iPad beta iOS discussions

[flopticalcube]

There seems to be lots of discussions in the iPad forum about the 4.2 beta and how to get it and/or requests for same. This appears to me as a pirating issue but I have noticed these threads are left untouched. Is there a mod policy regarding this as different or are instructions or requests for this still considered against the rules and should be reported?

 

[Hellhammer]

Are people posting links to torrent sites (few examples would be nice)? When iOS 4 beta came, there were a lot threads in iPhone forums and they remained untouched IIRC. From my experience, mods don't edit/delete unless there are links, but that's just what I've experienced.

I'm interested about this too. Maybe a mod can specify the piracy rules little more closely as I sometimes go in the grey area

 

[flopticalcube]

No links but there are requests for devs to ad the requestors udid to their account to obtain the beta illegally.

 

[Peace]

This is kind of a gray area so I'd suggest folks keep sending in reports so Admins can make a determination on this subject.

 

[PhelpsiPhan]

This is kind of a gray area so I'd suggest folks keep sending in reports so Admins can make a determination on this subject.

This is definatley what we should do

 

[maflynn]

I see no difference in the iPad iOS discussions, then the iPhone iOS beta discussions.

Back when iOS 4.0 was in beta, everyone and their brother had a copy and it was highly doubtful they were all developers. If the mods let that run wild in the preceding months, I see no reason why they should or would clamp down on the iPad iOS beta discussions.

 

[flopticalcube]

I see no difference in the iPad iOS discussions, then the iPhone iOS beta discussions.

Back when iOS 4.0 was in beta, everyone and their brother had a copy and it was highly doubtful they were all developers. If the mods let that run wild in the preceding months, I see no reason why they should or would clamp down on the iPad iOS beta discussions.

Since I don't own an iPhone I ignore the iPhone forums so I thankfully didn't get to see any of that. I agree that some sort of standard approach is best.

Regarding the latest beta, it's a little annoying that people who are obviously not developers keep posting questions and problems onto the forums. Perhaps there should be a forum for beta software discussions or move such threads to the hacks forum. It would also provide some sort of containment to monitor for piracy requests and other "unsavory" activity.

 

[tropic10]

I see no difference in the iPad iOS discussions, then the iPhone iOS beta discussions.

Back when iOS 4.0 was in beta, everyone and their brother had a copy and it was highly doubtful they were all developers. If the mods let that run wild in the preceding months, I see no reason why they should or would clamp down on the iPad iOS beta discussions.

Why do they all have to be developers? Putting aside the iOS distribution issues, aren't the 100 devices that each developer can add to their account legitimate users?

 

[grapes911]

Why do they all have to be developers? Putting aside the iOS distribution issues, aren't the 100 devices that each developer can add to their account legitimate users?

For this post I'm speaking as a developer, not a moderator. Apple makes it very clear to developers what devices you can register and use for betas and even how those devices can be used. Any device you register that does not follow their guidelines is a breach of contract. Registering the UCID of a non-developer is against the contract.

 

[hsotnicam8002]

Registering the UCID of a non-developer is against the contract.

So how would you define an app beta tester?

 

[grapes911]

So how would you define an app beta tester?

I'm going from memory here so I could be off, but I think Apple defines them as employees, contractors, and staff. Each person needs an active Apple developer account, and each needs a written contract with the primary developer to not disclose any information. And their sole purpose needs to be developing and testing applications. There probably are more terms, but I think these are the basic ones.

 

[chrono1081]

One problem I can see with this (and one reason why Apple puts an NDA on the iOS Betas) is some people will come into the forums and say things like "App blah blah doesn't work in iOS 4.2" and potentially hurt sales of that app, when in reality the developer is working on a fix for iOS 4.2.

 

[hsotnicam8002]

One problem I can see with this (and one reason why Apple puts an NDA on the iOS Betas) is some people will come into the forums and say things like "App blah blah doesn't work in iOS 4.2" and potentially hurt sales of that app, when in reality the developer is working on a fix for iOS 4.2.

That's a good point. A very important one actually.

 

[hsotnicam8002]

I'm going from memory here so I could be off, but I think Apple defines them as employees, contractors, and staff. Each person needs an active Apple developer account, and each needs a written contract with the primary developer to not disclose any information. And their sole purpose needs to be developing and testing applications. There probably are more terms, but I think these are the basic ones.

That's interesting. I'm surprised though that developers can independently select and utilise beta testers. It might have been more typical of Apple if they (Apple) had to approve the beta testers. I suppose the workload would delay the proceedings and the cost might be too high. So in the end it seems as though the (Apple generated) contract between the developer and the beta tester contains all of the relevant restrictions. So in the discussion above (some, many, most?) people will be circumventing or breaking the developer contract, possibly without even realising it. Uhm...