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Apple is threatening to terminate my developer account with no clear reason

andyibanez.com

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Re: Apple is threatening to terminate my developer account with no clear reason

#311

Post by AsyncAwait »

dhosek wrote: post #269
gowld wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of you want to work for Apple at-will, go for it. If your desktop product is good enough, your users will install Linux. Linux runs on Windows and Mac. Your mobile app can be a web app.

I have never heard of a desktop Linux app that made people install Linux to use it.

I know a person who switched because of Docker prior to Docker for Mac being available and stayed because it's still a better experience.

Not a GUI app per se, but an app used on a desktop.

Re: Apple is threatening to terminate my developer account with no clear reason

#312

Post by ryandrake »

morganvachon wrote: post #119
nromiun wrote: post #45

> The big problem is that when Apple tells you that the reasons “are not limited” the ones they listed, it could be anything. They could call my face ugly and remove me from the Developer Program under that reason and tell me it was because of “fraud”. Seriously, just how hard is it for these companies to communicate properly? Would it kill them to send something like "We saw X on your account so we are closing your…

> Sorry for the rant. Don't apologize, your rant is valid and unfortunately this issue is not limited to Apple. Google is infamous for closing accounts and sending an automated message along the lines of "You may have violated a rule. We won't tell you which rule, and we won't offer proof, deal with it." They don't just do this to their free users, it's happened to businesses using paid Google services for their core…

Not defending, but look at it from the attacker's point of view: The more information the target divulges about their process, the more accurate a playbook you are able to develop about what kinds of attacks the target will and won't allow.

When you type your password into your computer, if you do it incorrectly, you get a generic error like "That didn't work, try again". If instead the OS gave out more specific hints, like "Your username is good but your password isn't" and "You tried 9 characters, but your password is not 9 characters", it would only make things easier for the attacker.

Re: Apple is threatening to terminate my developer account with no clear reason

#313

Post by taylus »

> All the skills I have built over the course of almost a decade are obsolete now, because I do not imagine myself working for other people as an iOS dev without having my own hobby iOS apps on the App Store. It feels like all the blogging I have been doing has been a waste because I cannot participate in the knowledge I myself write, and it’s pointless to engage in the knowledge of others if I cannot try what they write.

The fact that a faceless entity can lock you out of developing like this is just wrong. I fear for the future of such closed off ecosystems.

Re: Apple is threatening to terminate my developer account with no clear reason

#314

Post by root_axis »

zbentley wrote: post #185
Yetanfou wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And that, dear reader, is why you should host your own infrastructure on your own network connection. Besides being cheaper than using hosted services it: - protects you from this type of arbitrary abuse of power - helps in keeping third parties from mining you for all your data - helps in resisting censorship - protects you from surprise changes or cancellations of services (Google Reader, Google+, Microsoft PlaysFo…

> on your own network connection ISPs can ban users just as capriciously as any other company. And they do. Decentralized internet alternatives are both harder to use (and "host your own infrastructure" is already impossibly hard for the vast majority of people) and too limited to be useful. It's time to accept that and emergent behavior of the internet is to become more centralized, not less.

Do they? Could you provide some examples of this? The only time I've heard of ISPs banning users are in the case of piracy or otherwise illegal activity which isn't capricious at all.

Re: Apple is threatening to terminate my developer account with no clear reason

#315

Post by Yetanfou »

Aeolun wrote: post #309
twothamendment wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of us have only one ISP to pick from. I look forward to seeing what Starlink can offer, just so I know who to call if my ISP decides they don't like me. Nothing would kill my data freedom like a lack of pipeline.

This wouldn’t solve the problem though, as starlink would just be your new ISP.

If traditional ISPs including Starlink and the other upcoming satellite-based access providers all end up blocking you [1] there are other ways of getting linked up, even though they come at the cost of performance and ease of use. Mesh networks can be used for the 'last mile', I2P or similar 'darknet' protocols can be used to get content spread, a willing neighbour could hook you up through wifi and tor, etc. Do mind that this is not a goal in and of itself, it would be a way to continue to be connected to the 'net in the face of a total blockade by regular commercial access providers. Where there is a will there is a way.

[1] If everybody is out to block you it might also be time to wonder why they're all blocking you...

