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GitHub Should Start an App Store

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Re: GitHub Should Start an App Store

#311

Post by rmsaksida »

warrenm wrote: post #309
rmsaksida wrote: post #81

I think what's more important is somehow getting Apple to allow alternative app stores in their phones. While Android phones are the most popular in many (most?) countries, iPhones are still very common and make it so solutions in one distribution platform don't extend to all phone users. Once a competitor is able to operate in both Android and iOS, I think we will see a real threat to official app stores, whether it…

Like it or not, pretty much the whole reason Apple only has The One True App Store™ is to ensure at least some amount of review of QA is done before unleashing apps on its customers. Does that get abused? Arguably - yes. Is it overall a good trade-off? Depends on your use case. Want "full" control of your whole mobile device? Get a Pine phone or rooted Android, etc What any app you download to be highly-likely to be…

I disagree.

Technically, Android doesn't have a One True App Store. But in practice, Google Play is the standard app store and 99% of users use it exclusively, at least in the West. It is in fact the one true app store for Android.

So Google does in fact control the Android app store (the one that counts, anyway). The reason why Google Play has so many shitty apps is because Google simply doesn't care about curation in the same way Apple does. That's true for every Google product, by the way. They strongly favor algorithmic curation, while Apple also relies heavily on human curation.

If Apple allowed alternative app stores, nothing would change as far as the standard iOS app store is concerned. 99,99% of users would keep using the Apple app store unless there was a very compelling reason for using an alternative.

Re: GitHub Should Start an App Store

#312

Post by GlennS »

esperent wrote: post #281
GlennS wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I agree. Sorting huge, multinational, publicly traded companies in friends and enemies list is so obviously bogus and immature that it baffles me that this is so prevalent. If that's true, then why do brands exist? For most companies, the best way to drive profit is to build a long term relationship of trust with their customers and suppliers. Edit: this doesn't mean I'm ready to join the Microsoft/Apple/Google/Fac…

> I can see that some companies regularly behave better than others, and I'm happy to act on that reputation This is a bogus line of thinking. For example, Apple have a very strong stance on privacy compared to FB and Google. Does this mean they are more moral or trustworthy when it comes to privacy, or that you should trust them to remain focussed on privacy in the future? Not at all! Their focus on privacy is a sma…

Extending your line of reasoning, that would imply not just that we shouldn't fall in love with Apple, but additionally that we shouldn't avoid companies with bad reputations. Which seems bonkers to me?

Taking my Oracle example, I'm definitely never going to recommend my company adopts Oracle. Given their historical behaviour, it's just too much risk!

This position that all companies are equally amoral seems 1. blind to reality and 2. to be throwing away useful information.

The likely actions of a company are embedded in their culture, their structure, the people who choose to work there, and the personalities of their leadership. That can all change, but you have the ability to observe that change and punish companies which violate your trust.

Re: GitHub Should Start an App Store

#313

Post by acct776 »

Closi wrote: post #132
throwaway3699 wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These are all artificial problems created by Apple, though. The first three are all doable on Android PWAs, and you can do everything with a TWA in the Play Store.

I don’t disagree, although I think these reasons do mean that it’s far too early to say “App stores are dying” as in the post I was replying to - at least in Apple’s case they are still central, and even seem to be becoming more core with deeper integration into MacOS. Also, in this context, a TWA isn’t useful as the post is about avoiding an App Store / central control using PWA.

Apple's case, until the users revolt hard enough/some killer webapp on Android doesn't work the same on iOS.

Re: GitHub Should Start an App Store

#315

Post by 0df8dkdf »

jhasse wrote: post #13
0df8dkdf wrote: post #3

Hmmm the main issue is not an App Store. It is rather how Android is packaged. There is F-Droid type of store out there, it is just that it is not in the play store. As for iOS there really no proper way to install except jailbreaking any way. The bottom we don't need another App Store, rather a FOSS distribution of OS for Android (e.g: https://www.replicant.us/about.php ) that kind like the Debian distro for desktop…

Darwin is only the kernel. iOS is closed-source.

For sure, the same way Linux is only the kernel. If you ask Stallman, he will say GNU/Linux. ;-)

Re: GitHub Should Start an App Store

#316

Post by acct776 »

rovr138 wrote: post #158
acct776 wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In contrast, I was surprised with how "quickly" it was resolved, compared to my expectation. MS is beholden to US.gov through contract cash and unspoken agreements - those ties are lessening, but are still pretty deep.

It wasn't an issue with the US government.

If it has to do with copyright in the US, the bureaucrats are always involved.

Re: GitHub Should Start an App Store

#317

Post by efreak »

Phemist wrote: post #277
bruce511 wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I agree. To fail to register as the default program for all the extensions you support, ideally optionally, is surely the fault of the installer not the os? There are perhaps better anecdotes for reasons to dislike windows...

Im not sure if libreoffice is fully to blame, I don't think it is possible for applications to _change_ the default app directly themselves, they now need to link to the windows settings screen to have the user manually do it. It is a fair point that libreoffice currently fails to do even this.

These are still registry entries and are still located in the same part of the registry and still with the same way. This hasn't changed. What's changed is registering applications to show up for the new UI is a huge pain requiring multiple registry keys, however simply setting the opening application for a given filetype/protocol is quite easy: either open a .reg file with reg.exe (pops up a code window) or regedit,exe (pops up a prompt), or add the entry programmatically (silent).

Personally, I'm still annoyed that removed the File Types settings in Windows 7(?), though some of them have made their way back with the new settings.

Re: GitHub Should Start an App Store

#318

Post by jhasse »

0df8dkdf wrote: post #315
jhasse wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Darwin is only the kernel. iOS is closed-source.

For sure, the same way Linux is only the kernel. If you ask Stallman, he will say GNU/Linux. ;-)

yeah, so? Android's user-space is still mostly open-source. What's open-source of iOS is basically useless for developing an alternative OS for iPhones.

Re: GitHub Should Start an App Store

#319

Post by pankajdoharey »

warrenm wrote: post #294
pankajdoharey wrote: post #289

I think instead of Depending on Microsoft, there should be a Decentralised App Store, Github too from time to time has blocked many repos. Just in 2019 they banned Developers from Iran and Syria. One cant depend on Corporations to protect our freedom. If you wanna do it right do it yourself.

>there should be a Decentralised App Store You mean like downloading a tarball and compiling it yourself? Yeah - that is totally a Good Idea™

Why does it need to be a tarball? Why cant it be like Brew, Apt or RPM ?
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