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Developer account removed by Apple

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Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#241

Post by Terretta »

freedomben wrote: post #38
EwanG wrote: post #2

Honestly, after looking through the "apps" they created and what little I could find about reviews for them, I am having a hard time not feeling that Apple was in the right here. On the other hand, I certainly understand that having your business shut down with little or no notice and right of appeal lies with the "prosecution" can feel crummy.

If you're going to say that, I think you need to explain why you feel like Apple was in the right. This sort of vagueness and ambiguity is extremely unfair to the accused, and this is notoriously what big tech does (and I think it's wrong). What is it about the apps that you feel either does or should violate policy?

> What is it about the apps that you feel either does or should violate policy?

OK, using the article's words, let's count the ways:

Within 10 days, we updated each of the six applications: removed all rating requests, revised all payment screens in line with Apple's recommendations, added Intercom for swift user assistance, established a help center with articles on canceling trials, requesting refunds, and implemented subscription management directly within the applications.

6 apps * ~5 fixes = 30 problems ... they knew what they were doing

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#242

Post by lapcat »

woadwarrior01 wrote: post #233
lapcat wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That very much was the end of the developer's sales of the Dash app on the Mac App Store and the iOS App Store. Incorrect. I already gave a link showing that Dash returned to the iOS App Store: https://mjtsai.com/blog/2017/05/30/dash-for-ios-returns-to-t... Technically, it was the end of "sales" in the iOS App Store, because the developer had already open-sourced Dash for iOS and made it free: https://github.com/Ka…

> Incorrect. I already gave a link showing that Dash returned to the iOS App Store: https://mjtsai.com/blog/2017/05/30/dash-for-ios-returns-to-t ... It never did. Please read links before posting them. The original developer open sourced it under a GPL license and a few people decided to re-package it and resell it, in violation of the source code's license. > Also incorrect. Compare the timestamps of these tweets: I…

> It never did. Please read links before posting them. The original developer open sourced it under a GPL license and a few people decided to re-package it and resell it, in violation of the source code's license.

Um, how about you take your own advice?

https://twitter.com/kapeli/status/867424309274390529 "Dash for iOS is back on the App Store and it's completely free"

https://blog.kapeli.com/dash-for-ios-back-on-the-app-store "TL;DR: Dash for iOS is back on the App Store and it’s completely free."

"Quite a few “developers” have even added it to the App Store themselves, violating the GNU GPL license in the process. Apple has been very responsive in removing these apps, but the developers kept adding it back in different shapes and forms and I got tired to fill the same copyright claim forms over and over.

I’ve made a personal developer account which Apple accepted and the review for Dash for iOS went through without any issues. I hope this will somewhat stave off the pirated copies of Dash from appearing on the App Store. We’ll see.

The macOS version of Dash will continue to be sold exclusively on kapeli.com."

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#243

Post by jiayo »

otterley wrote: post #214

If you truly believe you were treated unfairly against Apple, you think they are in breach of contract or violating the law, and they are threatening your livelihood, then sue them. Complaining on the Internet is unlikely to give you the relief you seek.

Another pumpkin that didn't RTFA.

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#244

Post by Terretta »

cptaj wrote: post #112

This keeps happening again and again in all online marketplaces. Be it amazon, ebay, app stores, etc. This NEEDS to be regulated. If thousands of companies make a living in your marketplace, you simply can't be allowed to take destructive unilateral action against their business without due process. One guy reviewing tickets in a random location worldwide, working for minimum wage, takes a 30 second look at your case…

Apple is regulating, they are regulating a set of things the app developer was deliberately doing that were hostile to users:

"Within 10 days, we updated each of the six applications: removed all rating requests, revised all payment screens in line with Apple's recommendations, added Intercom for swift user assistance, established a help center with articles on canceling trials, requesting refunds, and implemented subscription management directly within the applications."

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#245

Post by DelightOne »

terminous wrote: post #239
munk-a wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Apple isn't able to police this then maybe it's unhealthy for the market to be completely controlled by them. They make billions off the AppStore and their refusal to reinvest in proper moderation (especially for an app worth hundreds of thousands in revenue) is quite telling.

This isn't an Apple problem, it's a problem with every business review platform. If a shady marketing firm takes a contract to give an app fake 5 star reviews, there's no way for the review platform to know if that shady marketing firm was hired by the app's developer or their competitor. Only the marketing firm knows.

Except that Apple ist the gatekeeper here.

