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So bizarre how app developers are always so polite and gracious when it comes to Apple. It's like even everyone is deathly afraid of saying anything that puts A

by skc 11y ago

So bizarre how app developers are always so polite and gracious when it comes to Apple. It's like even everyone is deathly afraid of saying anything that puts Apple in a negative light. I can only imagine what this post would have looked like had it been say, Google in question.

MCRed 11y ago
There is no negative light here... this is a capability/feature that makes sense at the OS level. On desktops you have access to the deepest parts of the system, but on mobile, things need to be more secure. Apple's done nothing wrong, and given Apple's history of implementing these kinds of features, then opening them up to developers in the next release, being polite when asking them to open them up is appropriate. For instance, it used to be that only Apple apps could control the brightness of the screen. Apple opened that up to all apps several years ago, and now many apps use it. Apple's just introduced new technology that would be useful for this app developer, and in a way, they are effectively enabling this kind of app-- and when they open it up in the next release (possibly iOS 10, since this is a feature introduced in the iOS 9.3 interim release) it will be stable and usable more broadly. The combative attitude many on HN have towards apple is more about being in the Google camp and seeing them as the enemy, than about Apple doing wrong by anyone (Yeas yeas, I know they take %30 of transactions, but that's an improvement over the %80 that previous generations of mobile software developers had to give up.. and other stores take a similar cut. etc.)
- vvanders 11y ago
  Apple has quite a history of prosecuting devs who say anything critical about the company or its products. Nothing related to Google at all(which is probably why you're getting downvoted).
  - Anechoic 11y ago
    Apple has quite a history of prosecuting devs who say anything critical about the company or its products For example?
    - vvanders 11y ago
      http://m.hardocp.com/news/2010/03/19/apple_bans_game_after_dev_disses_app_store/#.VphMvcuIZnE http://m.hardocp.com/news/2010/03/19/apple_bans_game_after_d... You can find other examples if you look. I remember there being a big kerfluffle about it ~2 years ago or so.
      - Bud 11y ago
        Not a good example, if you actually read the article, though. The app dev was clearly trying to provoke Apple in any way he could; for instance, by raising the price of his game to $400. You mean "persecuting", btw, and not "prosecuting".
      - deleted 11y ago
        [deleted]
- Larrikin 11y ago
  Why do things need to be more secure on mobile. Why can't apps have access to the deepest parts of the system on mobile and desktop?
  - brazzledazzle 11y ago
    I'd like to see a good response to this because I'd be way more fucked by malware on my laptop than on my phone.
    - voltagex_ 11y ago
      I have several friends now who don't have a laptop or don't use it - they exclusively use a tablet/phone outside of work. They'd definitely be impacted by malware with access to all their data and communications, not to mention the ability to rack up massive monthly bills. I know the grugq says not to root Android for maximum security, but I prefer to have the toggle. I don't like this continual removal of features from phones and I strive to have the same level of access that I had on my Nokia N900 - but it has to be an informed choice. There has to be a middle ground somewhere between Android's "Cryptolocker.apk was successfully installed!" and Apple's "thou shalt not covet thine neighbour's underground app store on penalty of death".
caskance 11y ago
How is that bizarre? When your livelihood is totally dependent on the platform owner, it's a bad idea to piss them off too much.
tdkl 11y ago
At least this Cydia dev was more direct: http://www.cultofmac.com/99951/cydia-dev-apple-stole-both-my-idea-and-my-icon-for-wifi-sync/ http://www.cultofmac.com/99951/cydia-dev-apple-stole-both-my...
Animats 11y ago
The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of of the Lord, Apple.
jshevek 11y ago
Apple has a culture of retaliation.
PhasmaFelis 11y ago
It's weird how you assume that the only possible reason for a person to stay polite and classy in the face of adversity is that they're cringing suck-ups.
chippy 11y ago
Protection of investment. The developers have invested time and effort into their IOS software. The developers probably have the full suite of Apple hardware, phone, ipad, mbp, tv and all the software, configs, etc. They love using Apple. They love Apple the brand. To say bad things about the brand that one has invested so much in actually would cause physical pain. To even consider leaving the brand and dumping such an investment puts many people off. They would rather protect themselves psychologically, and protect their investment. Thus we witness a polite and gracious love letter. It makes psychological sense.

