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Apple Responds to Dash Controversy

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Re: Apple Responds to Dash Controversy

#141

So if you want to get your competitor banned from the App store, just post lots of spammy positive reviews for their product? How would you defend your app against such an attack?

It works on Google Play lol. Apple's iTunes accounts on iOS devices are actually pretty cumbersome to use and change quickly.

You just go on fiverr.com and pay someone in Indonesia $5 for the hit.

Re: Apple Responds to Dash Controversy

#142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is indeed the way they do, but you are saying he should've known that, when he had in fact no way of knowing.

It is certainly knowable that the identity on the credit card is part of the verification process and that it must match his own. If the name he entered wasn't his own, the verification would likely have been denied: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6238222?tstart=0 That's why I'm suspicious as to which name he actually entered.

In the U.S., you can add authorized users to your credit cards, and they typically send you new cards that just have a different name, but for which the rest of the information is identical (same number, same CVV code, same expiration).

At least this was the case with the cards issued for authorized users I added to my Citi Double credit card account.

So you could have a single card number with multiple valid names/users.

Re: Apple Responds to Dash Controversy

#143
The amount of power Companies like Apple, Google, Facebook and others have to completely destroy and make businesses, makes me wonder if there should be some internet arbitration court to at least let people present their case to a third party. I get the companies would never want to give up this power and I get that every country has their own court system and laws...

This is more a middle ground, for people caught in the cross hairs to present their case. Maybe like WIPO arbitration for trademark domains.

Re: Apple Responds to Dash Controversy

#144
This whole story just comes off as a bunch of bruised egos too proud to get out of their own way.

They both agree in principle that DASH should be reinstated, and clearly it being reinstated is in both sides best interests.

Why Does Apple NEED an acknowledgment that they didn't do anything wrong? What difference would it make?

Why can't Kapeli just acknowledge that he was associated with a bad actor in Apple's system.

I get the idea of integrity, but I get the idea of self-preservation a little more...Especially when reality is subjective and your perspective might not be the only sincerely held belief.

I will never understand the people too principled to just SAY SORRY even if you believe you are in the right. Are you so principled that you can't even acknowledge the existence of a potential conflicting view point, at least enough to admit you might be wrong, when its clearly in your best interest to just own up, and move on...even if you aren't sincere in your apology!

Edit: I can maybe understand a prisoner refusing to admit to a crime they didn't commit to a parole board despite contrition being a key to getting released...but at some point of serving a life sentence, you have to kick into self preservation mode and just admit to wrongdoing, and spend your free years atoning for your lie.

Re: Apple Responds to Dash Controversy

#145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think I'm much less invested in this than you two but I can say that it would strike me as very unusual to pay for someone else's account with Apple. For example, Mithaldu, if an anonymous outsourcing party rendered you a service, than rather than wire them money or pay via paypal, would you be okay with paying for an apple account with them, with no further relationship, and you don't even know who they are? Proba…

It doesn't strike me as unusual. I've paid for tools and training for relatives and friends. A membership seems no more unusual. [edit: given the down votes, I guess the HN crowd has rich friends or doesn't do mentoring. Sometimes the people you sponsor don't get it right]

Not sure why people are downvoting - they should be commenting if they disagree!

A developer account + some old test devices sounds like a great birthday or christmas present!

Re: Apple Responds to Dash Controversy

#146
post #121
post #61

The Dash developer posted his side of the story including a recorded call with Apple: https://blog.kapeli.com/dash-and-apple-my-side-of-the-story

For the conspiracy minded, HN quickly moved that story off the front page while this Apple press release remains. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12680597

I believe "one front page slot per story" is a matter of general policy.

Re: Apple Responds to Dash Controversy

#147
post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This may be hard to relate to from a First World context, but Kapeli lives in Romania where only 27% of the population owns bank accounts yet alone credit cards.[1] In many parts of the world, financial products are shared by families, even extended families. This does not completely absolve Kapeli, but the bigger problem here is that Kapeli is (was) a top developer on Apple's platform and had oodles of credibility.…

No excuse, sorry, especially since it's not at all clear that he's not lying. I'm not saying he is but it can't be ruled out. Even giving him the benefit of the doubt, if it's true that he did innocently help out a relative and had absolutely no idea what that person was up to, then why not show some contrition and just get the problem resolved? If I bring my cousin with me to a party at a friend's house and he trash…

Why didn't they contact his "primary" account via its registered email address? They shut down two accounts but only contacted the first. The analogy would be better as I'm invited to a party and I bring my cousin. I leave after an hour. My cousin causes a bunch of damage to the host's place after I leave. Then two years later the host comes to my place of business and burns it to the ground and says I should've listened to the demands they made to my cousin over the last two years.

Re: Apple Responds to Dash Controversy

#148
The guy has already admitted that the fraudulent account is from his "relative" who uses the same credit card and same test devices. It seems like Apple gave him a lot of leeway due him actually making a good app and being public.

While I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt, the overwhelming most likely case is he was doing exactly what Apple thought he was doing. At the very least, he should take some responsibility for the fact he's paying for someones account who is actively trying to harm his competitors.

Apple probably could've avoided a lot of this mess by not overtly banning his account, but doing the except opposite of what his manipulations intended and make the app almost impossible to find.

Re: Apple Responds to Dash Controversy

#149

This whole story just comes off as a bunch of bruised egos too proud to get out of their own way. They both agree in principle that DASH should be reinstated, and clearly it being reinstated is in both sides best interests. Why Does Apple NEED an acknowledgment that they didn't do anything wrong? What difference would it make? Why can't Kapeli just acknowledge that he was associated with a bad actor in Apple's system…

> Why Does Apple NEED an acknowledgment that they didn't do anything wrong? What difference would it make?

I get what you're saying, but if Apples gets hammered with bad publicity every time their anti-fraud team does the right thing, they're going to stop doing the right thing.

Especially as this case is going to be cited for years to come, it's important apple has something to point to and say: "We didn't just arbitrarily ban the account, it was involved in manipulating our reviews"

Re: Apple Responds to Dash Controversy

#150

So if you want to get your competitor banned from the App store, just post lots of spammy positive reviews for their product? How would you defend your app against such an attack?

I think apple is pretty savvy to this sort of attack. They only banned him after there were thousands of fake reviews (supporting his app, and harming others) AND an account that was tied to his (same device ids and credit card) was involved.

I think apple acted pretty responsibly here.

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