1 year agoFrom a complaint filed Wednesday by the creator of FlickType — No. 1 on the U.S. paid App Store for three days in Feb. 2020:
You must be logged in to post a comment.
on Apple union vote cancelled '@David Emery – Yeah, I understand and agree that it’s hard to remember something that happened the day after NEVER……'
on Apple union vote cancelled 'This phrase, “overwhelming majority” makes me suspicious. If true, the union movement for Apple employees would be for more robust…'
on ‘Apple is like your wartime consigliere’ (video) '“Any significance on 150? What about—” [SEES TWO CROWS PERCHED OUTSIDE] “—whoa, waddaya say the odds the left guy takes…'
on Apple union vote cancelled 'A different take, “If you’re going to lose anyway, claim the process was ‘unfair’.” (I’m trying to remember a Union…'
on ‘Apple is like your wartime consigliere’ (video) 'Ed Snyder denotes the China lockdown, inflation and slowing GDP as risk factors for Apple long term. He easily could…'
on Apple union vote cancelled 'Just another example of the old adage: “Don’t let your elephant mouth override your hummingbird #**!”'
on Apple and Google play antitrust whack-a-mole '@ Fred: Re: Meta: Nah. It was the privacy broadside from Apple that took Meta down several pegs. Their abuse…'
on Postcard from Prague 'Ukrainians have taken out 732 Russian tanks so far, according to Defense One: https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2022/05/has-ukraine-broken-russian-military/367480/ I’m wondering how Ukrainian technology companies…'
But it seems to me the app developers can’t have it both ways. They can’t argue for hosting and curating, and then not expect that to come with costs and delays.
Great saying, but I can’t help but wonder how many of the issues is due to the malice of developers trying to ‘break the rules’ by ignoring them, trying to skirt around them, applying their own interpretations, or, as in one developer, violating the rules intentionally and with fanfare. And then claiming to be the victim.
Shall we believe that Apple also tricked users into giving them mediocre reviews as part of Apple’s evil empire anti-competitive ploy to dominate the world?
Unfortunately (looking forward at Kirk’s comment) “proving it” is the job for the jury, and East Texas shows how susceptible juries are to a good but bogus argument!
“A legal complaint is always a 1-sided story.”
Yes, but…
I’m sure PED has written to Apple, asking for their side. I’d just like to tie this story in with their response.
Otherwise we have the sound of one hand clapping, or (crickets)….
As it happens I did. No reply yet.
“In truth, Apple systematically flexes its monopoly muscle against potential competition through the App Store and profits from rampant fraudulent practices. If Apple cannot buy a desired application from a developer on the cheap, Apple attempts to crush that developer through exploitive fees and selective application of opaque and unreasonable constraints against the developer.”
A rather potent proclamation, no?
“Complaint” it is. Prove it — and is that in any way the REAL problem?
As PED notes, the operational problem Apple deals with compounded by this vast ocean of apps would naturally somehow conjure up outcries of “unfairness”.
Is it a matter of “I was wronged, wasn’t I?” with complainers trying to redefine fairness or is Apple just haplessly swamped with a “herding of the cats” syndrome where everyone eventually acquires a personal malaise?
Where’s my million, Apple?
A developer is doing what they can with the tools they have available. Apple is not doing a good job keeping predatory crap off the App Store. They haven’t been for years, otherwise these stories would go nowhere and the basis for the lawsuit would be thrown out on day one. The App Store needs a cleansing, and it shouldn’t take social media blowups to make it happen after months of egregious activity occurring.
This isn’t some spring chicken trying to grift Apple and AppleID’s. He’s been around developing keyboard tech for smartphones for a long time. He has merits, though some will be hard to prove in court without records to back up his noted conversations with internal higher ups within Apple.
As an outsider and not a developer I can only guess what is going on. My guess is that the App Store just appeared as an idea a decade or so ago and has grown really fast and Apple has not done enough to really make it great. They probably have just managed it in the sense that every time there is a problem they put a bandaid on it. The problems that affect developers don’t affect Apple so they don’t get fixed. I would like to see a SVP in charge of the App Store. Their mission statement would include policing the store and making it a great place for both developers and customers. The App Store is a huge asset for all of us. Apple should give it more independence and make it excellent.
Developers should have transparency, consistency and recourse to appeal. Customers should have great search tools. Right now the simple search provided is way too primitive.
My problem is simply with the ongoing failure to recognize and acknowledge that a complaint is generally a one-sided story, and speculation based on a on-sided story doesn’t result in a basis for a reasoned opinion.
Thanks for adding some balance to the discussion. I believe the main problem Apple is facing is what is an accurate definition of ‘predatory crap’. I’m sure some are quite obvious, my guess is many are not. And what is predatory to one person may be legitimate competition to someone else. Apple cannot afford to be accused of favoring one developer over another. I’m sure Apple would prefer for the market place to decide what app succeeds. They do need to make sure that those who play, play fair.
It is free and does not track or advertise. We also have a macOS version, CREATEit Pro
The second question is, does PED charge for advertising new apps?
Don’t worry.
Apparently they won’t be able to find it.
😉
I cannot believe Apple allows this to continue.
Excellent point. I propose that Apple use no metric automatically, but have a list of metrics the searcher can select from. Therefore Apple avoids being bias, yet assisting the consumer.
Google demonstrates the value of being at the top of the search list.