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

Google is forcing us to make our open source VoIP app worse

voys.co.za

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 296 posts

Re: Google is forcing us to make our open source VoIP app worse

#11

Post by Marsymars »

ziddoap wrote: post #7

I'm not familiar with mobile app review process, would any change in code require a re-review/re-submit? If Google approved it as-is, could the developers add a few lines as an "update" and skip over the full review process? Seems like the ruling is being made on what can be done with the current permissions, rather than what is being done. If that's the case, I sympathize with the devs but I think I support the posi…

> I'm not familiar with mobile app review process, would any change in code require a re-review/re-submit?

Yes.

Re: Google is forcing us to make our open source VoIP app worse

#12

Post by charcircuit »

webmobdev wrote: post #5
dspillett wrote: post #3

This sort of thing is why I intend to never write a mobile app for Google/Apple/other devices. Though as I never get around to writing my many desktop or web-based app ideas, maybe this isn't much of a problem for Google/Apple/other!

Yeah. I bought a Mac, an iPad and an iPhone to do mobile development for ios. And then I realised how screwed up and exploitive the whole Apple ecosystem is for developers - they not only want us to pay them annually for the "privilege" of developing on their platform (even though we add value to their platform by creating software for it), but they also want to charge us a commission on each sale (with the bar that…

iOS allows sideloading too. Also just because Apple gains value from developers, the developers also gain value. It's a mutually beneficial relationship.

Re: Google is forcing us to make our open source VoIP app worse

#13

Post by jsnell »

ziddoap wrote: post #7

I'm not familiar with mobile app review process, would any change in code require a re-review/re-submit? If Google approved it as-is, could the developers add a few lines as an "update" and skip over the full review process? Seems like the ruling is being made on what can be done with the current permissions, rather than what is being done. If that's the case, I sympathize with the devs but I think I support the posi…

It does sound like they're batch-copying the entire contact book into their app at startup, rather than using the Android contact picker. The static analysis problem of determining whether there is / isn't a batch import seems a lot easier than determining with certainty what happens with the contacts after they were saved to disk.

Though the article doesn't actually show any screenshots from the review emails, but just paraphrases them, so we don't even know that their interpretation of the rejection reason is correct.

Re: Google is forcing us to make our open source VoIP app worse

#14

Post by Marsymars »

Traubenfuchs wrote: post #10

> Analytics cookies are installed on this website to enhance your browsing experience. Such cookies are only used to optimise this website’s performance and enhance user experience. It is not possible to disable analytics cookies on this website. Now that's just a lie and you know it. Is this legal?

“It is not possible” isn’t used by companies to mean “it isn’t physically possible”, it’s used to mean “it isn’t supported by our processes”.

(I’ve been in a frustrating back-and-forth over the past couple days with a company who’s quoting me an outrageous shipping fee, and keeps telling me it’s “impossible” to ship with a different delivery service.)

Re: Google is forcing us to make our open source VoIP app worse

#15

Post by arsome »

pedro2 wrote: post #6
webmobdev wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah. I bought a Mac, an iPad and an iPhone to do mobile development for ios. And then I realised how screwed up and exploitive the whole Apple ecosystem is for developers - they not only want us to pay them annually for the "privilege" of developing on their platform (even though we add value to their platform by creating software for it), but they also want to charge us a commission on each sale (with the bar that…

Never? Unless you give up on NFC, banking apps and all those goodies.

We've had NFC, banking, etc on rooted phones and even on windows desktops loaded with malware for decades now. Clearly there's a tradeoff that can be made here and the banks still find it worthwhile to offer the extra features and save money on staff even if it occasionally causes fraud.

Re: Google is forcing us to make our open source VoIP app worse

#16

Post by AlexandrB »

With the exception of Signal, I never give apps access to my contacts. If you think that's paranoid, remember how apps like LinkedIn used this kind of information in the past[1]. Thankfully on iOS apps almost always work without contact access (is this mandated by App Store rules?).

It's not clear from the article if the app just asks for access to contacts or requires it, but if you can't make your Voip app work without accessing my contact list, I don't want to use it.

[1] https://www.theverge.com/2013/9/21/4756212/linkedin-accused-...

Re: Google is forcing us to make our open source VoIP app worse

#17

Post by SpaceL10n »

mvletter wrote: post #2

The power they have vs the responsibility they take is completely out of balance.

That can be good thing, imo. Young people have little power to change the world around them, yet they take responsibility for "making the world a better place". I find it inspiring when companies do this too.

Re: Google is forcing us to make our open source VoIP app worse

#18

Post by pedro2 »

arsome wrote: post #15
pedro2 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never? Unless you give up on NFC, banking apps and all those goodies.

We've had NFC, banking, etc on rooted phones and even on windows desktops loaded with malware for decades now. Clearly there's a tradeoff that can be made here and the banks still find it worthwhile to offer the extra features and save money on staff even if it occasionally causes fraud.

Yes but it is troublesome and AFAIK getting more difficult each year.

Re: Google is forcing us to make our open source VoIP app worse

#20

Post by grishka »

webmobdev wrote: post #5
dspillett wrote: post #3

This sort of thing is why I intend to never write a mobile app for Google/Apple/other devices. Though as I never get around to writing my many desktop or web-based app ideas, maybe this isn't much of a problem for Google/Apple/other!

Yeah. I bought a Mac, an iPad and an iPhone to do mobile development for ios. And then I realised how screwed up and exploitive the whole Apple ecosystem is for developers - they not only want us to pay them annually for the "privilege" of developing on their platform (even though we add value to their platform by creating software for it), but they also want to charge us a commission on each sale (with the bar that…

Android is not Google.
Post reply on HN