Live data from Hacker News

Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

github.com

21–30 of 76 posts

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#21

Bummer for the developer, but bad stuff happens randomly to people. Google is able to operate because of the scale of automation they use. I use Google services but often back up my data. For this developer, as someone else said, Fdroid is a possibility. Same problem as with Apple’s store. I have one app on Apple’s store, but it is free and simply an example program for a book I might finish writing someday. I would…

These two companies destroy thousands of businesses with each update of their policies or operating systems and we have just come to accept, in some cases even endorse, this tragic state of affairs.

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#22
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

F-Droid is cool in theory, but it is largely unmaintaned and understaffed. If you upload a new build it may take weeks to get distributed to users.

Yes, that's because they deeply care about what is allowed in the store. F-Droid had "privacy labels" before Apple did [0]. They do scan/review [1] submitted apps for spyware, to the extent they can with the tools available to them [2]. Often times, F-Droid volunteers go out of their way and help developers publish apps to F-Droid [3]. Besides, in my experience, once you've setup the distribution, F-Droid pretty much…

Somehow I think Symbian and Ovi Store had them before both of those, but so is life.

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#23

Completely unrelated, but this keyboard feels a bit useless to me. I understand the appeal, but why would you not have emojis on a phone keyboard? Surely that counts as something that should be part of the basic package of something. Or am I overestimating how many people use emoji?

I use this keyboard because it does not have emoji. I have never used emojis in my life. I cannot figure out half the emojis that I get on Signal because I can't zoom in to see what it is. I do wish this keyboard had better spell correction though.

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#24

I think it is better to use real humans for checking violations and sending emails. Yes, humans inevitably will make mistakes. However, unlike a neural network algorithm they can be reasoned with and can correct their mistakes later. I'd take much longer issue resolution with hired operators over the fast AI violation check.

Google heard you, Google don't care.

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#26
post #4

That's unfortunate. Luckily there's still the package in F-Droid.

Google should be forced and compelled to accept everything in F-Droid into the Play store.

Google ought to have to appeal for removals from this avenue, and that process should be intentionally difficult.

F-Droid developers should be able to opt out, of course, but this constraint placed upon Google would bring many developers and apps back that have (unfairly) faced the night of the long knives.

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#27
post #2

This is Google (as well as YouTube) showing once again they (and their robots) do not care and ultimately, they will never change. The Play Store is evidently hostile to free and open-source software. > Please do not attempt to register a new developer account. We will not be restoring your account at this time. Meanwhile on F-Droid, they welcomed Wire, an E2EE messenger. [0] That is at least much friendlier than the…

People need to stop bringing up F-Droid in response to Google supsending accounts. F-Droid does the exact same thing . If the distributor - whoever they are - don't like you, they will ban you. Your only option is self-hosting APKs (Android only). https://old.reddit.com/r/fdroid/comments/ceyzuz/the_fdroid_d...

The thing about F-Droid is that you can add alternative repositories that allow you to host the APKs yourself without also writing an update mechanism. Hell, you can even get around the open source requirements F-Droid puts in place that way.

Every app store will try to get rid of applications that make the store's life harder, that's why the ability to add repositories is such an important (and underrated) feature.

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#28
post #21

Bummer for the developer, but bad stuff happens randomly to people. Google is able to operate because of the scale of automation they use. I use Google services but often back up my data. For this developer, as someone else said, Fdroid is a possibility. Same problem as with Apple’s store. I have one app on Apple’s store, but it is free and simply an example program for a book I might finish writing someday. I would…

These two companies destroy thousands of businesses with each update of their policies or operating systems and we have just come to accept, in some cases even endorse, this tragic state of affairs.

I never thought Microsoft would turn out to be the good guys but here we are.

Re: Google terminates Play Store account of Simple Keyboard developer

#30
post #21

Bummer for the developer, but bad stuff happens randomly to people. Google is able to operate because of the scale of automation they use. I use Google services but often back up my data. For this developer, as someone else said, Fdroid is a possibility. Same problem as with Apple’s store. I have one app on Apple’s store, but it is free and simply an example program for a book I might finish writing someday. I would…

These two companies destroy thousands of businesses with each update of their policies or operating systems and we have just come to accept, in some cases even endorse, this tragic state of affairs.

I agree. I know two women who both had their businesses tank because of changes to SEO policies.

I guess what I was getting at is that there is so much uncertainty dealing with huge mostly automated corporations, that we must be adaptable, “antifragile”.

Post reply on HN