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Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

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Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#621

Post by asddubs »

blackearl wrote: post #495
0xEFF wrote: post #359

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you expect to see a box on a shelf of any retail store labeled, “Amphetamine” with a colorful picture of drugs? It’s entirely reasonable for the retail store to tell the vendor to rename the product or else it will be removed from the shelf.

You've never seen the energy drink shelf? "Cocaine" gained notoriety specifically for this. Go to any gas station to see similarly edgy boner pills, designer drugs like bath salts, things that are genuinely more dangerous. The dev makes a good point that there are much more explicit iOS games and it's odd for Apple to single him out.

to be fair, gas stations are basically the bottom of the barrel when it comes to retail venues.

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#622

Post by webmobdev »

tomasf wrote: post #425
freehunter wrote: post #279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I download and use the app despite the name. I’m not okay with it, but I need the features it offers and there isn’t a better alternative with a better name. There used to be (called Caffeine) but it disappeared from the store and I’m not sure why. Just because people use the app doesn’t mean they like the name.

[Caffeine's original developer here] I removed Caffeine from the App Store when Apple started complaining that a click on a menu bar icon for an app without a dock icon must always show a menu (offering a Quit option). I wanted it to toggle the active state instead and show the menu on right-click/cmd-click.

> I removed Caffeine from the App Store when Apple started complaining

Good for you! That is exactly what everyone needs do when Apple starts being pointlessly petty. Yes, operating systems have UI guidelines. But they are guidelines - sometimes a developer may come up with something better, especially for power users, and no such developer should have to waste time trying to communicate and convince some committee of this, and worse, wait for an approval from them to launch the product.

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#623

Post by floatingatoll »

EricE wrote: post #620
floatingatoll wrote: post #565

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not here to help you determine whether you should care or not. That's entirely up to you. For some unknown reason you seem to care, and I certainly can't figure out why from the replies so far. As best as I can guess from the evidence available, you're looking for some vector to "No, you're wrong!" disprove some aspect of my personal view of this. This will, of course, go nowhere. I didn't submit my personal view…

>I'm not here to help you determine whether you should care or not. Other than attention seeking what was the point of your original post? It certainly wasn't for dialog since you can't have a dialog unless you are willing to put all the points of discussion on the table. People are rightly puzzled by your posting because this site is about dialog - not one direction orations. That you are attempting to act "above th…

I can think of several interesting and relevant dialogues that could occur, but I also predicted that a viewpoint on this topic not couched in SSC-compatible rationality terms would be rejected and attacked by other HN commenters. Having confirmed that prediction, I’m content not to share any further details about my biasing experiences so as not to offend further, and avoid being emotionally vulnerable to y’all in the process. Or, restated, I was able to verify that the non-logical nature of my experiences and viewpoint remains intolerable within HN’s limits as a forum. I will continue to keep this in mind going forward as I have previously but it’s necessary to recheck assumptions now and then and this served that purpose acceptably.

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#624

Post by webmobdev »

pixelatedindex wrote: post #339
jkmcf wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The HOA stereotype definitely is, but all HOAs are not the same. My HOA is generally hands off but you do need to ask permission for structural or cosmetic changes -- the neighborhood doesn't want to look like an amusement park. But, no one is going around measuring the height of your grass or other overly strict things I've read about. However, I did just get a nasty gram to take down my political "Giant Meteor for…

> the neighborhood doesn't want to look like an amusement park. I do think this is where a lot of the HOA problems come from - if someone wants to put something up on their front yard or lawn, then neighbors can intervene and say you can’t do that there. Since you bought the property and it’s yours, why do others get to have a say in it? I know I don’t give two hoots about what the neighbor does to their own home.

> I know I don’t give two hoots about what the neighbor does to their own home.

You don't give a damn till you need to sell off your property. Once it is in the market, you don't want your neighbours attitude turning of potential buyers, or worse, bringing down the value of your property. (I hate HOA's too, but a decently run one does help increase property value).

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#625

Post by nsajko »

adhder wrote: post #275
trestenhortz wrote: post #6

Incredibly insensitive product naming. I’m guessing the software authors don’t have children and don’t have multiple friends and family who’s lives have been destroyed by meth. Instead it’s just a bro having cool fun with words “hey keeps your computer awake! Get it? Ha! So clever!”

You are just displaying your ignorance here. Amphetamines are used in medications prescribed for narcolepsy (i.e. unwanted/inappropriate sleepiness), ADHD and obesity. If you look at this and think of street meth, that's your own problem.

Regarding your comments in this thread (the worst of them are currently "dead") and in case you decide to keep posting on HN, you should take a look at the guidelines: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

The guidelines seem very reasonable and beneficial for the discussions, here are some excerpts:

> Be kind. Don't be snarky. Have curious conversation; don't cross-examine. Please don't fulminate. Please don't sneer, including at the rest of the community.

