Apple Extends Non-Disclosure to App Store Rejection Letters

[Adjei]

To me, this is censorship. To you, this is the greatest thing since sliced bread.



The problem that you don't seem to get is that a) Apple is not being consistent and b) Apple is being Microsoft-like.

A lot of these rejections (like for example the duplication one) smacks right in the face of INCONSISTENCY. If what Apple is saying is TRUE, then why the heck are there 100s of calculator apps then? Doesn't this DUPLICATE functionality? Or how about this one, why is it that Steve Jobs HIMSELF says that a VOIP app is OK (as long as it is WiFi only) when it DUPLICATES the CENTRAL app of the iPhone. The Phone.

Please explain this to me?

Also, these efforts by Apple lately are HIGHLY anti-competitive and strikes to me as CENSORSHIP. To me, this sounds exactly like Microsoft.

So, again, drop the Kool-aid and come back to REALITY.

So what, Microsoft is another company just like Apple who are out to make money and make their shareholders happy, nothing wrong with that. Apple has implemented a policy, the developer knew about this policy before they started developing for the iphone but yet they still went ahead, and because their app got rejected they want the world to start feeling sorry for them.

It is up to Apple to decide what gets into "their" store. How many other apps have been rejected, why is it only these developers who wants everyone to feel sorry for them. As I said life is not fair, if they were expecting any sympathy, they sure as heck ain't getting it from me. If what Apple is doing is so anti-competitive, I challenge any of these developers to take them to court and we see how strong their case holds in court. The world is full of whinning people who feel everything should go their way or else, no wonder why the world is so screwed up.

 

[MVApple]

Has anyone considered the fact that Apple is rejecting apps because they are future updates or apps that will be included by Apple?

When I first heard about the app store one thing came to my mind, either Apple wasn't going to create applications anymore, or there was going to be a problem with developers beating Apple to the punch.

As it stands though, the iphone is really the only existing next-generation mobile device we have. Windows Mobile 7 is coming and Android is coming even sooner but we'll see how good of competition they can give Apple.

Apple's strong points can be its weak points as well. You can suffer from too much control, or you can suffer from too little control.

Taking it all into consideration, Apple can do somethings better but they still produce incredible software and hardware. No company is perfect.

 

[Bubba Satori]

As a developer who is waiting to purchase his first macbook pro to dive into developing applications for the iPHONE, this really makes me think twice about jumping into iPhone application development.

Why should I spend my hard earned cash, and invest my valuable time on developing an application that may or may not get approval by apple?

Their NDA around iPHONE development was bad enough, now this?

COMPLETELY LAME

 

[gifford]

When the malporn on your mates G-Phone rings you up at 4am in the morning without your knowledge advertising Horse Sex, you'll be glad you had a walled garden, and wishing your mate had one also.

That said, I have a sneaky suspicion my app (when finished) will be a prime target for being banned, and that will bug the crap out of me. However in the long term I think caution by Apple is an intelligent move.

 

[Adjei]

Wow. I'm just speechless. You seriously just don't get it.

No I'm speechless as to why you feel everything is Apple's fault and the developer did nothing wrong, it's all big bad Apple's fault.

 

[whooleytoo]

So what, Microsoft is another company just like Apple who are out to make money and make their shareholders happy, nothing wrong with that. Apple has implemented a policy, the developer knew about this policy before they started developing for the iphone but yet they still went ahead, and because their app got rejected they want the world to start feeling sorry for them.

That's the problem! Developers DON'T know what Apple's policy is for accepting/rejecting apps, and now with this NDA you can't find out without spending months developing it, submitting it to Apple and keeping your fingers crossed.

THAT'S the problem.

 

[arn]

IMO, the 1GB cap on T-Mobile's 3G Network should be a separate story or integrated into the Android story.

The NDA is a separate issue.

It's relevant in that it's their way of restricting app usage.

In that Apple is saying "no p2p apps", Google is saying "p2p apps ok" but "bandwidth limits are in place".

arn

 

[HitchHykr]

Good.

These devs that go running to the court of public blogging (oh how we know how much reasearch and objectivity blogs and their posters put into things 99% of the time. ) to air their dirty laundry is unprofessional to say the least.

They are in a contract with apple, this contract now extends to the rejection letters.

if they don't like it, either swallow their gripes or they can go build an app for that new phone that does not even have a headphone jack.*


*dongles are a joke.

