Apple Rejecting Applications Based on 'Limited Utility'

[samab]

Most of the stuff at the app store hasn't gotten to the point of limited utility. I think Apple is right. In fact they should be more selective in what goes into the store. When there is so much useless stuff to wade through it discourages one from searching around for the apps that really are useful.

What if David Copperfield decides to sell useless magic apps like whoopie cushion? What if Jerry Seinfeld (who pioneered doing a tv show about nothing) decides to sell an iphone app about nothing?

Well, Seinfeld just signed with Microsoft doing their ads so that chance is slim.

If Jerry Seinfeld makes a iphone app that does nothing except saying the words "yada, yada..." for 99 cents --- a lot of people would buy it. Apple is not going to say no to that kind of easy money. So then it becomes large companies doing useless app is okey, but small developers can't.

 

[kdarling]

Why don't you let people decide ? It's not all about you.

+10

I'm really tired of all the self-centered people around, who constantly state that they don't need or care about something... and therefore it isn't worth doing.

 

[Stella]

I agree with this 100%. It would make the app store look extremely unprofessional indeed.

Doesn't all the useless apps for OSX make Apple like unprofessional?

So much junk out there, yet Apple doesn't care, they are quite willing to report the number of developers and apps at every wwdc conference.

 

[esquire360]

On a side note, the apps that seem to me to be most worth removing from the store are the dozens of repackaged public domain books for sale. They seem rather obviously aimed at tricking the ignorant into paying for things that they could have for free to make money for some lazy sod who doesn't want to actually create anything useful. But maybe that's just me griping.

I agree... what a disaster with those books.


Seriously all the flashlight apps should be pulled, white screen come on...

 

[esquire360]

You want a method to prune the Store of useless apps? Impose a sales threshold. If an app doesn't sell X copies in Y days, it gets removed from the Store. There's a way to remove clutter from the Store that directly reflects the interest the buying public has in an app but does not involve judgments about content.

agree....

 

[spinko]

great

Finally, Apple is filtering out apps of limited quality. That said, it wouldn't be that bad to have some low quality apps if they had some really usefull ones, like proper navigation software to balance the proportion out a little.

Also, most apps even high quality ones will always be crippled as long as they cannot run in the background but that's not the programmers fault.. I hope Apple is working on something to allow apps to do this.

 

[Anuba]

App Store has plenty of apps that are far more useless and uncreative than this one. "Limited utility" is just a BS excuse. The #1 reason they refused this one is that they don't want millions of farting iPhones out there. They don't want people to come up to iPhone users and go "ah, so you've got one of them fart machines".

Personally I'm much more offended by the last name of the Apple employee who sent the refusal letter. "Wang"? Apple has a decency censor named Wang? Priceless.

They should rename the app to "Pull my wang" and submit it again.

 

[ToastErickson]

Some of you are misinterpreting Limited Utility.

When they say Limited utility it isn't because of it not really doing anything. There are plenty of applications that really don't do anything, iPond, the plethora of Beer glass apps for example. However all these "Useless" apps do one thing that this app doesn't, and that is show off the coolness of the iPhone. They either use multi-touch, excellent graphics, or the accelerometer to function. All this does is generate a fart noise when you slide your finger.

Now, if the guy made 3d models of the finger to pull, or if you were able to... well, not really sure what else you could do with it because it is a pretty shallow application, and quite honestly not made very well. Yes it has a "utility" but it is a pretty useless utility and doesn't show off what the iPhone is capable of. If you REALLY need to have a fart generator with your iPhone just put an MP3 of the sound on there and press play.

 

[Bubba Satori]

+10

I'm really tired of all the self-centered people around, who constantly state that they don't need or care about something... and therefore it isn't worth doing.

I don't get it either. There's a lot of stuff I don't need and I don't use that as a reason other people shouldn't have it.

 

[newb16]

Remember please that not everyone here has English as their 1st (or even 2nd) language.

Yep. And not all of them are able do decipher sentences ( produced by native speakers ) like
"Im board i'v scene it already"

 

[sebgreen]

Brilliant Idea

agree....

I think this is a great idea, the app store could self clean itself if an app isnt popular

 

[supmango]

I can understand Apple's decision. If left unmanaged, the app store could easily become overrun with useless apps, and cluttered to the point where finding useful apps becomes tedious. This could affect overall sales, as well as punish the developers who's apps were created with significant amounts of time and resources.

Besides, I think a clear distinction can be made between apps like koi pond and others of "limited utility" like pull-my-finger, whoopee-cushion, and the infamous I Am Rich.

Maybe, but I think the problem of clutter needs to be addressed by user interface; which is Apple's strength. So rejecting an app based on limited utility because of concerns about clutter is not really a good argument. I would also disagree about a clear distinction between pull my finger and koi pond. I have koi pond and it has no utility. If I was inclined to download a pull-my-finger app, it would have more utility than koi pond; if for no other use, at least as a party gag.

 

[Anuba]

When they say Limited utility it isn't because of it not really doing anything. There are plenty of applications that really don't do anything, iPond, the plethora of Beer glass apps for example. However all these "Useless" apps do one thing that this app doesn't, and that is show off the coolness of the iPhone. They either use multi-touch, excellent graphics, or the accelerometer to function. All this does is generate a fart noise when you slide your finger.

And the More Cowbell app shows off what coolness now? It's a static bitmap. Touching it triggers a sound. It's the lowest form of interactivity imaginable.

