Live data from Hacker News

Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

danfitdegree.hashnode.dev

111–120 of 340 posts

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#111
post #31
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's more like if you could only drive approved cars on the regular roads.. which is already the case but regulated by the government instead.

My car happily drives on private roads, and even dirt and gravel, without government approval.

You’re getting the analogy backwards - you can’t drive an unapproved car on a public road.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#112

This is relatable. I have spent many hours attempting to get someone at the IRS to answer my questions, and the best part is that they have always ended up hanging up on me after putting me on hold, and there is no way to pick back up where you left off with them since it's all done verbally. I shall now go read The Metamorphosis.

Having dealt with the IRS a few times, I can relate. You'll get a different answer (from a different person) to the same question each time you ask.

My advice is to never deal with the IRS yourself. Hire a tax attorney who has some experience in dealing with them.

Also, are you referring to "The Trial" (also by Kafka)?

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least on Android you can install alternate app stores like F-Droid. All you have to do is allow apps to be installed from unknown sources. If you use Apple, you're just out of luck unless you want to mess with whatever hacky workaround is popular this week.

I've been using altstore successfully, minor hindrance of resigning side loaded apps every week, but if you can leave your PC on it does that automatically.

This is not “minor hinderance” for 99.9% Apple users. It’s absolutely unusable unless you are an “enthusiast”.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#114
post #95

This is relatable. I have spent many hours attempting to get someone at the IRS to answer my questions, and the best part is that they have always ended up hanging up on me after putting me on hold, and there is no way to pick back up where you left off with them since it's all done verbally. I shall now go read The Metamorphosis.

They've been starved for labor. That is being fixed, but it will take a while. Last time I had to actually talk to someone at the IRS was over a decade ago, but I recall it being an efficient conversation, and as pleasant as it could have been, given the topic. https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-irs-was-gutted

Regardless of the reason, it's maddening when someone is holding onto a quantity of your money that is not quite large enough to want to fight for it in court, but plenty large enough to be meaningful to you, and essentially keeps it by successfully avoiding meaningful communication.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#115
post #44
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good thing web browsers aren't fully controlled by Google and Apple

This is why its the ethical responsibility of every dev to use Firefox when they can.

As if Firefox is not funded by Google.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#116
post #67
post #14

Is there any large group representing App developers that could manage the large-scale negotiation and legal wrangling required to force Apple and Google to be more helpful when rejecting legitimate applications? When I worked in Google (Ads, then later in Recommendations for Play and youtube) people often said this was intention to avoid teaching spammers how to get around the rules. But it's clear there are enough…

Support legislation requiring Apple and Google to allow third party app stores.

But this is already about Google and Google already allows third party app stores. (I mean even Epic, which is a pretty well-known, high-profit company couldn't get very many people to download their store for Android.) The solution is to support legislation requiring companies to give specific details of what the problem is rather than allowing them to play these games of "bring me a rock."[0]

[0] https://jonathanbecher.com/2020/08/30/the-bring-me-a-rock-ph...

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#117
post #14

Is there any large group representing App developers that could manage the large-scale negotiation and legal wrangling required to force Apple and Google to be more helpful when rejecting legitimate applications? When I worked in Google (Ads, then later in Recommendations for Play and youtube) people often said this was intention to avoid teaching spammers how to get around the rules. But it's clear there are enough…

It's insane enough that we even allow corporations to own platforms and users. Software development should be free. They should not be able to reject anything. We should reject that notion entirely instead of playing the game they made up.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#118
I had a similar experience with an Adwords account getting banned for "Circumventing systems", and we were completely confused as to why we got the rejection.

And then the appeals process after that was just like yours: copy pasta email without any explanation about how to fix the problem.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#119
And this is why we need to cherish the web. I see no reason why a yoga app can't be done on the web. I do know that apps tend to convert better, if only we could bridge that gap.

It's in particular troubling how much of this madness we've internalized to just accept. The idea that you need to resubmit a 100 apps because Google decided you need to target a different internal version number is insane. It would be very bad if the SDK had a breaking change, but in this case it's just busy work: upping a number and resubmitting.

And what about the rule to be able to report user generated content? Who the hell is Google to interfere on such app-specific functionality? What if my moderation workflow would only allow draft posts, each manually approved, making reporting them pointless? Does Google actually check if a report gets sent or followed up? I don't think so. So it's an invasive power grab, and then poorly regulated.

These platforms and gatekeepers have become far too powerful and leveled up the arrogance that comes with it.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#120
Needs more big red circles on your screenshots. Make it easy for them to see what they need to see - and be sure to keep on submitting new requests every hour. At one point your penpal is not working and then maybe somebody with actually more than 1 braincell can clear this dumb situation up for you.
Post reply on HN