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Amazon has no idea how to run an app store

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Re: Amazon has no idea how to run an app store

#31

Post by SixSigma »

nailer wrote: post #19
astazangasta wrote: post #11

The 'app store' is the adulterated form of the Linux package repository. No shock that when you remove community management, accountability, openness, verifiability and add in monetization things get shittier.

I think that's how app stores began - do you remember 'Click N Run' in 2002? http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q41/mp3tunes/cnr-linspire...

The NeXT Computer and the NeXTSTEP operating system was the platform used for creating the first App Store, originally demonstrated to Steve Jobs in 1993.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeXT

Re: Amazon has no idea how to run an app store

#32

Post by eli »

lkrubner wrote: post #3

This is perhaps the key bit of silliness: "And this is where we run into the first bit of craziness. Amazon decided that they should model the Alexa app store after the iPhone app store. So there is a certification process to get your app into the store. But think about the difference: you are not uploading a binary file to the Alexa app store, you are simply registering an URL. So Amazon has no real control over you…

You are assuming that the only purpose of certification is to catch actively malicious developers. I can think of many other perfectly good reasons to have one: to make sure server response times are fast enough, to make sure it fits the guidelines for types of content they want in their ecosystem, to make sure it doesn't blatantly violate any trademarks, etc.

I don't think the concept of a certification process is the problem, just the implementation is terrible (compared to the Apple process which is merely "poor")

Re: Amazon has no idea how to run an app store

#33

Post by golergka »

dgemm wrote: post #22
School-Cotton wrote: post #13

It's really remarkable how much Amazon's reputation has been self-destructing in the last year or so. Even 6 months ago when I told people I thought Amazon was an all-around shitty company (having worked there) and shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as Google, FB, etc., people looked at me like I was insane. Somehow the stock keeps going up... I don't have any material insider info but just on a hunch I doubt…

Almost like stock price and reputation among tech people are somehow completely unrelated.

Oh, they are related. It's just this relationship is rather slow — but in the end, it catches up.

Re: Amazon has no idea how to run an app store

#34

Post by dperfect »

inflagranti wrote: post #28
dperfect wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon has just as much reason as Apple (or any platform provider) to want to restrict the types of apps that get published. As for the effectiveness of that control, there's little practical difference between "simply registering an URL" and uploading a binary; both can load external content or be modified (in terms of what the user actually sees/experiences) almost entirely after the initial review. There will alwa…

There's a huge difference. An URL is an absolute black box, a binary that you have to give Apple for certification on each change and that has to call Apple APIs to do anything useful (like network) is not. Apple will scan your App to check for basic violations, that's all automated. For instance is there a specific flag that you can initialize a socket with to listen in background. This is only allowed if your app i…

It sounds like you're assuming the majority of (iOS) App Store rejections deal with using unofficial/restricted APIs. My guess is that's relatively rare.

Most of the apps caught in the review process are probably those that fail other guidelines (usefulness, privacy concerns, illegal/inappropriate content, poor UX/quality, excessive crashing, etc). Most of those things can't be caught by automated means, and the content-related things can certainly be changed after initial review.

I've personally worked on several apps that significantly modify app behavior after being published - not so much to bypass any review requirements, but rather to adapt to changing business needs without waiting to publish a new release.

Re: Amazon has no idea how to run an app store

#35

Post by scottu »

Other than the operational issues, like not have a good way to contact amazon, this reminds me of a 900-number system we ran at MCI.

When you registered for a 900-number, you had to submit a script along with it. MCI would try to limit the possibility that you'd use it for some nefarious purpose, all CYA. They had a team (probably one person) that audited the numbers periodically. That didn't stop people re-using the numbers for bogus financial services and adult things.

Re: Amazon has no idea how to run an app store

#37

Post by jc4p »

eli wrote: post #32
lkrubner wrote: post #3

This is perhaps the key bit of silliness: "And this is where we run into the first bit of craziness. Amazon decided that they should model the Alexa app store after the iPhone app store. So there is a certification process to get your app into the store. But think about the difference: you are not uploading a binary file to the Alexa app store, you are simply registering an URL. So Amazon has no real control over you…

You are assuming that the only purpose of certification is to catch actively malicious developers. I can think of many other perfectly good reasons to have one: to make sure server response times are fast enough, to make sure it fits the guidelines for types of content they want in their ecosystem, to make sure it doesn't blatantly violate any trademarks, etc. I don't think the concept of a certification process is t…

You're definitely right that we don't actually know what checks they're prioritizing, but it's hard for me to believe they're actually doing any quality checking when this is the #1 skill you see in the app: http://i.imgur.com/Qp4Cv6k.png

Re: Amazon has no idea how to run an app store

#38

Post by vonklaus »

Maybe they should add support for the certification process. They could price this in nano-seconds using utc time based on the region of the developer (except u.s east virginia). If you are rejected you could get max-support integration (4 pico dollars a parsec) to resubmit.

Overall, amazon's coherent pricing strategy and simplicity make it a pleasure to work with

Re: Amazon has no idea how to run an app store

#39

Post by SilasX »

eli wrote: post #32
lkrubner wrote: post #3

This is perhaps the key bit of silliness: "And this is where we run into the first bit of craziness. Amazon decided that they should model the Alexa app store after the iPhone app store. So there is a certification process to get your app into the store. But think about the difference: you are not uploading a binary file to the Alexa app store, you are simply registering an URL. So Amazon has no real control over you…

You are assuming that the only purpose of certification is to catch actively malicious developers. I can think of many other perfectly good reasons to have one: to make sure server response times are fast enough, to make sure it fits the guidelines for types of content they want in their ecosystem, to make sure it doesn't blatantly violate any trademarks, etc. I don't think the concept of a certification process is t…

But that doesn't refute the parent's point: since the content at a URL is inherently mutable, they could judge that (at time of submission) some app is the type of content they want in their ecosystem, and then seconds after approval, it no longer is.

Re: Amazon has no idea how to run an app store

#40

Post by rdtsc »

Or Amazon video on Android device I have -- in order to have play prime videos it told me to disable app source checking and side-load some .apk file, which will then help me get the Amazon video apk file... or something.

Yeah forget that. At first I thought it was a joke of some sort. But I guess that's how you are supposed to do it.

I'll just stick to Netflix and watch videos there. Somehow that manages to work without side-loading a bunch of crap.

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