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Google un-bans Downloader app, but developer still mad about “broken” DMCA

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Re: Google un-bans Downloader app, but developer still mad about “broken” DMCA

#61

Post by fluoridation »

salawat wrote: post #48
datadeft wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you think that you can easily reach the same userbase with a 3rd party installation process as the official app store one?

Yes. How do you think we did it in the bad ole days? Don't fall for the propensity of Big Tech to scare you away from general purpose computing. If you're capable of writing, testing, and publishing an app in the first place, you have an obligation to educate the public about just what the nature of the sacrifices are that are being made by accepting a "walled garden" status quo for computing. If you're only in it fo…

If you have to educate each potential user before you can turn it into an actual user, then necessarily your userbase is going to be smaller than if you didn't require that education step.

Re: Google un-bans Downloader app, but developer still mad about “broken” DMCA

#62

Post by JohnGB »

Google's entire process is opaque and open to dodgy behaviour. I had an app which was growing really well with about 5-10k downloads a day growing at about 20% a week and an average rating of 4.8 stars over a few thousand reviews. Suddenly this is tanking overnight and when we look into the data, we have twice as many new uninstalls per day as we do downloads a day. Next to no uninstalls from existing users, no change in the ratings, and no technical outages. It looked like a bot farm was just installing and immediately (as in less than a minute later) uninstalling the app over and over again. Google decided that this meant the app was bad, and we went from position 2-5 for our main keywords to not even in the top 50 overnight. I tried appealing, and tried getting information, but Google did absolutely nothing about it.

Re: Google un-bans Downloader app, but developer still mad about “broken” DMCA

#63

Post by causi »

4pkjai wrote: post #5

I had an app that was making about $10,000 USD a month. It was taken down by Google because apparently I copied some other developer's iOS app. I asked them to tell me the name of the iOS app they believed I copied. They named the iOS version of my Android app. They basically accused me of copying myself because the Android version was under my company's name while the iOS version was under my name. Google unbanned t…

I wonder how much money it unjustly costs other people for every dollar Google saves on support personnel costs.

Re: Google un-bans Downloader app, but developer still mad about “broken” DMCA

#65

Post by mynonameaccount »

4pkjai wrote: post #5

I had an app that was making about $10,000 USD a month. It was taken down by Google because apparently I copied some other developer's iOS app. I asked them to tell me the name of the iOS app they believed I copied. They named the iOS version of my Android app. They basically accused me of copying myself because the Android version was under my company's name while the iOS version was under my name. Google unbanned t…

sounds like a lawsuit?

Re: Google un-bans Downloader app, but developer still mad about “broken” DMCA

#66

Post by ravenstine »

datadeft wrote: post #13
4pkjai wrote: post #5

I had an app that was making about $10,000 USD a month. It was taken down by Google because apparently I copied some other developer's iOS app. I asked them to tell me the name of the iOS app they believed I copied. They named the iOS version of my Android app. They basically accused me of copying myself because the Android version was under my company's name while the iOS version was under my name. Google unbanned t…

This is exactly the reason I would have never considered to build any apps. I have had couple of ideas but the risk is to big that a faceless corporation is going cancel your business without any reason and visibility.

Same. I would totally consider dropping web development and developing apps if Apple and The Google behaved more reasonably towards developers. I've heard enough stories, including those from people I know IRL, to stay the hell away from mobile development as a form of self-employment income.

Re: Google un-bans Downloader app, but developer still mad about “broken” DMCA

#67

Post by ravenstine »

the_pwner224 wrote: post #60
datadeft wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is exactly the reason I would have never considered to build any apps. I have had couple of ideas but the risk is to big that a faceless corporation is going cancel your business without any reason and visibility.

Google can also take your website out of their search results, or derank you a lot. That would effectively be a death penalty for many online businesses.

Fair point, though The Google's search matters less and less as the days go by.

But the difference with websites is that there's always an alternative. If The Google decides your site is wrongthink or their superior AI intelligence flags your site for infringing on your own copyright, there are countless other ways to make your site seen elsewhere.

Let's face it, nobody's going to sideload your mobile app without installing it through an app store unless your app is in the position to say F-U to The Google like Tik Tok, Twitter, Instagram, and so on. People will visit a website that's been posted on social media or linked on some blog, but they won't download an APK.

Re: Google un-bans Downloader app, but developer still mad about “broken” DMCA

#68

Post by datadeft »

salawat wrote: post #48
datadeft wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you think that you can easily reach the same userbase with a 3rd party installation process as the official app store one?

Yes. How do you think we did it in the bad ole days? Don't fall for the propensity of Big Tech to scare you away from general purpose computing. If you're capable of writing, testing, and publishing an app in the first place, you have an obligation to educate the public about just what the nature of the sacrifices are that are being made by accepting a "walled garden" status quo for computing. If you're only in it fo…

I am not talking about some imaginary good old days vs now but using a 3rd party install process vs the official one in the context of installing Android applications.

I think you would reach a fraction of the userbase with a 3rd party process due to several factors.

Re: Google un-bans Downloader app, but developer still mad about “broken” DMCA

#70

Post by Rakshith »

Well they recently unbanned my youtube/youtube music account too after writing to them a second time, its been about a few months without those accounts. They said it doesnt violate their policies after saying it did the last time. Are there any grounds to sue them for this?
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