cannot be replicated ad infinitum. A shop only has so much space to store its goods and show them to the public. I doubt the app store is close to being full in storage space, and there categories and search to find apps.

The fact that Apple has virtually unlimited shelf space does not obligate them to never remove an app.

In any case it is usually due to poor sales that goods are discontinued. That means that it is customer interest deciding what is being discontinued, at least to a certain extent.

Consumers interest does not obligate a company to sell an item.

It isn't usually because someone at the shop changed their minds and decided such and such a product is now a bad product.

Apple never claimed it is now a bad product. You made that up.

If a company made such a big deal of the number of goods it had sold to promote itself, then took a number of goods off the shelf for no other reason than their own whim I wouldn't expect them to adjust their figures, but I would point out the hypocrisy and irony.

You should look up hypocrisy and irony. Neither are applicable to this situation.

Apple's standards changed by removing wifi apps?

Wifi apps were removed for using private APIs.

Soft core apps (and even then some soft core apps from bigger companies remain)? Can't Apple treat their customers like adults?

The above example shows the main problem with Apple policy - it is discriminating.

What's wrong with being discriminating?

Only the market should chose which apps are to stay, not Apple.

Why should it be different than any other store in the world?

 

[Kevin Winsness]

Cleaning house

Apple Inc. is just cutting out the "dead wood" prior to the iPad release.

 

[Journojulz]

Only the market should chose which apps are to stay, not Apple.

Apple's success comes from micromanaging the customer experience.

If you don't like it - get another smartphone.

Have yet to hear though of too many killer apps that apple has turned its nose up at.

What are the hero and palm app stores like?

 

[spazzcat]

Isn't Mint.com's iPhone app something that does nothing more than duplicate web-content? I'll wager this is one of the more popular apps out there, but it does nothing, I mean really, NOTHING that couldn't be duplicated with a well-written iPhone-friendly web page. Well, okay, maybe it stores some info offline...is that all a less high-profile app developer would have to do to avoid the axe?

I can just imagine the howling if that one gets banned as part of Apple's latest shoot-first-ask-questions-later approach to the App Store.

The mint app has push notifications.

 

[cmaier]

So lowering the standards for distributing apps will drive the quality up?

How would that work?

Let the androids learn how to fart and the wankers willalways find the answer in their palm.

Its good to have a door policy lets the talented through and raises the average IQ.

really? You don't understand that the reason that crap in the app store is attributed to Apple is because it's Apple's app store? Their brand, run by them, with them accepting the money and earning a profit from it?

My point is that if Joe's App Store sold so-called unacceptable iPhone apps, it would be Joe's problem, not Apple's. It would unclog apple's app store and allow Apple's customers to find what they want. And peow who want apps that Apple has deemed inappropriate for sale in it's own store can go to Joe and get what they need. Everyone, including Apple, is better off.

The idea that Apple is somehow hurt because some iPhone is running an app that is insufficiently iPhone-ish is dumb. If the person bought it from Joe, he isn't going to hold it against Apple, and his iPhone isn't some sort of an ambassador representing apple in the world of smart phones.

 

[cmaier]

So size and corporate existence is what matters? If I publish my own blog/paper/etc. and choose not to publish your work, then I am now a censor of you?

That does not seem to get at the concept correctly.



It is totally correct. Censorship is backed up by law and by force, with behaviors of commission and intent. It has to do with platforms and channels that are inherently public.

You continue to insist that outsiders have a right to Apple's App Store. However, you have totally failed to support such a right.

regarding your first point, No! I don't know where you even got that I said that! I was merely responding to an earlier point where it was claimed that the media cannot censor.

Regarding your second point, you are dead wrong. Censorship does not require law and force. Multiple definitions have been bandied about, and none include that. Look it up. Some definitions require authority, however authority comes from places other than the government.

Finally, you lie. I have not ONCE said that outsiders have a right to Apple's app store. Such a statement would b ridiculous, and I challenge you to show where I said it.

At most I drew a possible parallel to a shopping mall (base on supreme court opinions) where at one point the courts said if you open it to the public for speech, you can't exclude people based merely on the content of speech. I also pointed out that even th supreme court has backed off this idea.

 

[Journojulz]

really? You don't understand that the reason that crap in the app store is attributed to Apple is because it's Apple's app store?

No its not that.

I don't get how allowing unregulated app stores to start selling unmoderated apps is going to drive quality up.

It would seem the converse is more likely.

Are other smartphone app stores selling better products?

And peow who want apps that Apple has deemed inappropriate for sale in it's own store can go to Joe and get what they need. Everyone, including Apple, is better off.

Again I don't agree.

By having unregulated apps people are more likely to get cheap knock off apps that offer unsatisfying iphone experiences and apple wouldn't get their share of the profits.

Sounds like a double loss to me.

The idea that Apple is somehow hurt because some iPhone is running an app that is insufficiently iPhone-ish is dumb.

Nope - its common sense

people wherever possible will find a cheap way of doing things, and by buying cheap your experience will be poorer.

If the person bought it from Joe, he isn't going to hold it against Apple, and his iPhone isn't some sort of an ambassador representing apple in the world of smart phones.

But his experience of iphone ownership would not be as satisfying and word of mouth marketing would suffer.

every time a cheap app crashed when you were showing it off to your mates would put the iphone in a worse light.

 

[cmaier]

you would get MUCH higher quality google voice apps, much higher swimsuit catalogs, much higher quality wifi stumblers, much higher quality podcast streaming apps, etc. Because anything is better quality than nothing.

Joes "experience" is much more satisying because he, not Apple, is best positioned to decide what apps make him happy.

And if you are hung up on YOUR definition of quality, people can stick to the AppStore for their apple-blessed, deemed safe for your virgin eyes, app goodness.

No its not that.

I don't get how allowing unregulated app stores to start selling unmoderated apps is going to drive quality up.

It would seem the converse is more likely.

Are other smartphone app stores selling better products?



Again I don't agree.

By having unregulated apps people are more likely to get cheap knock off apps that offer unsatisfying iphone experiences and apple wouldn't get their share of the profits.

Sounds like a double loss to me.



Nope - its common sense

people wherever possible will find a cheap way of doing things, and by buying cheap your experience will be poorer.



But his experience of iphone ownership would not be as satisfying and word of mouth marketing would suffer.

every time a cheap app crashed when you were showing it off to your mates would put the iphone in a worse light.

 

[RalfTheDog]

really? You don't understand that the reason that crap in the app store is attributed to Apple is because it's Apple's app store? Their brand, run by them, with them accepting the money and earning a profit from it?

My point is that if Joe's App Store sold so-called unacceptable iPhone apps, it would be Joe's problem, not Apple's. It would unclog apple's app store and allow Apple's customers to find what they want. And peow who want apps that Apple has deemed inappropriate for sale in it's own store can go to Joe and get what they need. Everyone, including Apple, is better off.

The idea that Apple is somehow hurt because some iPhone is running an app that is insufficiently iPhone-ish is dumb. If the person bought it from Joe, he isn't going to hold it against Apple, and his iPhone isn't some sort of an ambassador representing apple in the world of smart phones.

If you don't like the Apple App store, you can jail break your phone. Just don't expect Apple to support the phone afterwords.