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If, as you say, the preference of users is obvious and predictable, and Apple gives an option to users with a completely predictable outcome that will prevent a

by _qulr 6y ago

If, as you say, the preference of users is obvious and predictable, and Apple gives an option to users with a completely predictable outcome that will prevent analytics SDKs from being viable, then I think it's fair to say that this is a de facto ban. Whether that's good or bad is a subject for separate debate. But the main question of the article is whether developers can still use these SDKs, and the author speculates that it will no longer be possible for developers to use them. That sounds like a de facto ban to me. Again, I'm not even commenting whether that's good or bad. If you read other comments here, some people would be very happy with an outright explicit ban. Are they "Apple bashing"? No, of course not. I still don't see how talking about a de facto ban is bashing, it's just a natural consequence of the iOS changes, at least according to the article author.

simonh 6y ago
"But the main question of the article is whether developers can still use these SDKs, and the author speculates that it will no longer be possible for developers to use them." OMG. I can't believe you just wrote that, you're just proving my case for me. Yes, developers will be able to use whatever SDKs they like, Apple won't lift a finger to stop them, in fact it's extremely simple for developers to use those SDKs. Not impossible at all. All they will have to do is indicate third party tracking in the App description and present an opt-in dialog. But apparently, this option of letting users decide appears to be literally inconceivable. Under the new rules "...it will no longer be possible to use them". No rhetorical device is too contrived to direct the responsibility to Apple rather than the people actually choosing not to enable tracking - users.
- _qulr 6y ago
  From the article: "In the coming weeks, iOS 14.5 will require apps that engage in “3rd Party Tracking” to ask explicit permission, which most users will opt out of." If most users opt out, then an analytics SDK becomes effectively useless. You're ranting about the possibility of using an analytics SDK - which nobody is denying, because it's a "de facto" ban, not a "de jure" ban. But an analytics SDK that gathers almost no analytics is not even worth having. So in effect, it's a ban. > All they will have to do is indicate third party tracking in the App description and present an opt-in dialog. Oh, that's all. And then get no analytics. But they can still "use" the analytics SDK... to do nothing. You know, I don't even have any analytics whatsoever in my apps. I have no horse in this race. But I've got no problem with the phrase "de facto ban". It seems like a reasonable description of the situation. And again, some people would love a de jure ban, so it's not like the author of the article is using a "naughty" word.

by _qulr 6y ago

simonh 6y ago

"But the main question of the article is whether developers can still use these SDKs, and the author speculates that it will no longer be possible for developers to use them." OMG. I can't believe you just wrote that, you're just proving my case for me. Yes, developers will be able to use whatever SDKs they like, Apple won't lift a finger to stop them, in fact it's extremely simple for developers to use those SDKs. Not impossible at all. All they will have to do is indicate third party tracking in the App description and present an opt-in dialog. But apparently, this option of letting users decide appears to be literally inconceivable. Under the new rules "...it will no longer be possible to use them". No rhetorical device is too contrived to direct the responsibility to Apple rather than the people actually choosing not to enable tracking - users.

_qulr 6y ago
From the article: "In the coming weeks, iOS 14.5 will require apps that engage in “3rd Party Tracking” to ask explicit permission, which most users will opt out of." If most users opt out, then an analytics SDK becomes effectively useless. You're ranting about the possibility of using an analytics SDK - which nobody is denying, because it's a "de facto" ban, not a "de jure" ban. But an analytics SDK that gathers almost no analytics is not even worth having. So in effect, it's a ban. > All they will have to do is indicate third party tracking in the App description and present an opt-in dialog. Oh, that's all. And then get no analytics. But they can still "use" the analytics SDK... to do nothing. You know, I don't even have any analytics whatsoever in my apps. I have no horse in this race. But I've got no problem with the phrase "de facto ban". It seems like a reasonable description of the situation. And again, some people would love a de jure ban, so it's not like the author of the article is using a "naughty" word.