People are getting mad because the post was an open letter to Apple, not a warning post to other parents here. Apple's already taken care of this issue with parental restrictions on the iPhone/iPod Touch, but these restrictions were not in use.
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Letter To Apple Re: App Store
- Thread starter kriskay
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I do agree with the OP. As a reviewer myself, it's very disrespectful to put in "reviews" that say nothing helpful. I don't think they should be deleted out though. But keep in mind, those comments were probably written by 11 year old's anyway.
If you're worried about what your child sees on the App store why don't you shut it off?
What I would say is that you should take off the App Store (in restrictions in settings) and then if your child would like to download an app you would need to navigate to it on the iTunes store, you can vet the app (and the comments if you really want).. download, and install via sync.
Unfortunately, whether you agree with the nature of the comments or not, you will find profane stuff all over the world and it's very hard to protect your child from it. I wish you luck on getting a reply from Apple, but, it is something that you could probably have avoided by taking action yourself - Whether the iPhone is touted as a gaming platform or not, that does not mean that all games are sunshine, roses and bunnies. Some people find Gorey games fun, some find racing games fun where you can run people over...
Besides, we have no idea when these comments were posted so, you have no idea as to whether Apple could have intervened. It's not impossible nor unreasonable to expect that Apple vet every single comment made before it being published, much like on these forums here.
What I would say is that you should take off the App Store (in restrictions in settings) and then if your child would like to download an app you would need to navigate to it on the iTunes store, you can vet the app (and the comments if you really want).. download, and install via sync.
Unfortunately, whether you agree with the nature of the comments or not, you will find profane stuff all over the world and it's very hard to protect your child from it. I wish you luck on getting a reply from Apple, but, it is something that you could probably have avoided by taking action yourself - Whether the iPhone is touted as a gaming platform or not, that does not mean that all games are sunshine, roses and bunnies. Some people find Gorey games fun, some find racing games fun where you can run people over...
Besides, we have no idea when these comments were posted so, you have no idea as to whether Apple could have intervened. It's not impossible nor unreasonable to expect that Apple vet every single comment made before it being published, much like on these forums here.
The last thing we want to do is come down harsh on our kids and say, ok you cant to this or that.
What we would like to happen is to say to our kids. Ok we know this is safe for you to do and access so please feel free to use and purchase from Apple.
They are a business if they take this onboard and act then great, i'll praise it, it will do them good in the LONG RUN, we own loads of Apple products and we associate them with quality and all aspects of the word quality.
What we would like to happen is to say to our kids. Ok we know this is safe for you to do and access so please feel free to use and purchase from Apple.
They are a business if they take this onboard and act then great, i'll praise it, it will do them good in the LONG RUN, we own loads of Apple products and we associate them with quality and all aspects of the word quality.
Fact is, you can't make everyone happy. As responsible adults, we learn to look past silly comments such as those you are taking screenshots of. Problem with censorship is, where do you stop, where do you draw the boundary?
Why would Holocaust be alarming and censored? Perhaps you should explain that.
You are right, and I do realize that. But in the end what he is asking for is not crazy. I dare anyone writing on this thread to say that they really want reviews that wish cancer on people...
This does not seem like an amendment rights thing but a human decency thing.
And everyone keeps telling him to turn off the appstore. I am sure that by now he has done it. He is just trying to warn others. To tell the truth, I have read comments like that, but it still would never had dawned on me to not let children go on there. He has shown how bad the reviews have gotten, and I am sure he did not spend more than 10 minutes to find the 5 that he found. Imagine the horrible things you could find with the time...
Thats extremely inconsequential.
Im sure if there were reviews which mattered in relation to purchases it would make the service better. Im sure no one wants to read comment after comment like the ones (and lots more) I posted.
To explain to and 11 year old about genocide. You can imagine this may be rather upsetting.
To the person who posted that in the context it was in is a very immature individual
I agree with the OP that some of the reviews aren't helpful in the least.
However, I have an 11 year old and I would never allow him to have cart blanche on the iTunes Store. He has a PAYG phone, so when the money runs out, he has to pay from gift cards from Christmas or until his birthday. He doesn't have access to the iTunes Store.
Again, I agree with your comments about the reviews, but an 11 year old with full access to iTunes Store?
