Live data from Hacker News

Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

danfitdegree.hashnode.dev

131–140 of 340 posts

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#131
Solution: make a small change to the report screen. Right now it just says report or block. Write a sentence in a subdued font weight/size and color that says “this report button will do Xyz.” Then resubmit. See what happens. It’s kind of like all those times when you were learning how to code that you would make a small change, run the program and hope for the correct output. Rinse, repeat and eventually you’ll look into the right solution.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#132
post #75

What I've learned from Google is that you are always talking to a bot, it just happens to be that some of those bots are human. Even though they are walking and talking simians they are executing a conversation script and have no agency and ability to control an outcome spare the most banal common issues.

It's funny. Google will flood us with captchas if it thinks we're not human but they subject people to inhuman treatment whenever we need to contact them. Bots for me but not for thee.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#133
post #107
post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Location of the insured vehicle has been a factor since I started having insurance about 24 years ago (speaking for 20 years of Geico, and more recently Progressive).

The scale at which manufacturers and insurers like Tesla can use real-time location data in actuarial models (and whatever else they like) is quite new, though. The important distinction is that the same entity tracking your real-time location also has unprecedented control over the car and your ability to use it, and very little transparency. This is basically the same dynamics as app stores.

Is it obvious that they can charge low enough prices the rest of the time to make this dynamic pricing an attractive offer?

Are people somehow forced to buy Tesla insurance when they buy a Tesla?

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#134
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.

^^^ this

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#135
post #49

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 have never felt the need to do so on iOS. I cannot say the same about Android.

You mean aside from when you see every free android app cost $6.99 on iOS?

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#137
You seem to have missed a detail in their replies "We confirm that your app has options to report and block abusive users but your app does not contain functionality to report objectionable content." You complain that they haven't answered the specifics of your emails yet you've actually failed to address theirs.

Unpopular opinion but it seems like their response was reasonable tbf.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#138
post #75

What I've learned from Google is that you are always talking to a bot, it just happens to be that some of those bots are human. Even though they are walking and talking simians they are executing a conversation script and have no agency and ability to control an outcome spare the most banal common issues.

Maybe they don't even have the option of replying, just picking one of a few canned responses.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#139

I clicked on this thinking "immature rant incoming", but darned if I didn't end up increasing my anger at the exact pace he did with every step! Nothing more frustrating than talking to a human refusing to behave like a human, and a process that isn't a process.

You'd love "The Trial" by Kafka.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#140
At Chatango we just gave up on our Android app. We don't have a report button because we don't want users to gang up and falsely report profiles. We are counting unwanted incoming conversation blocks and take action based on that, and have hierarchical moderation in each chat. That was way beyond what we could explain to the play store policing bots so about $500k in development was trashed by Google, we went website only, because it's an uphill battle. We have tens of millions of users.
Post reply on HN