To me it looks like when they published their app from the US, they got all valid reasons for a rejection. The fact that Toshl's app was present for an year with all these faults is not a good argument for being automatically accepted.
Why Publishing on the Windows Phone is Like Walking Barefoot On Broken Glass
31–40 of 96 posts
Re: Why Publishing on the Windows Phone is Like Walking Barefoot On Broken Glass
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
It took android a couple of years after it was launched to actually take off...
That's inaccurate. HTC had a record-setting quarter with the introduction of the G1 at the end of 2008, and the Dream was also a bestselling device. By the second year Android was outselling iPhone (which had been the fastest selling phone in history up to that point). Android was, by all reasonable measures, an explosive and rapid success. One could argue it took a few months to "take off", but its sales numbers hav…
It's fantastic.
Either it'll eventually take off, or else either Apple or Google will copy all the good ideas and I'll switch back. Either way works for me, frankly.
(Well, no, that's not entirely true. I'd prefer it take off next year and Nokia survives intact, because nobody else is making hardware that isn't hopelessly bland looking.)
Re: Why Publishing on the Windows Phone is Like Walking Barefoot On Broken Glass
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
Who would get offended by that? It's not even close to offensive.
Note the country list: "Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, United Arab Emirates"
The offensive content problem may even have something to do with the appearance of their "monster" character being confusingly similar to typical portrayals of the devil (red character with horns), which itself is can be an offensive image in many cultures regardless of context. That's why feedback is so important in these review processes, especially with something so subjective.
As an aside, the devil thing isn't isolated to non-Western countries either. Linda Branagan famously recalls one instance of where the BSD "Daemon" mascot, which also looks devil-like, nearly got her into real trouble in Texas: http://rmitz.org/freebsd.daemon.html
Re: Why Publishing on the Windows Phone is Like Walking Barefoot On Broken Glass
#34What I find fascinating is the app store URL. It includes en-US and the app is identified by a GUID so you have no chance of working out what it is other than clicking on the link. Locales of fr-CA and fr-FR worked but not en-UK or en-GB. Apple has a country code, the app name and a numeric id. But the app name is just decoration and is ignored, so you could easily mislead by putting in anything you want. From the co…
I disagree that the long URL is a problem because I don't see people typing in mobile app store URLs. Either they search on the name or click a link. I do agree that it would be nice to have an app name that matters somewhere in the URL.
Re: Why Publishing on the Windows Phone is Like Walking Barefoot On Broken Glass
#35Windows might not be worth it for most developers. But it can be very worth while for a few.
Some months ago we had someone post how well their app was doing on Windows Marketplace vs Android's and Apple's simply because there's so little competition. In Apple and Andriod's marketplaces their app was just one out of thousands but it was so much easier to find and advertise on Windows' Marketplace that the Windows phone sold the most units of all 3. Their windows phone app made the developer more money than the other 2 combined.
So it all depends on what you're developing and who your target market is. Despite the tiny market share and other problems, Windows Phone users aren't app-phobic. They want apps too.
I am envious of your patience and persistence. However, I'm confused about your refusal to censor yourself.
Rather than get rid of unnecessary syncing messages referring to sex toys you instead refused to publish the app in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, United Arab Emirates? All because you didn't want to censor yourself? Who are you trying to impress? You're a business, not a freedom fighter. You're preventing people in other countries from enjoying your app. Why punish the people of a country based on the controlling manipulative laws their politicians put in place. Everyone's country is imperfect.
Re: Why Publishing on the Windows Phone is Like Walking Barefoot On Broken Glass
#36Windows might not be worth it for most developers. But it can be very worth while for a few. Some months ago we had someone post how well their app was doing on Windows Marketplace vs Android's and Apple's simply because there's so little competition. In Apple and Andriod's marketplaces their app was just one out of thousands but it was so much easier to find and advertise on Windows' Marketplace that the Windows pho…
Chris, I think you missed the part that they don't know why the app is considered immoral. They're just making a guess that it's that particular message. If they take it out, and the app is still immoral, then what?
Re: Why Publishing on the Windows Phone is Like Walking Barefoot On Broken Glass
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
Who would get offended by that? It's not even close to offensive.
Note the country list: "Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, United Arab Emirates"
Malaysian here. We do have a large, extremely devout conservative demographic here, so I can see why Microsoft would choose to be on the safe side. Plenty of foreign artistes were banned from holding concerts here due to perceived lack of morals.
On the other hand, our newspapers regularly publish raunchier content without much fanfare.
It's a fascinating place really.
Re: Why Publishing on the Windows Phone is Like Walking Barefoot On Broken Glass
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
Who would get offended by that? It's not even close to offensive.
No, it's not offensive at all. But software can cast a net across seven billion people and there are plenty who would be upset at the idea of even the slightest innuendo. It's irrational, it's not fun, and it's kind of a sad commentary on humanity, but these are the rules of the game.
Apple manages to struggle along with equally "offensive" jokes in Siri.
Re: Why Publishing on the Windows Phone is Like Walking Barefoot On Broken Glass
#39So much for Balmer's "developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers developers...."
Windows Phone 8: Gaining Apps, Software Developer Support: http://www.thevarguy.com/2012/07/12/windows-phone-8-apps-mob...
Windows 8 -- sorry if you bought into WP7... But this time...
Re: Why Publishing on the Windows Phone is Like Walking Barefoot On Broken Glass
#40Windows might not be worth it for most developers. But it can be very worth while for a few. Some months ago we had someone post how well their app was doing on Windows Marketplace vs Android's and Apple's simply because there's so little competition. In Apple and Andriod's marketplaces their app was just one out of thousands but it was so much easier to find and advertise on Windows' Marketplace that the Windows pho…
Chris, I think you missed the part that they don't know why the app is considered immoral. They're just making a guess that it's that particular message. If they take it out, and the app is still immoral, then what?
I can't speak for other countries, but for Malaysia, that sentence alone probably won't get the app into any trouble.
I have a feeling this is a case of somebody at Microsoft erring too much on the side of caution.