Re: Apple is threatening to terminate my developer account with no clear reason

#316

Post by bauerd »

eythian wrote: post #283
bauerd wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Supermarkets already exist that don't accept cash (in NL at least)

AH also doesn't accept credit card. Not sure what non-locals are supposed to do if they don't have a maestro card. I guess there aren't many non-locals at the moment, but it must be weird for cash-accustomed Germans visiting.

I'm German and was quite surprised indeed :-)

Re: Apple is threatening to terminate my developer account with no clear reason

#317

Post by CM30 »

BiteCode_dev wrote: post #64

And Apple is not even an isolated case. Google will close gmail accounts, take away adsense revenues, or remove youtube videos on a whim. Visa blocked users from giving their money to political causes they decided didn't aligned with their view of the world. For years Microsoft made it super hard to buy hardware without paying the Windows licence. They killed xbox remotely. They have invasive telemetry in Win 10. Pay…

> Visa blocked users from giving their money to political causes they decided didn't aligned with their view of the world.

Visa and their competitors (Mastercard et al) are companies that should almost certainly be investigated over antitrust concerns and regulated like utillities. The fact they have so much control over things like online payments should be absolutely terrifying.

But yeah, this is why we should definitely avoid giving large companies too much power, and arguably avoid relying on them as much as possible in general.

Re: Apple is threatening to terminate my developer account with no clear reason

#318

Post by usr1106 »

bryanrasmussen wrote: post #208
ksec wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Visa blocked users from giving their money to political causes they decided didn't aligned with their view of the world. That is why I am absolutely against abolishing paper cash. Edit: I know there are countries where you have a democratically elected representatives and every part of the government and even companies is held ( more or less ) accountable to the people and does not need to worry ( much ) about big b…

I'm in Denmark, I believe this is pretty much the best example of the kind of country you are talking about, unfortunately I have some personal problems along various spectrums that mean I am not good at keeping track of things that I cannot control through a computer, anyway Denmark went nearly cashless for a bit and because of my personal problems I did not have a credit card for a portion of that time. A cashless…

This morning I there was an article in Finnish news that a bank stopped a 50€ bank transfer with the subject "Hasan" (obviosly a first name common Afghanistan). A reason was even given: A match with some unnamed sanction list.

Maybe somebody should try to get the word "tax" on a sanction list...

Re: Apple is threatening to terminate my developer account with no clear reason

#319

Post by usr1106 »

kabacha wrote: post #121
ksec wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Visa blocked users from giving their money to political causes they decided didn't aligned with their view of the world. That is why I am absolutely against abolishing paper cash. Edit: I know there are countries where you have a democratically elected representatives and every part of the government and even companies is held ( more or less ) accountable to the people and does not need to worry ( much ) about big b…

At one point abolishing paper cash is even remotely plausible? maybe in 100 years? So far cash rules majority of the world and I don't see it going away any time soon.

I have not used any cash since beginning of April. Normally I use more cash than the average person in my situation here. But since corona using cash is often seen as being anti-social, disrespecting other's health, so I did not want to be provocative. Last week libraries fully opened and I took a couple of photocopies for 30 cents/page. They have stopped accepting cash, so I paid by credit card.

This is Finland, YMMV.

Re: Apple is threatening to terminate my developer account with no clear reason

#320

Post by TheKarateKid »

CM30 wrote: post #317
BiteCode_dev wrote: post #64

And Apple is not even an isolated case. Google will close gmail accounts, take away adsense revenues, or remove youtube videos on a whim. Visa blocked users from giving their money to political causes they decided didn't aligned with their view of the world. For years Microsoft made it super hard to buy hardware without paying the Windows licence. They killed xbox remotely. They have invasive telemetry in Win 10. Pay…

> Visa blocked users from giving their money to political causes they decided didn't aligned with their view of the world. Visa and their competitors (Mastercard et al) are companies that should almost certainly be investigated over antitrust concerns and regulated like utillities. The fact they have so much control over things like online payments should be absolutely terrifying. But yeah, this is why we should defi…

Agreed, but they have the government wrapped around their finger. I can NOT believe the IRS issued Visa prepaid debit cards as a refund check. Now Visa can profit off of their 2-4% transaction fee to the merchant AND many consumers who use the card at an unaffiliated ATM.
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