Google just deleted my nearly 10-year-old free and open-source Android app • Hacker News Board

Re: Google just deleted my nearly 10-year-old free and open-source Android app

#301

Post by corrigible » Thu, Aug 29, 2019, 2:09 PM UTC

GhettoMaestro wrote: post #284

echelon wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't want to live in your locked-down Disney with the death sentence world. That's fine for you to want it, but don't impose it on me. I want freedom and liberty to do what I want with the devices I own. I want to develop without fear that these two megacorps can shut me down on a whim for developing something against their ideology. The web isn't like that. Windows wasn't like that. Today we live in a Fischer-Pri…

Your ideal state of Internet / Tech companies is definitely in the minority contrasted to overall expectations the broader population has put on these devices and services. Yeah, we get it, you're smart. I'm smart. Most people here are smart. But protections still matter. What you're saying is I don't want to wear a seatbelt when driving my car. Sure that is your choice - but I think it is a very foolish one.

People are, in fact, free to forego the use of a seatbelt.

Re: Google just deleted my nearly 10-year-old free and open-source Android app

#302

Post by dna_polymerase » Thu, Aug 29, 2019, 2:09 PM UTC

echelon wrote: post #242

laingc wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personally, as an iOS user, I do not want the App Store opened up at all. Currently, I can go to the App Store, install any app, and be about 99.9% confident that the app will do me (or my technologically illiterate mother) absolutely no harm. This is something I value highly, and am happy to pay the “Apple premium” for.

I don't want to live in your locked-down Disney with the death sentence world. That's fine for you to want it, but don't impose it on me. I want freedom and liberty to do what I want with the devices I own. I want to develop without fear that these two megacorps can shut me down on a whim for developing something against their ideology. The web isn't like that. Windows wasn't like that. Today we live in a Fischer-Pri…

> That's fine for you to want it, but don't impose it on me.

Who imposes this onto you? I have a great idea for you if you dislike the App Store: Don't buy an Apple Device. Turns out Apple doesn't owe you shit. Oh, also the same "get off my lawn" libertarian viewpoint of yours can be claimed by Apple. They might want the same liberty (to do as they like with their platform).

Re: Google just deleted my nearly 10-year-old free and open-source Android app

#303

Post by cameronbrown » Thu, Aug 29, 2019, 2:10 PM UTC

wil421 wrote: post #199

cbanek wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This also makes me feel even more strongly that the FTC should really clamp down on these very strict app stores. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/amicus_briefs/app... Both the App Store and Google Play stores I think are basically illegal monopolies. I should be able to install whatever app I want, without having to jailbreak my phone and deal with warranty nonsense from the manufacturer. Just like my comp…

Long time iOS user and I don’t want to open the App Store. If you look at something like the Nintendo Switch’s eShop, you can get download codes from retailers. I believe retailers get some cut from the sale. Maybe apple could open it up in an indirect way. In the video game console world you’ve never been able to install your own games. I can’t do it with my car infotainment system either and they have a crude App S…

Just because other systems are locked down crap doesn't mean they all need to be like that.

The car is probably an exception because close to unbreakable security is.. desirable there.

Re: Google just deleted my nearly 10-year-old free and open-source Android app

#304

Post by aurbano » Thu, Aug 29, 2019, 2:11 PM UTC

I ran a website that I first coded when I was 14-15, then kept improving over the years. It was for amateur electronic music producers to upload their tracks and after a few years there were several thousand active users, generating ~$400/month in AdSense.

One day a relatively famous DJ tweeted a link to a song on the website, and that day alone generated close to $300, so 19 year old me thought he was about to earn his first $1000 in one month from a website! But Google decided to block the account because I guess that spike in traffic was too much, even though it all came from Twitter...

So suddenly I was left with this website I had invested hundreds of hours in, and no way to monetise it. I tried a few other ad networks but they all seemed really dodgy and in the end decided to leave it with no ads.

There really needs to be more regulation in this space.

Re: Google just deleted my nearly 10-year-old free and open-source Android app

#305

Post by theandrewbailey » Thu, Aug 29, 2019, 2:11 PM UTC

huffmsa wrote: post #167

maehwasu wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds like exactly what you'd expect from a company that is bleeding talent and morale. Note: I do not have any information that that is what is happening in Google; I'm just saying what my guess would be if I were presented the situation as "these are the symptoms at Company X. What is the problem?"

And you're likely not far off. It's a pretty well tested principle that massive familial wealth usually disappears by the 3rd or 4th generation (because the descendents regress to the norm in terms of ability) and it looks like we're seeing the same at Google. They've got too little "real" work for the number of hands they need to keep busy, so unqualified people are going back and "improving" the work of the 1st and…

That doesn't line up with the fact that Google kills existing apps all the time, and look at this new Google communications platform.