Pull My Finger works exactly the same way, but has a lot more variation with different sounds, different backgrounds, combo sounds etc. And with Pull My Finger, it's the app itself that does the job of amusing you (if you're 8, physically or mentally). The More Cowbell app is only amusing because it refers to a hilarious SNL sketch. If you don't know about the sketch, the More Cowbell app is reduced to the worst drum machine concept in history.

More Cowbell does absolutely nothing that Pull My Finger doesn't do better. Therefore its uselessness and its failure at showing off the coolness of the iPhone can't have anything to do with it. They just don't want any association whatsoever between flatulence and the iPhone, for fear that prudent christian right-wing extremist hags who run to the confession box and sob uncontrollably every time they've taken a dump, will associate the iPhone with bodily functions invented by the devil.

 

[DaveGee]

*there ---- Seriously people. Go to middle school.

You know I'm usually the first person to jump all over a internet grammar & spelling cop poster.... but I gotta say, maybe I'm getting older but you're 100% dead on...

Wow did I really say that?!?

Anyway to remain semi on topic... I could care less... but Apple **SHOULD** just come right out and say what they REALLY mean...

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your recently submitted application __Pull_My_Finger__. Unfortunately this application has been deemed, in our eyes, tasteless and without merit. If by some random chance I allowed it to be posted Steve Jobs would personally kick my low paid ass completely off the campus and my wife and three children would go homeless and hungry.

So thank you for your application... but no, we can not approve your request at this time.

Sincerely.....

Dave 'old and cranky' Gee

 

[Hooka]

This is the same thing as the fart program. I see no difference.

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=289937056&mt=8

 

[newbieOSX]

I think this is just like those retarded stock photography sites, sometimes you'll get staff that doesn't even look and approves your work. Some other times you get "photographers" declining the whole submission batch just because your work don't fall in their personal design taste.

And then a day later, submitting all these declined work will get accepted because it was reviewed by another staff.

Maybe this is the same with Apple, if the guy just change the app's name, some graphics, resubmit it, maybe he'll get approved since it'll be reviewed by another person; perhaps the same people that approved the useless apps in the store right now.

I don't think they have a firm set of submission quality control; more like the staff's personal decisions weather an app makes it to a store or not.

 

[econoline06]

One developer emailed this video and rejection letter for their app called Pull My Finger. Especially concerning is that Apple did not reject it due to it being offensive, but instead rejected it due to "limited utility":I think this sets a very bad precedent. How useful is Koi Pond [App Store]? (which remains the #1 app in the App Store). A video of the app being demonstrated:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnm-P3Z0ozo

Article Link

Sorry "developer", but your application is extremely juvenile and a waste of space.

 

[SqB]

Sorry "developer", but your application is extremely juvenile and a waste of space.

Wow. Original.

Seriously, I have to read through 13 pages of posts to end on this.

I am personally offended that this app isn't available. This would prove very useful in corporate meetings and conference calls. They should drop the decency angle and start worrying more about quality. I got my iPhone 2 days ago and 1 out of every 3 apps I've tried consistently crashes the thing.

I would actually like to have something like this with buttons for lots of different sounds. Thunder, car horns, flatulence, doorbell, etc. Would be great fun, especially if you could sample in sounds. Could copy in sound of blackberry ringing and screw with all your uncool friends.

 

[kkp]

Pull My Finger

Okay, okay, so "Pull My Finger" is useless. It's also very funny. well-executed, has great sounds and would be a great gag App for Apple customers to gift. I personally know at least 10 people who would instantly buy this App if it weren't too expensive.

 

[captain kaos]

Limited Utility......oh like the really useful "diamond" app for $999, which is pointless. I see Apple is now deciding what is useful or not for us?!

 

[whooleytoo]

Limited Utility......oh like the really useful "diamond" app for $999, which is pointless. I see Apple is now deciding what is useful or not for us?!

Yes, just like "I am Rich", which was also removed.

 

[RetiredInFl]

What does this mean:

"It may be very appropriate to share with friends and family, and we recommend you review the Ad Hoc method on the Distribution tab of the iPhone Developer Portal for details on distributing this application among a small group of people of your choosing."

Does this mean there is a way to install apps that are not available through the "store?"

 

[robbieduncan]

What does this mean:

"It may be very appropriate to share with friends and family, and we recommend you review the Ad Hoc method on the Distribution tab of the iPhone Developer Portal for details on distributing this application among a small group of people of your choosing."

Does this mean there is a way to install apps that are not available through the "store?"

If the developer chooses they can go for Ad-Hoc rather than Store distribution. Ad-Hoc allows you to install your own app on up to 100 devices.

 

[Trajectory]

I think this is just like those retarded stock photography sites, sometimes you'll get staff that doesn't even look and approves your work. Some other times you get "photographers" declining the whole submission batch just because your work don't fall in their personal design taste.

I know this is OT, but, are you referring to iStockphoto by any chance?

 

[dwardin9]

I am for Apple's crackdown on apps. Here's why

Sure there is an app for everyone and why limit imagination. But filling an app for just for the sake of filling the app store defeats the purpose. Games fine. Productivity tools fine. Social Networking fine. Entertainment hmmm. I realize there are plenty of gifted people working on apps and some might find an audience but i believe having an app store should supply a customer with a quality product that can be useful.

The definition of limited utility might vary from person to person. But an app that can not do anything for anybody whatsoever; go ahead apple takedown all you want. Id like to have my time back from browsing through all the rubish that is constantly filling the app store.

/end rant