Put.down.the.koolaid

I don't think there's anything wrong with expressing one's opinion, even when disagreing with <gasp> Apple

 

[Adjei]

The Fan Boys come out of the woodwork. How far does Apple go until these people think that Apple have over stepped the mark?!

Replace this:


with ( assuming it was microsoft not Apple )

Nicely done Microsoft. It was bound for there to be apps to be rejected, if I want to go and sell something in someone's store, I can't just expect for them to be all happy about it, I have to agree to their rules and Microsoft rejected their application. Why should they go around blabbing their mouth to the media that they got rejected, life is not fair, move on and shut your mouth.

This discussion would take on a whole different meaning...

Please if Microsoft did that, I would have no problem with it, they are out to make money just like everyone else in this world. Funny if that it was you guys in the same situation you would would be doing even worse. Life is not fair, get over it.

 

[davidangel]

Jailbreak

Is jailbreaking still an option?

 

[Aranince]

Isn't this anticompetitive?

 

[w00master]

So what, Microsoft is another company just like Apple who are out to make money and make their shareholders happy, nothing wrong with that. Apple has implemented a policy, the developer knew about this policy before they started developing for the iphone but yet they still went ahead, and because their app got rejected they want the world to start feeling sorry for them.

So, you honestly think it's good for Apple to silence what you call as "whiners" and complainers? If you consider the iPhone to be a "platform," explain to me how this is good for the overall platform?

It is up to Apple to decide what gets into "their" store.

Yes, this is correct, but wouldn't some consistency be nice for the developers, customers, and even Apple?

How many other apps have been rejected, why is it only these developers who wants everyone to feel sorry for them.

Why should this matter? Maybe others were rejected for silly reasons, maybe they weren't. However, I as a consumer feel that I have a right to know these things. Again, you never answered my questions in my previous post. Why is this a good thing when even Apple isn't consistent?

As I said life is not fair, if they were expecting any sympathy, they sure as heck ain't getting it from me.

What flavor is that Kool-Aid you're drinking?

If what Apple is doing is so anti-competitive, I challenge any of these developers to take them to court and we see how strong their case holds in court.

Guess what, I would LOVE to see this in court, because I honestly believe that Apple would lose.

The world is full of whinning people who feel everything should go their way or else, no wonder why the world is so screwed up.

Ahhh, you're one of THOSE. Guess what, if I have a problem with a product, situation, I feel like my voice should be heard. The problem isn't the whiners, the problem is that there aren't anyone who actually listens to them. Instead, there are folks like yourself that just think nothing is wrong and everything should continue as is.

 

[Phil A.]

When the malporn on your mates G-Phone rings you up at 4am in the morning without your knowledge advertising Horse Sex, you'll be glad you had a walled garden, and wishing your mate had one to.

Symbian, Windows Mobile and Palm OS don't have restrictions on what applications can run on them, and I don't notice a whole slew of malware on those platforms. The whole walled garden as protection thing is a whole load of FUD. It would be very easy to get malware into the App Store anyway: Simply create an app that does what it advertises for 6 months then changes into malware - Apple don't have access to source code for submitted apps...

 

[w00master]

No I'm speechless as to why you feel everything is Apple's fault and the developer did nothing wrong, it's all big bad Apple's fault.

You know, I love Apple products. However, when I feel that something is wrong, I think it should be known and discussed. You on the other hand see that Apple CANNOT DO WRONG.



I guess you can't see REALITY.

 

[whooleytoo]

Symbian, Windows Mobile and Palm OS don't have restrictions on what applications can run on them, and I don't notice a whole slew of malware on those platforms. The whole walled garden as protection thing is a whole load of FUD. It would be very easy to get malware into the App Store anyway: Simply create an app that does what it advertises for 6 months then changes into malware - Apple don't have access to source code for submitted apps...

True, though at least Apple have the remote-kill functionality.

 

[Spades]

I'm thinking all it's going to do is stop the public release of this information.

I'm thinking it won't. What's Apple going to do if somebody "violates" the NDA on a rejection letter? Terminate the agreement that's already become useless to the developer?

 

[Phil A.]

I'm thinking it won't. What's Apple going to do if somebody "violates" the NDA on a rejection letter? Terminate the agreement that's already become useless to the developer?

Theoretically they could sue you - whether they would or not is another matter, but I personally wouldn't want to go head to head with Apple's legal team...

 

[amac4me]

This makes me wonder how people will learn of rejected apps. My initial thought is this action by Apple will make it impossible.

