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Apple removes then restores DoNotPay app in the App Store

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Re: Apple removes then restores DoNotPay app in the App Store

#61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Define computing. I am free to write and distribute computation via Javascript in Safari. Should computing be lower level? How low? From the bootchain? Who decides at what layer “free computing” should be wedged into a product? Why can’t Apple make that decision for themselves?

Well... you can completely reprogram the device, if you have the tools and knowledge for it. Apple has no obligation to make this process easy or even possible, and if the users still buy their products, they clearly don't care enough about these restrictions.

Not caring is precisely the problem. A problem that leads to erosion of ownership. And this leads to a form of communism. Apple, Google, etc. are in some ways similar to the state in communist regimes. They own everything but they promise to give you fair access until they don't.

Re: Apple removes then restores DoNotPay app in the App Store

#62
post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Computers, especially those with massive market share, should be open to 3rd party installs. Why? If you don't like it, don't buy their product. I think iPhone is shit because of this, and other tactics to lock the user in, so I don't use it and wouldn't recommend it to anybody.

Maybe iOS devices should come with a big warning label like cigarettes: Warning: Apple solely controls what apps you can run on this device

I find that to be a fair proposal.

Re: Apple removes then restores DoNotPay app in the App Store

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That app is called "email"

Only if you capture their email address which isn't necessary for most apps.

And which Apple anyway can now prevent you from doing (by explicitly requiring Sign In with Apple and letting users turn off email forwarding).

Re: Apple removes then restores DoNotPay app in the App Store

#64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That app is called "email"

Only if you capture their email address which isn't necessary for most apps.

I m surprised by the resilience of email as a communication channel. We need to extend it to carry notifications and ephemeral messages as well. There's no need to lock up tech behind the gates of google and apple

Re: Apple removes then restores DoNotPay app in the App Store

#65
After the reversal, Developers are chanting "Awesome", "This is great", "Running to Twitter helped", etc etc. Not a single developer asked why and how did it happen in the first place.

The original purpose of the App Store guidelines were to protect the users / customers. And it did!. It worked great. And Apple charge you 30% for Digital Goods. And nothing for physical goods. It was Fair. 30% for the likes of Gaming, Productivity Apps such as Office, Camera, Calendar, Photo Editing etc etc. That was fine. And true to its words, Steve's Apple had all the rationale in nearly all rejection cases.

These days App Store policy is much more about rent seeking, their sole purpose is no longer serving its users and customer's best interest. But used in every opportunity to extract more revenues from these Apps and Services. Not to mention how many of these letters from Apple suggest Developers of Free ( as in beer ) Apps contributed nothing to the App Store and act as a "Free Rider" on Apple's platform. Compounded by Tim Cook's comment on App Store and being user first.

Normally I give some benefits of doubt to CEO as they may not be on top of all the things happening in a company. But judging from the Apple vs IMG and Apple vs Qualcomm cases I think he knows exactly what he is doing.

This whole things stinks and reeks of hypocrisy to me.

Re: Apple removes then restores DoNotPay app in the App Store

#66

This demonstrates the amazing power of social media. It only took 2-3 hours for one of the largest, most powerful corporations, to reverse their decision.

I am afraid not.

Prior to the current Anti-Trust issues on App Store policy, Apple doesn't even bother responding to people out rage on twitter. Even if they did it takes days and sometimes weeks to get something resolved.

The only reason they are having such turn around time now is only because they are under scrutiny.

Re: Apple removes then restores DoNotPay app in the App Store

#67
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't most consoles require the software loaded from said physical media to be made with the manufactuer's SDK and signed by their private key?

Yes, but this was not always true and even today that key can eventually be extracted like it was extracted on Intel CPUs.

And the extraction is illegal.

Re: Apple removes then restores DoNotPay app in the App Store

#68
post #65

After the reversal, Developers are chanting "Awesome", "This is great", "Running to Twitter helped", etc etc. Not a single developer asked why and how did it happen in the first place. The original purpose of the App Store guidelines were to protect the users / customers. And it did!. It worked great. And Apple charge you 30% for Digital Goods. And nothing for physical goods. It was Fair. 30% for the likes of Gaming,…

> Not a single developer asked why and how did it happen in the first place.

A human reviewer applied the app store policies as best she understood them but in the end was mistaken and the decision was reversed.

Review systems like this are better when they optimize for false positives rather than false negatives because of the fence leaning problem. If you give publishers the the benefit of the doubt then the result is people cozying right up to the fence of allowable behavior or leaning juuuust over it but not enough to trigger a ban. However, if you throw down the banhammer on everyone near the fence regardless of what side they're on people will actually say clear of it.

Re: Apple removes then restores DoNotPay app in the App Store

#69
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't happen in a world where the DOJ forces Apple to open up the platform to 3rd party installs. It's a computer, and the most popular computer in the US. It's also the only computer a lot of people own. It's not a dedicated gaming device - people use iPhone to call, edit media, find jobs, pay for things, calculate, date, do email. It's a computer. Arguments like "but you can't install on a Nintendo" aren't equiv…

> Computers, especially those with massive market share, should be open to 3rd party installs. Why? If you don't like it, don't buy their product. I think iPhone is shit because of this, and other tactics to lock the user in, so I don't use it and wouldn't recommend it to anybody.

I think relying on perfect information from the consumer is a little naive?

It's easy to (say) find the phone with the best camera, but you never know you need freedom until it's too late.

Re: Apple removes then restores DoNotPay app in the App Store

#70
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless they reverse their course themselves, it's only a matter of time before they're deservedly hit with antitrust.

Antitrust with 13% market share. Good luck explaining that one to the judge.

I've seen this comment repeatedly on this site. Presumably the posters making it don't actually believe we have a world government that rules over all countries, yet they keep making the assumption antitrust rulings happen over world market share.
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