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#246

Post by jkestner »

echelon wrote: post #102
judge2020 wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the main draws of iOS is its resistance to malware, adware, and outright scam apps. Requiring third party app stores disproportionately harms those that purchased the device specifically for these purposes (such as people at higher risks of being targeted by nation state actors). And this isn’t something that can be addressed with a new uber-secure product just for these people, because the EU will deem it a g…

> Requiring third party app stores No stores. Web install. Web first class. No "only Safari/webkit engine" limitation. If Apple is so genius, they can solve malware with all of those engineering minds and dollars they have. They don't need to hind behind a store to do that. The tools and techniques are readily available and accessible for a company of their size and stature. Permission layer, app runtime heuristics,…

Apple has in fact already solved these problems satisfactorily, on a platform called macOS. That’s what a smart company does when it knows it can’t put the third-party apps back in the box, and still feels motivated to uphold its reputation for security. iOS is the aberration.

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#247

Post by Terretta »

max_ wrote: post #34

Too long, Don't Read; - OP develops apps - OP's apps get flagged and removed from iOS store for violating Appstore rules. - OP learns his app has been cloned down to the last pixel by one NIGII Technologies - OP learns that NIGII Technologies launched and attack on his "Rolly app" by paying fake accounts to make bogus reviews on OPs app account. - Attacker (NIGII Technologies) purchasing fake reviews to comment on OP…

But, before you write the letter, understand OP knew what they were doing:

"Within 10 days, we updated each of the six applications: removed all rating requests, revised all payment screens in line with Apple's recommendations, added Intercom for swift user assistance, established a help center with articles on canceling trials, requesting refunds, and implemented subscription management directly within the applications."

All methods to juice and retain MRR at users' literal expense.

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#248

Post by threeseed »

adriand wrote: post #5
EwanG wrote: post #2

Honestly, after looking through the "apps" they created and what little I could find about reviews for them, I am having a hard time not feeling that Apple was in the right here. On the other hand, I certainly understand that having your business shut down with little or no notice and right of appeal lies with the "prosecution" can feel crummy.

Seems like an unfair comment. I've had their Boomerang app on my phone for a long time. Made some fun stuff with it in the past, haven't used it in a while, but there wasn't anything particularly wrong with it. Just another niche app.

There are a dozen Boomerang rip-off apps on the App Store.

Would be surprised if you're even using theirs.

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#249

Post by shopvaccer »

quitit wrote: post #211
lapcat wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> One of the main draws of iOS is its resistance to malware, adware, and outright scam apps. The crApp Store is full of scams. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/06/06/apple-a... https://www.wired.com/story/chatgpt-scams-apple-app-store-go... https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/02/pig-b... https://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2021/05/15/apple-ip... https://9to5mac.com/2022/01/11/develo…

I hear your argument, but it's not convincing. Your logic states that because an app can occasionally slip through the review process, that we should remove -all- protections. That isn't better, that's worse. A scam is also a relatively low bar to set for such drastic change, since scams also frequently occur over chat apps and the kinds of access that side-loading and 3rd party stores can avail opens the door to sig…

I've been using an antimalware system which has been highly successful at blocking all sorts of malware. It's where I don't run invasive closed source programs on my computers and give them access to all my shit, and I don't just give my credentials and money to anyone that asks. In other words, basic computer practices from decades ago.

I know that this system may be unattainable for some, namely children, the elderly and the intellectually disabled. But maybe we shouldn't be designing general purpose computers around the lowest common denominators of society, for the same reason you wouldn't design a car for the legally blind or a book for the illiterate.

The nature of smartphones and the internet has some pretty large consequences for the economy, politics, war, and global surveilance. I understand that some people don't know how to manage their own computer, but if you really think everyone's computers should be controlled by dictators and buerocrats maybe you should just go live in a third world country instead.

Re: Developer account removed by Apple

#250

Post by extraduder_ire »

margalabargala wrote: post #88
api wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is Play Store or Steam any better? All these stores are basically little monopolies with zero incentive to not suck. They also suck from a user point of view. Search is terrible, they’re full of shovelware, etc.

Steam has been, and for now continues to be, much better. IMO this is directly due to Gabe Newell's leadership. Taking an attitude of "piracy is a service problem", and proceeding to offer such a good service that it's preferable to pirating, results in a great service for everyone involved. Whether this will outlast GabeN's tenure as CEO remains to be seen, but for now my understanding is that both users and develop…

> Taking an attitude of "piracy is a service problem", and proceeding to offer such a good service that it's preferable to pirating

My favourite way to phrase this is that "steam is the most anti-piracy store available. With piracy, you play games you didn't buy. On steam, you buy games you never play."

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