by skc 11y ago

MCRed 11y ago

There is no negative light here... this is a capability/feature that makes sense at the OS level. On desktops you have access to the deepest parts of the system, but on mobile, things need to be more secure. Apple's done nothing wrong, and given Apple's history of implementing these kinds of features, then opening them up to developers in the next release, being polite when asking them to open them up is appropriate. For instance, it used to be that only Apple apps could control the brightness of the screen. Apple opened that up to all apps several years ago, and now many apps use it. Apple's just introduced new technology that would be useful for this app developer, and in a way, they are effectively enabling this kind of app-- and when they open it up in the next release (possibly iOS 10, since this is a feature introduced in the iOS 9.3 interim release) it will be stable and usable more broadly. The combative attitude many on HN have towards apple is more about being in the Google camp and seeing them as the enemy, than about Apple doing wrong by anyone (Yeas yeas, I know they take %30 of transactions, but that's an improvement over the %80 that previous generations of mobile software developers had to give up.. and other stores take a similar cut. etc.)

vvanders 11y ago
Apple has quite a history of prosecuting devs who say anything critical about the company or its products. Nothing related to Google at all(which is probably why you're getting downvoted).
- Anechoic 11y ago
  Apple has quite a history of prosecuting devs who say anything critical about the company or its products For example?
  - vvanders 11y ago
    http://m.hardocp.com/news/2010/03/19/apple_bans_game_after_dev_disses_app_store/#.VphMvcuIZnE http://m.hardocp.com/news/2010/03/19/apple_bans_game_after_d... You can find other examples if you look. I remember there being a big kerfluffle about it ~2 years ago or so.
    - Bud 11y ago
      Not a good example, if you actually read the article, though. The app dev was clearly trying to provoke Apple in any way he could; for instance, by raising the price of his game to $400. You mean "persecuting", btw, and not "prosecuting".
    - deleted 11y ago
      [deleted]
Larrikin 11y ago
Why do things need to be more secure on mobile. Why can't apps have access to the deepest parts of the system on mobile and desktop?
- brazzledazzle 11y ago
  I'd like to see a good response to this because I'd be way more fucked by malware on my laptop than on my phone.
  - voltagex_ 11y ago
    I have several friends now who don't have a laptop or don't use it - they exclusively use a tablet/phone outside of work. They'd definitely be impacted by malware with access to all their data and communications, not to mention the ability to rack up massive monthly bills. I know the grugq says not to root Android for maximum security, but I prefer to have the toggle. I don't like this continual removal of features from phones and I strive to have the same level of access that I had on my Nokia N900 - but it has to be an informed choice. There has to be a middle ground somewhere between Android's "Cryptolocker.apk was successfully installed!" and Apple's "thou shalt not covet thine neighbour's underground app store on penalty of death".

caskance 11y ago

How is that bizarre? When your livelihood is totally dependent on the platform owner, it's a bad idea to piss them off too much.

tdkl 11y ago

At least this Cydia dev was more direct: http://www.cultofmac.com/99951/cydia-dev-apple-stole-both-my-idea-and-my-icon-for-wifi-sync/ http://www.cultofmac.com/99951/cydia-dev-apple-stole-both-my...

Animats 11y ago

The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of of the Lord, Apple.

jshevek 11y ago

Apple has a culture of retaliation.

PhasmaFelis 11y ago

It's weird how you assume that the only possible reason for a person to stay polite and classy in the face of adversity is that they're cringing suck-ups.

chippy 11y ago

Protection of investment. The developers have invested time and effort into their IOS software. The developers probably have the full suite of Apple hardware, phone, ipad, mbp, tv and all the software, configs, etc. They love using Apple. They love Apple the brand. To say bad things about the brand that one has invested so much in actually would cause physical pain. To even consider leaving the brand and dumping such an investment puts many people off. They would rather protect themselves psychologically, and protect their investment. Thus we witness a polite and gracious love letter. It makes psychological sense.