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

Google Console closed testing requirements are awful

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 52 posts

Re: Google Console closed testing requirements are awful

#31

Post by KronisLV »

AnthonyMouse wrote: post #29
cageface wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The XCode requirement makes some sense because it would take Apple a lot of extra work to port and support their tools on other platforms. Work that they have no incentive to do. But I think the native app market in general has peaked. Most things can be done in a web app now.

The underlying assumption is that Apple is expected to port XCode to some other platform, rather than just using a third party tool on that platform like gcc or VSCode to make iOS apps. Publish a spec and people who want to will make their own tools.

As someone who had to get a MacBook and an iPhone just to develop a mobile app for their ecosystem, it did leave a bit of a sour taste in my mouth and I wish that weren't the case! Surely there could be an open source cross platform IDE and emulator, like Android Studio, which would get me most of the way there regardless of the platform.

Kind of wish they'd partner with JetBrains and we'd get Apple Studio or something.

Re: Google Console closed testing requirements are awful

#33

Post by clumsysmurf »

Ostensibly, the reason why Google did this (according to their blog post) was to increase the quality of Apps in Play, but we all know this is absurd.

A real way they could improve app quality is to improve the quality of the documentation, specifically the javadoc / references (guides are OK mostly) but that requires work from developers (since its literally embedded in the code). There are thousands of classes / methods that have no documentation whatsoever other than that they exist in the first place. No description. No tips. No mention of what happens if you pass null, or ... you get the point.

Of course, you can look at the implementation ... but that is free to change. The documentation is the contract, and at the moment its a very poor contract.

Re: Google Console closed testing requirements are awful

#34

Post by Baloo »

Edd1CC wrote: post #30
Baloo wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen anywhere between $5 - $50 for a <50mb application.

What sort of testing will you get for $50 paying 14 people? Seems rather pointless because no one will take that task seriously

It's just going to be one person, with 20 cheap devices or maybe even emulators. Even now, I get 20 'testers' but it's just to pass the requirement, pretty much none of them offer useable feedback. It's also a simple little word game, there isn't much to test...

Re: Google Console closed testing requirements are awful

#35

Post by Baloo »

sapling-ginger wrote: post #32

HN: NPM is full of trash, anyone can put any garbage package on it, even is-even. Also HN: WTF Google doesn't just allow anyone to put any garbage on the Play store, this is bullshit.

Okay.. but I have to pay $25 to have access to Google Play Console and submit ID documents, it's not really the same as NPM.

This 20 tester requirement also does very little to actually improve quality or stop 'garbage' from being listed.

Re: Google Console closed testing requirements are awful

#36

Post by cageface »

radicaldreamer wrote: post #16
cageface wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The XCode requirement makes some sense because it would take Apple a lot of extra work to port and support their tools on other platforms. Work that they have no incentive to do. But I think the native app market in general has peaked. Most things can be done in a web app now.

Distribution and retention still vastly better on the app stores. Haven’t seen a successful web app match polish on mobile either - react native etc. do though but only when distributed as a native bundle.

Maybe but still the overwhelming majority of app store apps never find an audience or make any real revenue. And polish only matters for certain kinds of apps and even then only after you've identified a real market. Targeting both mobile platforms + all desktops is so much easier on the web.

Re: Google Console closed testing requirements are awful

#37

Post by morbicer »

sapling-ginger wrote: post #32

HN: NPM is full of trash, anyone can put any garbage package on it, even is-even. Also HN: WTF Google doesn't just allow anyone to put any garbage on the Play store, this is bullshit.

a) HN is more than 1 person. People will have various opinions

b) NPM is a repo for open source. Garbage can be easily inspected. I have no issues with packages I am using. Decompiling APKs is not something I am keen to do

c) 20 testers won’t raise Play store quality. Scammers already have click farms or can purchase this for cheap. Better automated review tools and more importantly more humans in loop can help the quality. Maybe submitting code to 3rd party to get some “seal of approval” (not mandatory but boosting score?)

Re: Google Console closed testing requirements are awful

#38

Post by theyinwhy »

KronisLV wrote: post #31
AnthonyMouse wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The underlying assumption is that Apple is expected to port XCode to some other platform, rather than just using a third party tool on that platform like gcc or VSCode to make iOS apps. Publish a spec and people who want to will make their own tools.

As someone who had to get a MacBook and an iPhone just to develop a mobile app for their ecosystem, it did leave a bit of a sour taste in my mouth and I wish that weren't the case! Surely there could be an open source cross platform IDE and emulator, like Android Studio, which would get me most of the way there regardless of the platform. Kind of wish they'd partner with JetBrains and we'd get Apple Studio or somethi…

There was a time: https://www.jetbrains.com/objc/

Re: Google Console closed testing requirements are awful

#39

Post by creamyhorror »

I think Google may just no longer want small/indie apps on the store. Only apps with sufficient monetary or corporate backing to have people test and maintain them.

It's the end of an era for small developers. They can go submit their apps to F-Droid or Aptoide or whatever. That said, these alternative app stores need to be able to function properly on Android, without their apps being removed by Google Play Protect (which I think I've heard of happening).

Post reply on HN