Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

lists.zx2c4.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

151–160 of 579 posts

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#151

Post by VMG »

blauditore wrote: post #139
zimbatm wrote: post #127

The problem of donation links from Google's perspective is that they are not getting their 30% cut. You might think that this is unfair, but the app is using their distribution platform. It's possible to make open source applications and still ask for payment on Google Play, either as the asking price, subscription or by adding in-app payments for donations. This is the right way to do it, and will probably also have…

Donations through the Play store's payment platform are prohibited, since all purchases need to give an additional value in return. The only reliable way to get donations in a compliant way is by linking to a website from the app and have a donation button there.

how long until that is prohibited though..

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#153

Post by szczepano »

Santosh83 wrote: post #86

A general comment: the need of the hour is to educate the billions of 'ordinary' computer users about the basics of software, privacy, security and trust. We must not fall into the narrative being parroted around off-late that considers end-users as pretty much dumb content consumers who should not be expected to ever know even the minimum about the underlying tech and therefore every decision needs to be made for th…

In my opinion it's not the problem of software but the problem of hardware. You can more easily write software then produce phone hardware. From consumer perspective it's quite easy to make custom computer and use custom os on it cause most of drivers are open and you can see there are plenty of computer operating systems in the world, on the other hand most of phones hardware and os is proprietary what was not an issue when we were using it for calling not using it as alternative to traditional computer. So first we need to define what is broken, from my perspective broken is phone hardware.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#154

Post by Spivak »

black_puppydog wrote: post #140
zimbatm wrote: post #127

The problem of donation links from Google's perspective is that they are not getting their 30% cut. You might think that this is unfair, but the app is using their distribution platform. It's possible to make open source applications and still ask for payment on Google Play, either as the asking price, subscription or by adding in-app payments for donations. This is the right way to do it, and will probably also have…

I can even go along your last point. But it's a different argument to say "going through google is more efficient" or to say "you can't not go through google". Frankly, they're using their market dominant position to force free developers into a distribution model that serves them as the payment processor. I'd not go so far as to argue those are separate businesses, but it's really a blatant abuse of their power. Arg…

Why is it an abuse of their power? Google and Apple are essentially saying that if you use their store as a sales funnel then they take a 30% cut, and they enforce that by being the sole payment processor on the store.

Basically Google and Apple both know that people will make more money by listing in their stores and taking a 30% cut than not listing at all.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#155

Post by Spivak »

acollins1331 wrote: post #89
sniuff wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Open source app can be compiled and installed without Google play store. If you are hosting on their platform, you adhere to their rules, you are not paying monthly for your free app download bandwith and storage do you ?

Wow great point. Now why the hell can't they have a donation link?

Because you can't use Google's store as a sales funnel without giving them a 30% cut. It doesn't matter if you're a company taking payments or an individual accepting donations.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#156

Post by mirages »

dessant wrote: post #8

It's unfortunate that the developer resubmitted the app without the donation link, open source projects having a donation link in their apps does not violate Google Play policies. > Here are some examples of products not currently supported by Google Play In-app Billing: > One time-payments, including peer-to-peer payments, online auctions, and donations. https://play.google.com/about/monetization-ads/

Can someone explains me why PayPal's app is then allowed per this policy ?

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#157

Post by pjc50 »

dictum wrote: post #110
lm28469 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> that considers end-users as pretty much dumb content consumers who should not be expected to ever know even the minimum about the underlying tech and therefore every decision needs to be made for them by a small minority of corporations, govts, and the tech elite acting as gatekeepers and overseers. That's what we do in every other domains, what's the difference here ?

We can act more effectively in the domains in which we are most authoritative, knowledgeable and able to effect change.

Right. That means you have to pick which domains those are. Picking some to learn about means not picking others, because there's an infinity of domains. Forcing everyone to become a security expert to survive limits all their other options.

I know people are going to quote Heinlein here, but civilisation exists so that not everybody has to be a specialist in everything.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#158

Post by dangerface »

lm28469 wrote: post #101
Santosh83 wrote: post #86

A general comment: the need of the hour is to educate the billions of 'ordinary' computer users about the basics of software, privacy, security and trust. We must not fall into the narrative being parroted around off-late that considers end-users as pretty much dumb content consumers who should not be expected to ever know even the minimum about the underlying tech and therefore every decision needs to be made for th…

> that considers end-users as pretty much dumb content consumers who should not be expected to ever know even the minimum about the underlying tech and therefore every decision needs to be made for them by a small minority of corporations, govts, and the tech elite acting as gatekeepers and overseers. That's what we do in every other domains, what's the difference here ?

The domain is information not technology.

We need to drop the attitude that technology is a new scary thing it's not. Technology is an extension of our selves we have been using it for thousands of years to expand our ability.

Pen and paper was the old technology if you don't know how to use it you are illiterate, if you don't know how to use the new technology you are still just illiterate.

The baby boomer attitude of "I can't be arsed to improve as a person so every one else has to dumb it down for me" is unacceptable.

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#159

Post by gowthamgts12 »

zimbatm wrote: post #127

The problem of donation links from Google's perspective is that they are not getting their 30% cut. You might think that this is unfair, but the app is using their distribution platform. It's possible to make open source applications and still ask for payment on Google Play, either as the asking price, subscription or by adding in-app payments for donations. This is the right way to do it, and will probably also have…

Going by your point, shouldn't Amazon be blocked since they are collecting the payment info and charging without any interference from Google? How are donation links being considered to be in violation? Just wondering!

Re: Open-source apps removed from Google Play Store due to donation links

#160

Post by elldoubleyew »

mirages wrote: post #156
dessant wrote: post #8

It's unfortunate that the developer resubmitted the app without the donation link, open source projects having a donation link in their apps does not violate Google Play policies. > Here are some examples of products not currently supported by Google Play In-app Billing: > One time-payments, including peer-to-peer payments, online auctions, and donations. https://play.google.com/about/monetization-ads/

Can someone explains me why PayPal's app is then allowed per this policy ?

Because you can't add funds to your PayPal account through Google Play billing. It has its own billing platform.
Post reply on HN