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Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

techcrunch.com

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Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#71

Post by rimantas »

sp332 wrote: post #52
joebadmo wrote: post #42

A few years ago, I was in a big box store and overheard a young (~10y/o) child and his mother picking out a new video game. The kid excitedly picked up a box and asked his mom if he could get that one. She checked out the cover, then started reading the rating. "Rated 'mature' for sexual content? No way!" "Aw, man! Ok, how about this one?" "Rated 'mature' for extreme graphic violence? Well... ok."

That's because violence is not relateable. When people see violence, they don't think, "Hey, I want to do that!" But when they see sex, they do.

Interesting theory. Alas, many cannot see the difference between sex and naked body.

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#72

Post by mcantelon »

w1ntermute wrote: post #36
neya wrote: post #30

This is good in my opinion. The more the rejection, the more the developers will tend to flee away from arrogant Marketplaces like that of Apple's. It will also, in a way, probably force developers to try out other marketplaces like the Windows Phone Marketplace and the Google Play store. Now, I do understand 500px is trying to create a uni-platform experience for its users, but now that 500px isn't allowed to publis…

> More and more developers will start (slowly, but surely) to neglect Apple's Appstore by default due to the fear of the ridiculous approval process and the uncertainty that their development efforts for the iOS platform may go a waste, because they have seen the history of popular apps like 500px and others. I really hope this happens, but it seems so far that people are more than happy to put up with Apple's dracon…

>it seems so far that people are more than happy to put up with Apple's draconian App Store policies.

Devs are going where the market is. But where the market is will eventually change and Apple may be forced to open up to compete.

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#73

Post by rimantas »

terhechte wrote: post #29
samtp wrote: post #12

I've never bought into whats so bad about a naked body. We all have one. From what I understand people get scared/agitated about nuditity because it makes humans seem more a part of nature, savage, and wild. People want to think of humanity as on a pedestal above "beasts". Still, this is a very strange aspect of our society

I'm from Germany, and whenever I have US friends over, they're aghast when they see our newspapers or magazines or TV ads, where nude bodies are nothing special and nobody cares if a kids sees boobs. On the other hand, violent media, like gore, or blood depiction, is explicitly forbidden. In games that were to be sold for minors, the publishers usually color the blood blue before releasing it on the German market. I…

I'd say religion is the main cause of such attitude in US.

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#74

Post by taligent »

neya wrote: post #30

This is good in my opinion. The more the rejection, the more the developers will tend to flee away from arrogant Marketplaces like that of Apple's. It will also, in a way, probably force developers to try out other marketplaces like the Windows Phone Marketplace and the Google Play store. Now, I do understand 500px is trying to create a uni-platform experience for its users, but now that 500px isn't allowed to publis…

> due to the fear of the ridiculous approval process

It's not ridiculous and pretty easy to understand. No questionable content. No trying to be clever about the rules. No private APIs. I have been involved in over 20 popular apps on the store and not one has ever been rejected.

> their development efforts for the iOS platform may go a waste

Developers aren't stupid. The iOS platform is by far the largest and most profitable and will continue to remain so in the years ahead. And the fact is that iOS is a much simpler platform to develop and test for than the myriad of device combinations on Android.

Plus you're entire argument is tired. It has been around since the beginning of the store and will continue to be so long as Apple rejects apps.

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#76

Post by ry0ohki »

neya wrote: post #30

This is good in my opinion. The more the rejection, the more the developers will tend to flee away from arrogant Marketplaces like that of Apple's. It will also, in a way, probably force developers to try out other marketplaces like the Windows Phone Marketplace and the Google Play store. Now, I do understand 500px is trying to create a uni-platform experience for its users, but now that 500px isn't allowed to publis…

Developers go where the users go (and pay). Until the Windows and Android stores start bringing devs the same type of money, it's still always worth it to "take the risk" of Apple's store.

The only way I see this changing is if users themselves cared about an app being pulled, and this app doesn't seem big enough for people to care (maybe if Instagram was taken down).

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#77

Post by jjcm »

gte910h wrote: post #57

The app was rated 4+, yet would show pictures of naked people http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:itunes.... I think trying to paint Apple as bad in this case is pretty crappy, as it's very clear what the different ratings mean and 500px didn't follow the VERY CLEAR list of what each thing means. http://www.internetsafetyproject.org/wiki/apple%E2%80%99s-ap... True nudity only belongs in 17+ in their…

If it was just a matter of being in the wrong rating category, it seems like it would make more sense for apple to just re-categorize it. Any insight into why they pulled the app instead of doing that?

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#78

Post by rimantas »

bollockitis wrote: post #62
jpdoctor wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "...have been pulled from the Apple App Store due to concerns about nude photos." Thank god the first-person shooter games are allowed to continue unhindered. We certainly don't want to jeopardize the future of our children by inculcating wrong behaviors.

The sad part is that most parents won't bat an eye while Junior guns down his opponents, but they would be up in arms at the sight of a nipple.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was done after some parent complained.

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#79

Post by jasonlotito »

roc wrote: post #54
3pt14159 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We were called by Apple to let us know; they specifically told us to completely block even artistic nudes. Although I'm not sure of their stance on photos of Michaelangelo's David (see: http://500px.com/photo/765271 ). I'll have to get someone on the phone over there. (NSFA warning: Nipples)

Just to be clear, I was wondering about some other circumstance -- perhaps naively -- because I thought Apple had seen the error in this sort of nonsense, so I wondered if there was some other explanation or consideration. If Apple is indeed getting back into the game of selective, uneven enforcement of their guidelines, it's a monumental fuck-up.

> If Apple is indeed getting back into the game of selective, uneven enforcement of their guidelines...

This never stopped. Selective enforcement is a policy that they enforce, and have freely admitted to.

Re: Apple Pulls 500px’s Mobile Apps From The App Store

#80

Post by marquis »

bollockitis wrote: post #58
burningion wrote: post #18

I recently launched an App for the iPhone for the first time ever. And the approval process can be ridiculous. In my case, my meditation app allowed the user to optionally measure their heart rate while meditating with a heart rate monitor. When I submitted for the App Store, I had to wait a week to find out I'd been rejected because they didn't have a heart rate monitor to test my app. It works without it. And never…

Maybe it's just me, but I'm actually glad they wanted to verify that your app worked as advertised before approving it. They should probably have peripherals on hand for testing though.

There are other methods to tests apps. Perhaps Apple needs an anonymous but controlled 'approved beta test' group who willingly give their feedback and save everyone some time and grief.
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