Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

theverge.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

971–980 of 1001 posts

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#971

Post by Guvante »

crowcroft wrote: post #899
turtlebits wrote: post #863

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Customers don't necessarily want a choice. Sometimes choice equates to complexity, if it doesn't work for you, don't use the product. Apple is very well known (and probably very successful) for limiting choice, in product lines and features. IMO Android devices are already open enough - there are alternative app stores and you can sideload apps. Banks not distributing on these channels is not Google's responsibility.

Take it a step further – the power grid. I don't want to have to choose which power grid to use, and we shouldn't bother making duplicate power grids. It makes sense they operate as a monopoly. Those companies are heavily regulated though.

> Those companies are heavily regulated though

Without that regulation it is a very different beast.

Having the government decide the platform cut would very much change the conversation.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#972

Post by rowanG077 »

skeaker wrote: post #881
turtlebits wrote: post #865

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is this a Google problem? Ask your bank.

Hahahaha, yes, let's rely on the famously tech savvy banks to securely distribute their app.

They seem to be pretty good considering I can't just hack someones bank account and fill my pockets.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#973

Post by Guvante »

rstuart4133 wrote: post #917
iforgotpassword wrote: post #895

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your point being? Maybe you want to read the comment I was replying to again: > FWIW you don't really need an app store, you could download APKs off vendors/publishers. Very evidently I do.

I don't doubt you used Googles app store to access the banks app (as would I), but it's not because of something Google forces you to do. It's because your bank put it there, and it's a very a convenient service for both you and your bank. Unlike the iPhone environment the bank had a choice in using the app store. They could have you side load it, or they could put it in an alternate app store, or hell they could ope…

Feel free to read about the case and how Google was not in fact just using convenience to maintain its status as the only App Store...

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#974

Post by InsomniacL »

pipes wrote: post #805
andy_ppp wrote: post #703

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It really doesn't matter who is worse morally here, just both situations are bad for consumer choice. I find it amazing that Apple things it is okay to attempt to take 15% of Audible revenue if they allowed you to buy books in the app, for example.

They aren't "taking revenue" they are providing a service. If audible don't want to use that service they don't have to.

They are providing a service and simultaneously preventing anyone else from providing the same service.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#975

Post by InsomniacL »

ryao wrote: post #882
guru4consulting wrote: post #837

I consider HN users to be smarter and rational than average internet crowd. Surprised to see folks here comparing the Google Apple store to other business models like Starbucks, Donut shops, Restaurants? does not make sense to me. Consumers have a choice to switch all other businesses but not the mobile app stores. I can live without Starbucks or Netflix if I want to, or switch to different providers if needed. But t…

The average person needs safeguards to prevent them from being tricked into installing malware by seemingly trustworthy black hats. They should not be given devices that lack safeguards. That means having a gatekeeper that curates things. Be it Apple or Google, a gate keeper is a necessity for security. Even for non-average people, gatekeepers like Gentoo's or Debian's package maintainer(s) do a great deal of good.

Apple/Google can be the GateKeepers of App Stores.

Look at the PKI industry, they have a greater need for integrity but there's still a healthy market of certificate suppliers.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#976

Post by andrei_says_ »

Gorbzel wrote: post #966
andrei_says_ wrote: post #962

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My friend’s 11 year old plays games on his iPhone, downloaded from the Apple App Store. I spent a few minutes looking over his shoulder. A bit of gameplay followed by increasing amounts of gambling for power ups and constant reminders to buy power ups. This should be absolutely illegal. Dark patterns upon dark patterns manipulating the kid to squeeze his parents for real money, by habituating gambling habits and norm…

Shouldn’t your friend be monitoring his kid’s usage? Why is everything always some government/capitalist entity’s responsibility?

Gambling is closer to smoking than regular gaming.

All the boy’s friends play the game and similar games. It’s an uphill battle and an extraordinary pressure on the parents to control each game that gets played and micromanage to that extend - to the detriment of their relationship with the child, because fighting these intentionally instilled addictive patterns will create upset in the child and tension in the relationship. The game devs pay psychologists to create the addiction at scale which the parents just cannot compete with.

In reality parents have finite amounts of energy and a finite numbers of battles to fight. Eat your food, go to school, do your homework, keep your phone charged and call me when you need me to pick you up. That kind of thing.

Having week longs drama forbidding a game that everyone else plays is just not on the map.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#977

Post by freejazz »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #130
dantheman wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The mafia shakes down people who don't interact with them, apple does not.

How do I develop a mobile app which a majority of people in the US will be able to use without interacting with Apple?

Duh, develop it for Android, where the vast majority of smart phone users exist.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#978

Post by galaxyLogic »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #528
saghm wrote: post #501

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The bible doesn't say anything at all about abortion. It wouldn't matter if it did though, because they have no problem ignoring plenty of things that actually are in it when it would conflict with political success.

Untrue. Numbers 5 gives a process for distilling a “bitter water” and circumstance under which to induce an abortion with said water. In case you’re curious it’s simply if a husband has “a jealousy” and fear that his wife has “laid with another man.”

Amazing. So Bible says abortion is ok, if the husband is jealous. (Numbers 5). Why don't these anti-choice people read their Bible.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#979

Post by galaxyLogic »

ralfd wrote: post #764
galaxyLogic wrote: post #463

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I never understood is how Republicans can be for one type of abortion say before 6 weeks but not for 15 weeks? What is their rationale? If Bible says that abortion is murder, and life begins at conception, then how can they allow abortion at 6 weeks and vote for that?

But that argument goes both ways? Why should abortion be legal at 9 month but killing a born infant being one day older is murder? And if it is not then what is the cutoff point? The previous schelling point of viability (which was moved earlier over time by medical progress) also is unconvincing. Time limits can be a pragmatic and tested solution. I think most European countries use 12 to 15 weeks.

Time limits make sense and EVERYBODY agrees they are a good thing.

But if you want a shorter time-limit you should give a good rationale for it. Why you want it 6 weeks but not 1 week?

Whereas those who didn't propose any change to Roe vs. Wade do not really need a reason for NOT making a change. There must be a reason when we make or try to make a change.

Re: Epic vs. Google: Google Loses

#980

Post by galaxyLogic »

rpmisms wrote: post #640
galaxyLogic wrote: post #463

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I never understood is how Republicans can be for one type of abortion say before 6 weeks but not for 15 weeks? What is their rationale? If Bible says that abortion is murder, and life begins at conception, then how can they allow abortion at 6 weeks and vote for that?

Because Republicans are trying to curry favor with everyone. Hard-liners like myself believe that abortion at any stage is morally equivalent to homicide—only acceptable if the life of the mother is also at risk. The 6 week ban doesn't actually solve the problem, just delivers a pyrrhic victory to win votes.

> abortion at any stage is morally equivalent to homicide

One way to look at it is that killing millions of people is NOT morally equivalent to killing 1 person. Is it?

Similarly killing 100 cells of a just fertilized egg is not morally equivalent to killing a born person with 30 trillion cells.

https://www.healthline.com/health/number-of-cells-in-body

Post reply on HN