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Apple Rejects App That Tracks U.S. Drone Strikes

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Re: Apple Rejects App That Tracks U.S. Drone Strikes

#131

Post by thwest »

rickmb wrote: post #42

As an Apple fanboy, I've been able to rationalize everything Apple has done concerning the app-store up to now, even if I personally would have like to have seen a way more open and liberal approach. And the overblown anti-Apple FUD, using misplaced terms like "censorship" and "monopoly" whenever an app was thwarted by Apples opaque policies has made it easy to ignore the objections of detractors. But I find it impos…

Stifling of political opinions by a media corporation is no less censorship than actions undertaken by a government. You can check the dictionary, there are plenty of non-governmental definitions.

Re: Apple Rejects App That Tracks U.S. Drone Strikes

#132

Post by willk »

rimantas wrote: post #29
Rudism wrote: post #5

Thank you, Apple, for protecting me from a news aggregation/notification and mapping app like this one. I'll stick to my fart sound boards and purchasing currency for manipulative "games" with zero actual entertainment value any day!

Have you tried to submit a fart sound board lately? How was your success in doing so?

Your argument is invalid. The fart sound board market is pretty saturated, but there isn't any drone strike mapping apps.

Re: Apple Rejects App That Tracks U.S. Drone Strikes

#133

Post by Steko »

mike-cardwell wrote: post #3

I can understand Apple wanting to keep its market place "clean", but at the very least, iDevice owners should be able to opt-in to seeing apps like this. Why can't it just be flagged "adult" or something, and you can then opt-in on your device to seeing apps flagged as such? Why does Apple think it is suitable to make these decisions on your behalf, iDevice users? Are you happy with this? Personally, I'll be sticking…

"Why can't it just be flagged "adult" or something, and you can then opt-in on your device to seeing apps flagged as such?"

Presumably they think they will make more money by excluding those apps for now.

"Why does Apple think it is suitable to make these decisions on your behalf, iDevice users?"

Because that's the way stores work. The owner of the store decides what goods to sell in his store. A clothes designer has no guarantees that Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom's or Macy's or Walmart will carry any or all of their products.

"Are you happy with this?"

I'm happy the iOS app store is curated, yes.

Re: Apple Rejects App That Tracks U.S. Drone Strikes

#134

Post by cageface »

Steko wrote: post #125
MrMember wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe I'm being harsh, but if someone downloads a clearly sketchy looking app (DOWNLOAD FREE MP3S) I have no sympathy for them when it ends up being malicious. Just like I wouldn't pick up a candy bar off the street and eat it, I wouldn't download a disreputable looking app. Common sense.

Blame the user straw man. I mean did you see how he was dressed, practically asking for it.

I'd rather live in a world where grownups are allowed to make their own choices than in one where daddy decides what's best for everyone.

Re: Apple Rejects App That Tracks U.S. Drone Strikes

#136

Post by Steko »

mike-cardwell wrote: post #22
DrJokepu wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe the following parts of the iOS App Store Review Guidelines answer your question: * We have lots of kids downloading lots of apps, and parental controls don't work unless the parents set them up (many don't). So know that we're keeping an eye out for the kids. * We will reject Apps for any content or behavior that we believe is over the line. What line, you ask? Well, as a Supreme Court Justice once said, "I…

None of that answers my question. Why can't adults opt in to seeing adult apps? There are literally hundreds of millions of non-iDevice smartphone users who don't live with these restrictions and who are not being harmed at all. Is there something special about iDevice users that means they need extra protection? Of course not.

"Why can't adults opt in to seeing adult apps?"

Because Apple made the iPhone and they own the iOS store and they decided they could make more money with it this way.

"There are literally hundreds of millions of non-iDevice smartphone users who don't live with these restrictions and who are not being harmed at all. "

This is called assuming your conclusion. There are certainly standards at Google Play and Amazon's Android app store, not every Android user can sideload apps and the idea that no one has been harmed by uncurated stores is strictly false in general and in specific cases like this basically unknowable.

Re: Apple Rejects App That Tracks U.S. Drone Strikes

#137

Post by icarus127 »

ralfd wrote: post #112
rickmb wrote: post #42

As an Apple fanboy, I've been able to rationalize everything Apple has done concerning the app-store up to now, even if I personally would have like to have seen a way more open and liberal approach. And the overblown anti-Apple FUD, using misplaced terms like "censorship" and "monopoly" whenever an app was thwarted by Apples opaque policies has made it easy to ignore the objections of detractors. But I find it impos…

That said, why has simplistic stuff like this to be an App? You could implement that in an email newsletter, a Twitter account, an RSS feed. An old-fashioned web site. > politically motivated rejection Probably that is the reason. But when I first heard of that App I did think of "torture porn". You practically track the death of people. How is that App used? Imagine being at lunch and you get a new notification. Wha…

  How is that App used? Imagine being at launch and you get
  a new notification. What do you do with that kind of 
  Information? Why do you want that?
I for one would want that because we're so separated from our actions that even those of us who are appalled by it don't think about it daily. I say _our_ because we as a people could put the screws to our government if enough of us actually cared. As to what you do with it, I think the intent is to start a conversation then and there. Tell other people what just happened, tell them to install the app. If that happens enough times I think it might jar something loose in the social consciousness.

It sounds better than sticking my head in the sand and pretending it's not happening. As for being desensitized, are you serious? _That's_ your argument against raising awareness of drone strikes? We're already desensitized to the violence we perpetrate on others. It doesn't even make the news if it has to compete with the latest celebrity gossip.

Re: Apple Rejects App That Tracks U.S. Drone Strikes

#138

Post by CamperBob2 »

delinka wrote: post #65
roc wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they have a parental control feature, recognize that it's not usually turned on, so set app store policy assuming parental control isn't on, but that style of protection is desirable ... why don't they just default parental control to "on"? Or at least make it a device-setup-time prompt? Of the "iOS' walled garden is anticonsumer" concerns - the one that's in regular demonstration is Apple's refusal to allow adult…

"...parental controls don't work unless the parents set them up (many don't)." This is still the problem. You don't know whether the kid or the parent opened the box and set the phone up the first time.

So set it to "child-safe" mode by default, and require a credit card or other age-verification mechanism to unlock it.

I really don't understand what problem Apple is trying to solve.

Re: Apple Rejects App That Tracks U.S. Drone Strikes

#139

Post by nivla »

cheald wrote: post #97
nivla wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is until all the three (Apple, Google and Microsoft) decides to only allow installs from the maketplace, you know for "security" reasons. The problem is if one company gets away with it, others follow suit.

How do you propose enforcing that on an open-source operating system?

The same way chromium has become obsolete with chrome becoming less and less open-source. The same goes with MySQL. In case of android, most consumers will deal with what the manufacturers decides to put on their phones and less than 1% will resort to installing another O/S. Keep in mind even with Android you are forced to register a Google account. What if you din't want to use Google or worst case, they ban you from their network?

The point is, just because something is open-source now doesn't mean it will remain that way in the future.

Re: Apple Rejects App That Tracks U.S. Drone Strikes

#140

Post by blazingfrog2 »

Instead of calling this a political move, I'm wondering if they would allow an app that tracks murder victims across the US as they happen. My guess is that it would be rejected too for the same reasons, which are probably not political. This would simply be, as they said, crude. And IMHO, inappropriate.
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