> Comments should get more thoughtful and substantive, not less, as a topic gets more divisive.

> When disagreeing, please reply to the argument instead of calling names. "That is idiotic; 1 + 1 is 2, not 3" can be shortened to "1 + 1 is 2, not 3."

BTW, I don't claim to follow the guidelines perfectly all the time, the reason I'm writing this comment is basically because I would have preferred if you managed to get your point across better.

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#626

Post by saagarjha »

EricE wrote: post #617
saagarjha wrote: post #481

Sigh, this is disappointing. I’ve been using Amphetamine for years and it’s quite literally one of a handful of utility apps on the App Store that isn’t a scam or neutered by the policies of the store. Apple was right to recognize it it in the past, and they are wrong today in their reinterpretation of the guidelines. FWIW, I do app review policy for iSH, which went though a similar situation recently ( https://news.…

I hope the author see's your comment but he may not even be aware of this post on Hacker News. His twitter is in the original article - it would be worth a quick tweet to him too as I to use and am a fan of Amphetamine and would hate to see it go, or the author have to expend energy fixing something that isn't broken vs. spending his time on work that would bring actual value :/

I don't have a Twitter, unfortunately. However, I did create an issue on the GitHub project: https://github.com/x74353/SaveAmphetamine/issues/4. I noticed someone filed https://github.com/x74353/SaveAmphetamine/issues/8 which got a response with an email in it, so I'll follow up there.

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#627

Post by swiley »

rgovostes wrote: post #25

Well-written argument for the app reviewers to get bent, especially the highlighted examples of other apps that show the rule is clearly applied inconsistently. Apple's App Store moderation is embarrassing. They routinely fail to catch harmful junk—I've shut down a few top-grossing bogus antivirus apps for Mac, and the publisher of Untitled Goose Game routinely posts screenshots of clones that are trying to make mone…

They're literally censoring JWZ's XScreensaver for iOS because they're worried about the political thoughts people might have watching one of the hacks.

The iOS App Store has got to go.

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#628

Post by refulgentis »

MauranKilom wrote: post #464
gambiting wrote: post #382

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, because at a retail store the expectation is that if I see a box labeled "amphetamine" it better contain actual amphetamine. Obviously that's not acceptable, so it's not going to happen. When I buy software, I certainly don't expect to get drugs. When I buy a game called "Surgeon Simulator" I don't expect to receive actual surgeon training any more than I expect to get amphetamine after getting an app called amph…

> When I buy a game called "Surgeon Simulator" I don't expect to receive actual surgeon training Fun fact: There are serious surgery training apps in the app stores. Surgeons, too, like to practice in a simulation rather than on real patients.

No, there isn't - certainly not for iOS, and not for Mac either, the App Store is barely hanging on by a thread

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#629

Post by devwastaken »

0xEFF wrote: post #359
webmobdev wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My advice is to immediately rebrand as gracefully and effectively as possible and use all that activist energy to effect the transition. Apple will definitely appreciate it if all of us would just shut up and let them screw us. While I appreciate your well-meaning advise to the author - pick your battles in life carefully - I'd like to add that using your anger constructively at some injustice is a positive move to…

Do you expect to see a box on a shelf of any retail store labeled, “Amphetamine” with a colorful picture of drugs? It’s entirely reasonable for the retail store to tell the vendor to rename the product or else it will be removed from the shelf.

Subscribing to the offended is advocating against yourself. The only reason why you don't generally see that kind of advertising is because it offends people.

The amount offended is far less than when Ronald reagan began his war on drugs - meaning that offense changes with time, and that offense changes based off of what other people believe to be acceptable. By allowing that kind of advertising you reduce negative reaction to it.

Also retail stores sell plenty of products that give all manner of nice names. Like death coffee. Or "personal massager" vibrators. Don't forget apple also hates the idea of sex, and that's plenty acceptable to market.

Re: Apple has threatened to remove Amphetamine from the App Store

#630

Post by frombody »

gambiting wrote: post #382
0xEFF wrote: post #359

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you expect to see a box on a shelf of any retail store labeled, “Amphetamine” with a colorful picture of drugs? It’s entirely reasonable for the retail store to tell the vendor to rename the product or else it will be removed from the shelf.

No, because at a retail store the expectation is that if I see a box labeled "amphetamine" it better contain actual amphetamine. Obviously that's not acceptable, so it's not going to happen. When I buy software, I certainly don't expect to get drugs. When I buy a game called "Surgeon Simulator" I don't expect to receive actual surgeon training any more than I expect to get amphetamine after getting an app called amph…

You're creating a strawman argument.

Imagine it were called heroin, and the app logo used a picture of a syringe.. is it still okay to you because there is no heroin in the app?

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