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Although it may seem counter-intuitive, the fact that the behavior on OnlyFans is so transparently "degenerate" makes it somewhat immune to that sort of critici

Although it may seem counter-intuitive, the fact that the behavior on OnlyFans is so transparently "degenerate" makes it somewhat immune to that sort of criticism. Everyone knows what people go there for. The problem with Apple is that it holds up the AppStore as a pinnacle of morality (many of their AppStore rules are specifically around creating the perception of a moral store, such as no porn), and Apple the company itself portrays itself as a moral company, but then at the end of the day they are making the majority of the AppStore's money on a vice like any other (often times on children, as many of these games are geared towards that audience). A candy store that secretly sells cigarettes will always receive more criticism than a bar.

dvt 5y ago
> A candy store that secretly sells cigarettes will always receive more criticism than a bar You make a great point that I didn't really think of! Apple definitely tries to massage their optics. Could also be why Apple's store is also more criticized than Google's, even though there's a lot more garbage on the Play Store.
- ethbr0 5y ago
  The HN umbrage also seems to stem from the fact that Apple uses those optics to justify their monopoly over the App Store. We need absolute control over our platform -> so that we can control the user experience -> so that we can make the iPhone ecosystem a more private, secure, safe, high quality place If it turns out the reason they need absolute control is so that Apple can milk whales in the same way Zynga did... well, IMHO people are entitled to call hypocrite angrily.
  - thegrimmest 5y ago
    I personally think the fact that Apple built their platform literally from the ground up is more than sufficient justification for them to maintain as much control over it as they please. Shouldn't we all just say "Hey, thanks Apple for advancing the state of the art so tremendously far" and leave it there?
    - ethbr0 5y ago
      If that was the world we wanted, then we all would have cheered as Microsoft steamrolled over Apple in the 90s, and we all get our software from the Microsoft Store today. That's not the world I want to be living in. Competition breeds excellence. Monopoly breeds complacency.
      - thegrimmest 5y ago
        Complacency breeds competition though.
        ethbr0 5y ago
        Only when the barriers to entry permit competitors. Everything Google and Apple have done in the last 10+ years was to ensure that is not the case.
        thegrimmest 5y ago
        Large, wealthy companies and rich investors also exist on the market. They routinely fund innovative ideas that have the potential to disrupt established players. Absent any government interference, how long do you think Google or Apple will remain household names? 10 more years? 40? 100?
    - salamandersauce 5y ago
      No? Software platforms are always going to lead to a few competitors at best. It's a natural monopoly scenario and smartphones are pretty much a saturated market at this point. There really isn't much room for new competitors and the barriers are extremely high. Why should Apple be able to abuse consumers and devs?
      - thegrimmest 5y ago
        There's plenty of room for new competitors who can properly innovate on the platform, much in the same way that there was plenty of room for Apple when they brought out the iPhone amid Blackberries. Anyone who can do the same should be promptly thanked and not further interfered with. Or do you think we have nothing to be grateful for?
infogulch 5y ago
Apple wants to have their cake and eat it too.
prepend 5y ago
> Everyone knows what people go there for. I don’t think so. I’ve talked to people who use onlyfans and most are truly delusional. In that they think the site runner cares about them and responds just to them. It’s almost harder than physics sex work because few people think the prostitute cares about them. I had people swear that when someone wished them happy birthday, they cared because “they didn’t have to do that.”
- Cipater 5y ago
  You're saying that you know multiple people who think of OF creators in this way? Curious. Would you describe them as lonely people?
  - prepend 5y ago
    I don’t think so. They are friends who I play games with and know socially. None of them have significant others, but seem to have non-sexual friends and they aren’t particularly gullible.
- lifeisstillgood 5y ago
  >>> It’s almost harder than physics sex work because I know its a typo, but I now have this image of Carl Sagan dressing like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, that I cannot get out of my head :-)

dvt 5y ago

> A candy store that secretly sells cigarettes will always receive more criticism than a bar You make a great point that I didn't really think of! Apple definitely tries to massage their optics. Could also be why Apple's store is also more criticized than Google's, even though there's a lot more garbage on the Play Store.

ethbr0 5y ago
The HN umbrage also seems to stem from the fact that Apple uses those optics to justify their monopoly over the App Store. We need absolute control over our platform -> so that we can control the user experience -> so that we can make the iPhone ecosystem a more private, secure, safe, high quality place If it turns out the reason they need absolute control is so that Apple can milk whales in the same way Zynga did... well, IMHO people are entitled to call hypocrite angrily.
- thegrimmest 5y ago
  I personally think the fact that Apple built their platform literally from the ground up is more than sufficient justification for them to maintain as much control over it as they please. Shouldn't we all just say "Hey, thanks Apple for advancing the state of the art so tremendously far" and leave it there?
  - ethbr0 5y ago
    If that was the world we wanted, then we all would have cheered as Microsoft steamrolled over Apple in the 90s, and we all get our software from the Microsoft Store today. That's not the world I want to be living in. Competition breeds excellence. Monopoly breeds complacency.
    - thegrimmest 5y ago
      Complacency breeds competition though.
      - ethbr0 5y ago
        Only when the barriers to entry permit competitors. Everything Google and Apple have done in the last 10+ years was to ensure that is not the case.
        thegrimmest 5y ago
        Large, wealthy companies and rich investors also exist on the market. They routinely fund innovative ideas that have the potential to disrupt established players. Absent any government interference, how long do you think Google or Apple will remain household names? 10 more years? 40? 100?
  - salamandersauce 5y ago
    No? Software platforms are always going to lead to a few competitors at best. It's a natural monopoly scenario and smartphones are pretty much a saturated market at this point. There really isn't much room for new competitors and the barriers are extremely high. Why should Apple be able to abuse consumers and devs?
    - thegrimmest 5y ago
      There's plenty of room for new competitors who can properly innovate on the platform, much in the same way that there was plenty of room for Apple when they brought out the iPhone amid Blackberries. Anyone who can do the same should be promptly thanked and not further interfered with. Or do you think we have nothing to be grateful for?

infogulch 5y ago

Apple wants to have their cake and eat it too.

prepend 5y ago

> Everyone knows what people go there for. I don’t think so. I’ve talked to people who use onlyfans and most are truly delusional. In that they think the site runner cares about them and responds just to them. It’s almost harder than physics sex work because few people think the prostitute cares about them. I had people swear that when someone wished them happy birthday, they cared because “they didn’t have to do that.”

Cipater 5y ago
You're saying that you know multiple people who think of OF creators in this way? Curious. Would you describe them as lonely people?
- prepend 5y ago
  I don’t think so. They are friends who I play games with and know socially. None of them have significant others, but seem to have non-sexual friends and they aren’t particularly gullible.
lifeisstillgood 5y ago
>>> It’s almost harder than physics sex work because I know its a typo, but I now have this image of Carl Sagan dressing like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, that I cannot get out of my head :-)