However, I have an 11 year old and I would never allow him to have cart blanche on the iTunes Store. He has a PAYG phone, so when the money runs out, he has to pay from gift cards from Christmas or until his birthday. He doesn't have access to the iTunes Store.
Again, I agree with your comments about the reviews, but an 11 year old with full access to iTunes Store?
Seems to me that sounds like exactly what you are expecting Apple to do, in wanting them to censor reviews.
And maybe kids need to be told they can't do something sometimes. Is that so harsh? I don't think so.
I am big against censorship, and although I understand where you are coming from, I can't agree with where you are going.
It's time to end access to app store for your little boy, and that should end the discussion.
The comment that wishes cancer I think is a bad one. I think that is a line that should not be crossed. Anyone who has known anyone who has had cancer would agree I believe.
And as foe Apple censoring comments. Go to the apple.com forum and say that your new iMac keeps crashing and no one at apple will help. See how long that stays up...
Completely irrelevant seeing as how the attached screenshots show the OP is located in the UK
ROFL!!!
Ok 11 yo boy.
What words are you worried about?
I will never forget the first time my sone dropped the f bomb in the presence of my wife and I, 4th grade.
Before my wife broke out in hysterics, I calmly asked him where in the world did you hear that word.
1. School
2. hockey rink
3. baseball field
4. well of course I am sure I dropped it a few times.
and so on.
Well, 5th grade was his first nude female sketch, and let me tell you it was extremely detailed. he got the picture from the web and decided to draw it.
he was won 2 art awards and has had his work displayed at several galleries
Did I mention his major is graphic media and animation?
A nice letter to Apple is warranted but if you are giving a kid a device that has access to the internet, a parent has to realize they will find whatever it is you don't want them to.
What words are you worried about?
I will never forget the first time my sone dropped the f bomb in the presence of my wife and I, 4th grade.
Before my wife broke out in hysterics, I calmly asked him where in the world did you hear that word.
1. School
2. hockey rink
3. baseball field
4. well of course I am sure I dropped it a few times.
and so on.
Well, 5th grade was his first nude female sketch, and let me tell you it was extremely detailed. he got the picture from the web and decided to draw it.
he was won 2 art awards and has had his work displayed at several galleries
Did I mention his major is graphic media and animation?
A nice letter to Apple is warranted but if you are giving a kid a device that has access to the internet, a parent has to realize they will find whatever it is you don't want them to.
I understand where you are with this. We limited the volume and locked it. We turned Explicit off from iTunes and also blocked Safari and You Tube as he can look at these on the family Mac when we are present.
We were initially quite impressed with the app store as he has various educational apps along with games on his iPod Touch. He loves such apps as google earth and tells us he want to go to these certain places. It's a great platform, so much more than a regular ipod.
What I posted really did get at me though.
Agreed. I personally don't think an 11 year old should have an iPod Touch. That is a $300 device, and I know he didn't pay for it himself. My first ever iPod was a 30GB Video, I was 13 at the time and saved for 2.5 years for $300 to buy it. All I did was put some CDs on there, no videos, nothing bad. With a Touch, regardless of blocking and settings, you can still find things on there. And, IMHO I think if the parents have to block Internet and App Store on the Touch, the child is too young to have it. Heck, I didn't get a cell phone until 16, and I pay the bill every month! So yes, there is inappropriate things on the App Store, Safari and Youtube, but to have a device capable of that at that age, I don't think is good, but again, that is just me.
My quick opinion on the matter:
Either you feel your son's mature enough for an iPod Touch, or you don't.
If you have to lock down everything and turn everything off and yet it's still not 'clean' enough - you clearly don't think your son's mature enough for such a product.
Why not simply buy a Nano and a kid-oriented educational console for the TV, or something?
Either you feel your son's mature enough for an iPod Touch, or you don't.
If you have to lock down everything and turn everything off and yet it's still not 'clean' enough - you clearly don't think your son's mature enough for such a product.
Why not simply buy a Nano and a kid-oriented educational console for the TV, or something?
I think you are probably correct.
Apple most certainly has the right to decide what to allow on it's servers.
But really, it's common knowledge that a fart machine is the biggest seller at the app store. It's not ecactly the encycledpia, or cultural center. The parent made an unwise choice in giving his child access to media he did not approve of.
I think there is a lesson here. It's the parents responisibility , not Apple's.
As Monk say's "i could be wrong..... but i don't think so"....
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