Re: Google just deleted my nearly 10-year-old free and open-source Android app

#306

Post by okmokmz » Thu, Aug 29, 2019, 2:11 PM UTC

GhettoMaestro wrote: post #284

echelon wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't want to live in your locked-down Disney with the death sentence world. That's fine for you to want it, but don't impose it on me. I want freedom and liberty to do what I want with the devices I own. I want to develop without fear that these two megacorps can shut me down on a whim for developing something against their ideology. The web isn't like that. Windows wasn't like that. Today we live in a Fischer-Pri…

Your ideal state of Internet / Tech companies is definitely in the minority contrasted to overall expectations the broader population has put on these devices and services. Yeah, we get it, you're smart. I'm smart. Most people here are smart. But protections still matter. What you're saying is I don't want to wear a seatbelt when driving my car. Sure that is your choice - but I think it is a very foolish one.

>What you're saying is I don't want to wear a seatbelt when driving my car

I don't think that is a good analogy in this case. It's more like he's trying to do a repair on his car, and he wants to be able to use some cheap parts sourced from elsewhere but the manufacturer has made it so only their parts will work. Sure, maybe the parts that don't come directly from the manufacturer will blow up my car, but I'd still have the freedom to choose than be locked down by some massive corporation because they say they're keeping me safe.

Re: Google just deleted my nearly 10-year-old free and open-source Android app

#307

Post by otakucode » Thu, Aug 29, 2019, 2:13 PM UTC

userbinator wrote: post #203

Havoc wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>When did thing go so horribly wrong? When every company and their dog decided their content needs an app. Instead of using the nicely standardized thing called http and web browsers. That moved us from http straight to corporate technical fiefdoms with no control.

Instead of using the nicely standardized thing called http and web browsers. ...of which Google effectively controls the standard because they have a majority of browser usage.

And will continue to do so because anyone who wants to create a new browser will be locked out of supporting EME by Google as we've already seen happen a couple times. Then once they get rid of the address bar and URLs, the only way to find anything on the web will be through a search which Google happens to also dominate in.

Re: Google just deleted my nearly 10-year-old free and open-source Android app

#308

Post by skinnymuch » Thu, Aug 29, 2019, 2:13 PM UTC

gwd wrote: post #183

oblio wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could just not void the warranty (more or less) for installing apps from other sources. Your mom always uses the App Store, everybody else is happy.

But there's more to the issue than just safety checking. The "App store tax" really is like a tax: it helps pay for developing the platform necessary for the apps to run on. Without that revenue, Apple would have to start looking for other ways of getting revenue -- for instance, selling my personal data.

Apple charges $100 a year which provides some money. Their 30% charge can’t possibly be mostly a tax in the way you’re saying. Don’t they lower their cut of iAPs to 15% after first year? Likely still making a profit on that. What additional things is Apple doing for the additional 15% to 30% at first for iAP subscriptions, or for normal purchases, or for one time iAPs?

I’m not saying Apple is wrong to make as much profit as they want. But to say any more than a 10% take at most (likely less) is a tax to have the ecosystem running can’t be true. Not with the $100 a year on top as well.

Re: Google just deleted my nearly 10-year-old free and open-source Android app

#309

Post by cameronbrown » Thu, Aug 29, 2019, 2:15 PM UTC

jacobush wrote: post #157

janoc wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True. And about as helpful as offering a coat to a dead man. It is not a problem that is retroactively fixable by other means than by what they are doing now. They could take Android closed source and put a restrictive license on it demanding that timely updates as a condition of use. All that would achieve is that the large vendors will either stick with the old, still free to use, Android or start working on their…

Everything you said rings true, except the part about proprietary license. That's orthogonal to enforcing updates. That is a contractual issue, not a licensing issue. Google could for instance not allow the manufacturer to connect to their Google Play store unless the manufacturer played ball. But where does this all put us? We are OK with crap, insecure devices being shoved all over the markets? What can be done.

> Google could for instance not allow the manufacturer to connect to their Google Play store unless the manufacturer played ball.

Very true but I think the point GP was trying to make was that Samsung is bigger bthan Apple and would have enough influence to get a lot developers to work on its platform instead.

Re: Google just deleted my nearly 10-year-old free and open-source Android app

#310

Post by spaginal » Thu, Aug 29, 2019, 2:16 PM UTC

GhettoMaestro wrote: post #284

echelon wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't want to live in your locked-down Disney with the death sentence world. That's fine for you to want it, but don't impose it on me. I want freedom and liberty to do what I want with the devices I own. I want to develop without fear that these two megacorps can shut me down on a whim for developing something against their ideology. The web isn't like that. Windows wasn't like that. Today we live in a Fischer-Pri…

Your ideal state of Internet / Tech companies is definitely in the minority contrasted to overall expectations the broader population has put on these devices and services. Yeah, we get it, you're smart. I'm smart. Most people here are smart. But protections still matter. What you're saying is I don't want to wear a seatbelt when driving my car. Sure that is your choice - but I think it is a very foolish one.

That’s a wrong analogy.

If you want to stay with cars, it’s like Google saying when you buy their car, you are only allowed to go to 6 pre determined destinations in their vehicles.

Some people find comfort in the lack of choice, since they know the drive won’t be “dangerous”, but for the rest of us, we want to make the choice of destination ourselves.

We simply want the choice to open our options without these companies punishing the consumer over making a choice with a very expensive piece of hardware we own.

This scenario still doesn’t prevent Apple and Google from providing their tightly controlled closed garden of choices for those that want it that way, but for the rest of us, we get our freedom back.