 

[Adjei]

So, you honestly think it's good for Apple to silence what you call as "whiners" and complainers? If you consider the iPhone to be a "platform," explain to me how this is good for the overall platform?




Yes, this is correct, but wouldn't some consistency be nice for the developers, customers, and even Apple?




Why should this matter? Maybe others were rejected for silly reasons, maybe they weren't. However, I as a consumer feel that I have a right to know these things. Again, you never answered my questions in my previous post. Why is this a good thing when even Apple isn't consistent?




What flavor is that Kool-Aid you're drinking?



Guess what, I would LOVE to see this in court, because I honestly believe that Apple would lose.




Ahhh, you're one of THOSE. Guess what, if I have a problem with a product, situation, I feel like my voice should be heard. The problem isn't the whiners, the problem is that there aren't anyone who actually listens to them. Instead, there are folks like yourself that just think nothing is wrong and everything should continue as is.

They are not silencing anyone, the developer signed a contract with Apple, which is confidential between the two parties, why should they go outside of that agreement and blab to the whole word because they didn't what they want. When the App store was formed, I knew this would happen, a developer gets rejected, they go and cry to the media and everyone says Apple are the bad guys and feels sorry for the small developer. Yes I would like to see this court, I'm sure Apple would win. Like I said the world is not fair, why can't I go and sell the bread that I made in my house at the local grocery store, if they don't let me sell it there, they are being anticompetitive, what a joke.

 

[Detlev]

So what, Microsoft is another company just like Apple who are out to make money and make their shareholders happy, nothing wrong with that. Apple has implemented a policy, the developer knew about this policy before they started developing for the iphone but yet they still went ahead, and because their app got rejected they want the world to start feeling sorry for them.

It is up to Apple to decide what gets into "their" store. How many other apps have been rejected, why is it only these developers who wants everyone to feel sorry for them. As I said life is not fair, if they were expecting any sympathy, they sure as heck ain't getting it from me. If what Apple is doing is so anti-competitive, I challenge any of these developers to take them to court and we see how strong their case holds in court. The world is full of whinning people who feel everything should go their way or else, no wonder why the world is so screwed up.

You are precisely right, and it was a bunch of whining people who threw tea in the Boston harbor and it was a bunch of whining people who rose up and declared the rights of the people were for all people, it was whining people who said we demand action against Microsoft's anti-competitive ways. Welcome to America buddy. Yeah, we piss and moan a bit more than others but if it were not for people who spoke up you wouldn't be here.

 

[megatronbomb]

This makes me wonder how people will learn of rejected apps. My initial thought is this action by Apple will make it impossible.

That's the point. It would appear that Apple wants to regulate all news and information concerning the app store and part of that would be making sure only positive news is out there for consumption.

 

[gifford]

Symbian, Windows Mobile and Palm OS don't have restrictions on what applications can run on them, and I don't notice a whole slew of malware on those platforms. The whole walled garden as protection thing is a whole load of FUD.

But nobody used the apps for it to become a problem on those devices, 'full' access to the internet and an active user/developer base poses more of a problem.

Apple don't have access to source code for submitted apps...

I believe I read that Apple have a kill switch, how effective it is is another matter.

 

[BWhaler]

Something is very wrong with Apple nowadays.

This is not good. Reminds me of the Bush Administration. Don't like it? No problem, we'll just cover it up.

 

[Adjei]

You know, I love Apple products. However, when I feel that something is wrong, I think it should be known and discussed. You on the other hand see that Apple CANNOT DO WRONG.



I guess you can't see REALITY.

Yes I also use Apple products, I also used Microsoft products, Sony products, it's irrelevant to me, as long as the product is good for me. I'll blame Apple when their products suck, Microsoft when their sucks, it doesn't matter to me. I don't feel that Apple and other companies can't do no wrong, unfortunately I'm not like y'all who feel the consumers, developers, etc can't do no wrong.

 

[RnSK]

Are you on crack?!

Uhm, that's the rule, right there: "Duplicates current iPhone function." You said it yourself. Of course it broke that rule. There's no debate there.

It is VERY OBVIOUS that you have NOT read the NDA and are a knee-jerk apologist...but I'm going to indulge your idiocy anyway.

THERE IS NO IPHONE FUNCTIONALITY present that THIS PARTICULAR APP DUPLICATES in ANY WAY *whatsoever*.

None. Zero. Nada.

I *dare* you download a podcast OTA on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Go on. Do it right now.


Yeah, that's what i thought.