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Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

danfitdegree.hashnode.dev

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Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#171

Post by jackbravo »

fleddr wrote: post #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…

So much this!

Wish we could have again this idea of publishing web apps as real apps in our phones.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#173

Post by iepathos »

TimTheTinker wrote: post #96
koala_man wrote: post #3

HN is the only useful escalation mechanism at this point, so have an upvote.

I somewhat doubt Google responds effectively anymore to bad PR on HN, because (a) they're so large and each group is acting in its own best interest, and (b) Google has for so long had a cultural belief in the fiction that better automation ™ or at least mechanical turk-style automation (low-cost, powerless, script-following, outsourced support agents) is always preferable to personally serving people. In other words…

I've seen posts on HN within last year where Google screwed something up with censorship or app review. Posts get massively upvoted here and within a day or two Google fixes it. Could be coincidental, but highly probable that some Googlers read HN and act to fix high publicity problems or even just problems that they weren't really aware of until reading about it here.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#174

Post by geraldwhen »

typon wrote: post #44
danuker wrote: 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.

Mozilla Foundation has already expressed an interest in controlling speech within Firefox. It is not an option.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#175

Post by silisili »

ledauphin wrote: post #78

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.

Just hope you never get screwed by the USCIS. At least you found a way to talk to a human, if only for a second. The USCIS just phone menu trees you into disconnection.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#176

Post by appleflaxen »

I agree that Google customer support is the worst.

But I read this:

> We confirm that your app has options to report and block abusive users but your app does not contain functionality to report objectionable content.

to be the answer to the question.

I would try adding a link that says, exactly, "report objectionable content" to the user comments. It seems like the issue is that you aren't providing enough flavors of reporting, so give it to them.

But I'm sorry OP has had to spend days on this, and suffer at the hands of unhelpful reps.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#177

Post by bitexploder »

gerdesj wrote: post #149
_yb2s wrote: post #25

As a scientist, I often have to deal with similar BS of a reviewer misunderstanding a submitted journal article, literally insisting we do something we already did, and explained in the paper. I try to just own the fact that I didn't make my explanation clear and visible enough, so I just submit an updated version along with a comment like "We thank the reviewer for pointing out that we didn't clearly articulate our…

That is a decent approach to any "Gate Keeper" entity. The Gate Keeper might be anything from a budget holder to a government. "The Prince" by an Italian lad off of the 16thC is still a pertinent read 400 years later and he's riffing off old Romans, Greeks and before and that's just in Europe. I'm sure China and India, int al, have similar writings. Coercion and other trickery is hardly the invention of Renaissance I…

Always, always, always “manage up”. When people in some service role like a counter person for an airline hold this much power over you, you lose almost nothing by treating them like they are the most important person in the universe. Talk them up, be overly kind, do everything you can to make their job and life easier. It isn’t fair, but I have found you will experience much less friction in life following this philosophy. Are they right? Is Anthony from the linked article “right”. No, of course not, but they have a sliver of power that happens to be extremely important to you for whatever reason and they can and will hit you with it as hard as they can and you never know what someone else is going through or where they are at in life. Don’t chance it, at least not over small stuff like this.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#178

Post by criddell »

dcdc123 wrote: post #67
dekhn wrote: 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.

And Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft! I’d love to write software to run on my PS5.

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#179

Post by Gentil »

fleddr wrote: post #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…

Cos users want mobile apps. When Roam research and Obsidian launched, one of the biggest thing people were ranting about was that their lack of mobile apps. Simple.

Google also is dominating the browser market. Not to mention, I see Manifest v3 as something in this direction. They just don't have the exact amount of control they do in Play store is all. So my question is, how long are you gonna run?

Re: Two weeks of dealing with Google as a developer

#180

Post by john-radio »

jackbravo wrote: post #171
fleddr wrote: post #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…

So much this! Wish we could have again this idea of publishing web apps as real apps in our phones.

Slightly relevant xkcd: https://xkcd.com/1367/
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