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Google closes Android developer complaint forums

theregister.co.uk

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Re: Google closes Android developer complaint forums

#3

Post by mcherm »

jewishprofit wrote: post #2

This would be a good time to remind everyone that Sergey Brin was born in Russia during Soviet rule.

Here we are trying to keep the level of discourse at Hacker News from descending to that of Reddit and you have to go and bring it down to the level of Slashdot.

(My apologies for feeding the troll.)

Re: Google closes Android developer complaint forums

#6

Post by drivebyacct2 »

shaggyfrog wrote: post #5

Another "open" move for Android.

Did you read the article? My understanding from devs that I follow is that the current feedback system is pretty awful. If they're going to focus on better ways of fostering dev/Market support, that seems like a good thing.

(I'm downvoted for saying the same thing the top comment did, before that comment existed? OK? Cool story guys, it's not like the article implies a change in how Google handles these issues in an attempt to handle them better.)

Re: Google closes Android developer complaint forums

#7

Post by shaggyfrog »

drivebyacct2 wrote: post #6
shaggyfrog wrote: post #5

Another "open" move for Android.

Did you read the article? My understanding from devs that I follow is that the current feedback system is pretty awful. If they're going to focus on better ways of fostering dev/Market support, that seems like a good thing. (I'm downvoted for saying the same thing the top comment did, before that comment existed? OK? Cool story guys, it's not like the article implies a change in how Google handles these issues in an…

Of course I read the article. The point is that Google seems to love throwing around the "open" and "closed" buzzwords, irrespective of how much hypocrisy they engage in on a regular basis.

Re: Google closes Android developer complaint forums

#8

Post by jen_h »

If this means that developer issues are going to be reviewed, responded to, and addressed by a real human being, and real public communication (maybe through the Dev Console, eh?) will be exchanged between Google and developers when issues arise, this is a very good thing - for both developers and Google. Reading these long, terrible, ranty threads that rarely contain any comment from Google is demoralizing and depressing for everyone involved.

If this means the Marketplace forums are closed and nothing else changes, this is terrible. Though maybe there's some silver lining there...one less place to post a "Hey, Google, PLEASE look at this! Please, please, pretty please!! Hey, guys! Hey, guys!" would probably save us all at least a few minutes of time. ;)

Re: Google closes Android developer complaint forums

#9

Post by dpcan »

drivebyacct2 wrote: post #6
shaggyfrog wrote: post #5

Another "open" move for Android.

Did you read the article? My understanding from devs that I follow is that the current feedback system is pretty awful. If they're going to focus on better ways of fostering dev/Market support, that seems like a good thing. (I'm downvoted for saying the same thing the top comment did, before that comment existed? OK? Cool story guys, it's not like the article implies a change in how Google handles these issues in an…

There was nothing in the forum post from Google about "improving" anything. They directed us to contact forms that always existed. Just TRY using those contact forms.

I haven't tried today, but when I used them in the past, the first thing I received was a canned response that had nothing to do with the problem.

I would reply saying that this canned response didn't help and to please actually read my question.

About a week later, and this has happened to me over and over again, I would get another response saying they recently changed things in the Android Market that should have solved my problem.

Uhm, changed what? Did you read my question? Are you a robot?

It's infuriating. If this is all we have now, I won't email either. I already have copies of the responses they send back.

Re: Google closes Android developer complaint forums

#10

Post by dpcan »

jen_h wrote: post #8

If this means that developer issues are going to be reviewed, responded to, and addressed by a real human being, and real public communication (maybe through the Dev Console, eh?) will be exchanged between Google and developers when issues arise, this is a very good thing - for both developers and Google. Reading these long, terrible, ranty threads that rarely contain any comment from Google is demoralizing and depre…

I didn't see anything in that forum post from Google about improving or adding anything. I just saw a link to the already awful contact form and a message basically telling me to stay out.

I went to this forum every day to gauge whether I was the only one experiencing a problem or not.

Was I the only one seeing the "Just In" category missing?

Was the Market not loading for everyone else?

Did anyone else not get their full payout this month?

Is anyone else unable to upload to the Dev console?

Is everyone seeing the "authorization" failures again?

Is the sales report missing for everyone else for July?

At least seeing others with the same problem there meant that they were telling Google, or Google was seeing the problem in the forums, and I could chime in with a "me too" post so they knew it was wide spread.

Emailing using those forms is hopeless. Canned responses come back. I don't know if anyone ever read my question.

This is one sad and frustrating move by Google.

TO GOOGLE: Just open a private developers-only thread accessible from our Developer Consoles. That would be nice.

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