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Google bans my events app for referencing Covid-19, or related terms

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Google bans my events app for referencing Covid-19, or related terms

#141

Post by macintux »

rsj_hn wrote: post #117
Sargos wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really. The only other option is to limit your service to only desktop PCs/websites which is not super helpful to normal people that just use their phones for everything. Google has a monopoly on phone apps. If they don't like your app then you pretty much don't exist. You don't have many options.

"Normal people" do not just use their phones for everything. Normal people use their phones for getting around and they stare at the screen when they are bored, for example waiting for a bus or waiting in line. When they want to do real work or real play they don't do it on their phone, they need a larger form factor with more power, a bigger screen, and better input technology, whether that is a laptop/desktop or ga…

> When they want to do real work or real play they don't do it on their phone, they need a larger form factor with more power, a bigger screen, and better input technology, whether that is a laptop/desktop or game console.

That’s clearly not true. For a large portion of the world, the smartphone is their only computing device.

There are about 6 billion smartphones in use. Last I heard, the desktop/laptop install base was around 1 billion, but that’s a fuzzy memory.

Re: Google bans my events app for referencing Covid-19, or related terms

#142

Post by zepto »

jedberg wrote: post #139
zepto wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Power users can use Android. The problem with side loading us social engineering attacks. Imagine how many iPhone users could be persuaded to sideload ‘corona 5g bioshield app detunes the software radio in your phone away from the harmful frequencies the NWO is trying to expose us to’.

> Power users can use Android. I've tried Android, I don't like it. Apple has put a lot more thought into their UX. Also the Apple hardware is better. Telling someone to use Android because they want control of their iPhone is a ridiculous argument because they aren't substitutes for each other. > The problem with side loading us social engineering attacks. Exactly, which is why I said to make it hard to side load. R…

Android has an enormous malware problem with million node botnets etc.

Exploiters don’t need to leverage side loading because the platform and store are insecure enough as it is.

As to making it into a huge pain to sideload, what you want is already available. You can install whatever you like by downloading XCode.

Re: Google bans my events app for referencing Covid-19, or related terms

#144

Post by kube-system »

jedberg wrote: post #139
zepto wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Power users can use Android. The problem with side loading us social engineering attacks. Imagine how many iPhone users could be persuaded to sideload ‘corona 5g bioshield app detunes the software radio in your phone away from the harmful frequencies the NWO is trying to expose us to’.

> Power users can use Android. I've tried Android, I don't like it. Apple has put a lot more thought into their UX. Also the Apple hardware is better. Telling someone to use Android because they want control of their iPhone is a ridiculous argument because they aren't substitutes for each other. > The problem with side loading us social engineering attacks. Exactly, which is why I said to make it hard to side load. R…

> Require you to run an app on a Mac laptop and write some code to make it work. Make it so that there are so many steps that only the most dedicated are interested. But just make it possible.

Can't you do exactly that with xcode?

Re: Google bans my events app for referencing Covid-19, or related terms

#145

Post by jedberg »

zepto wrote: post #142
jedberg wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Power users can use Android. I've tried Android, I don't like it. Apple has put a lot more thought into their UX. Also the Apple hardware is better. Telling someone to use Android because they want control of their iPhone is a ridiculous argument because they aren't substitutes for each other. > The problem with side loading us social engineering attacks. Exactly, which is why I said to make it hard to side load. R…

Android has an enormous malware problem with million node botnets etc. Exploiters don’t need to leverage side loading because the platform and store are insecure enough as it is. As to making it into a huge pain to sideload, what you want is already available. You can install whatever you like by downloading XCode.

> You can install whatever you like by downloading XCode.

Only if the source is available. Or the creator is under their 100 user limit.

Re: Google bans my events app for referencing Covid-19, or related terms

#146

Post by jedberg »

kube-system wrote: post #144
jedberg wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Power users can use Android. I've tried Android, I don't like it. Apple has put a lot more thought into their UX. Also the Apple hardware is better. Telling someone to use Android because they want control of their iPhone is a ridiculous argument because they aren't substitutes for each other. > The problem with side loading us social engineering attacks. Exactly, which is why I said to make it hard to side load. R…

> Require you to run an app on a Mac laptop and write some code to make it work. Make it so that there are so many steps that only the most dedicated are interested. But just make it possible. Can't you do exactly that with xcode?

> Can't you do exactly that with xcode?

Only if the source is available. Or the creator is under their 100 user limit.

There is no way for someone to make an iPhone app and put it up online and let anyone who wants to download it and install it.

Re: Google bans my events app for referencing Covid-19, or related terms

#147

Post by RealStickman_ »

phh wrote: post #55
leppr wrote: post #8

I've long wished there was a more encompassing alternative to F-Droid, which would include the same payment facilities as Google Play (paid app, in-app payments, subscriptions), allow proprietary apps (but still give FOSS as a search filter and show it as a prominent feature on the app page), and offer plenty of user curation features ala Steam and make filters optional (which would allow communities of independent r…

Nowadays there is Aurora Droid that solves the curation question: Aurora Droid supports F-Droid-like repo s , you can have multiple selected, and they may include proprietary applications. All usual issues with Android's security getting in the way still applies though. Overall Aurora Droid is still miles away from a "proper" store, because there is no payment, there is no user feedback (so apps are still ordered by…

Another F-Droid based store app is G-Droid. It is possible to write comments and apps are rated with a mix of user ratings, update intervals and github ratings.

Re: Google bans my events app for referencing Covid-19, or related terms

#148

Post by awa »

freehunter wrote: post #76
koheripbal wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can someone remind me why there is an "app store" that is run by the phone OS maker? Aside from the anti-trust/monopoly type issue, should there be a more market healthy de-coupling between the place I buy my apps and the OS maker? Monopolies are almost always bad for consumers. I kind of chuckle when I think about how Microsoft had such a huge battle over IE being integrated into Windows, and now we sort of accept a…

The "why" is because the creator of the OS can lock down the system to only allow apps from their own marketplace. The "why is this not being discussed as an anti-trust violation like Microsoft was hit with" is because the US government of the last 10-15 years doesn't have the same viewpoints on anti-trust that they did 20+ years ago.

The why is because, without a lock down app store windows machines were known to be an easy target for viruses, malwares and fake software. Advanced users can still jailbreak and install other apps.

Unfortunately, the vetting process has issues and I think even though the quality will improve over time due to more/better usage of ML/AI techniques but that will make the process more opaque.

Re: Google bans my events app for referencing Covid-19, or related terms

#149

Post by zepto »

jedberg wrote: post #146
kube-system wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Require you to run an app on a Mac laptop and write some code to make it work. Make it so that there are so many steps that only the most dedicated are interested. But just make it possible. Can't you do exactly that with xcode?

> Can't you do exactly that with xcode? Only if the source is available. Or the creator is under their 100 user limit. There is no way for someone to make an iPhone app and put it up online and let anyone who wants to download it and install it.

Ok - but that’s not what you said. We’ve agreed that would lead to the problems already outlined.

Re: Google bans my events app for referencing Covid-19, or related terms

#150

Post by zepto »

jedberg wrote: post #145
zepto wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Android has an enormous malware problem with million node botnets etc. Exploiters don’t need to leverage side loading because the platform and store are insecure enough as it is. As to making it into a huge pain to sideload, what you want is already available. You can install whatever you like by downloading XCode.

> You can install whatever you like by downloading XCode. Only if the source is available. Or the creator is under their 100 user limit.

See my other answer: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23227769
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