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Because some of these apps are artistic works, and making artistic works effectively unusable arbitrarily is unconscionable. Because there are many niche audie

Because some of these apps are artistic works, and making artistic works effectively unusable arbitrarily is unconscionable. Because there are many niche audiences which can't afford constant software updates and having an application that doesn't perfectly support a new device is better for them than not having a application at all. I would not have a single solitary problem with what they're doing if they allowed side loading, but if they don't allow side loading, this shit isn't okay. I know there's a whack of unmaintained apps out there which are meant to help people with a disability, if somebody relies on such an app, fuck them I guess, they should use a new app that supports the newest screen sizes regardless of if that app exists or not.

0x20cowboy 5y ago
> Because some of these apps are artistic works, and making artistic works effectively unusable arbitrarily is unconscionable. I have an apps on there in the art context. I think with software as your medium, if you want your art to live on, you need to keep it updated. Doom is constantly being updated to run on new systems, and valve still updates old games (for example). Bit rot is something you need to battle with in work production systems too. Even if you wrote something in assembly, you’d eventually have to update it. It’s the nature of software. Am I misunderstanding what you think should be happening?
- bcrl 5y ago
  It's the nature of developers that don't value other developers' time and effort. Somehow the Linux kernel manages not to break userspace every release.
- leereeves 5y ago
  I recently downloaded the old Gold Box games on Steam. They're about 30 years old and still work fine, thanks to a bit of effort from the DOSbox developers. Apple could also make their platform backwards compatible.
- ryandrake 5y ago
  Bits don't rot. If a software that worked fine when it was released no longer works on the latest version of the platform, it is entirely the fault of the platform developer who failed to maintain backward compatibility. It is the consequence of deliberate platform choices and we should not try to shift the blame onto individual 3rd party developers or conjure up mystical forces like "bit rot".
basisword 5y ago
>> Because some of these apps are artistic works, and making artistic works effectively unusable arbitrarily is unconscionable. Don’t be ridiculous. They’re software products for sale on a store. If the developers consider them art and care deeply about that they can release the code and anyone can install the app on their device then.

0x20cowboy 5y ago

> Because some of these apps are artistic works, and making artistic works effectively unusable arbitrarily is unconscionable. I have an apps on there in the art context. I think with software as your medium, if you want your art to live on, you need to keep it updated. Doom is constantly being updated to run on new systems, and valve still updates old games (for example). Bit rot is something you need to battle with in work production systems too. Even if you wrote something in assembly, you’d eventually have to update it. It’s the nature of software. Am I misunderstanding what you think should be happening?

bcrl 5y ago
It's the nature of developers that don't value other developers' time and effort. Somehow the Linux kernel manages not to break userspace every release.
leereeves 5y ago
I recently downloaded the old Gold Box games on Steam. They're about 30 years old and still work fine, thanks to a bit of effort from the DOSbox developers. Apple could also make their platform backwards compatible.
ryandrake 5y ago
Bits don't rot. If a software that worked fine when it was released no longer works on the latest version of the platform, it is entirely the fault of the platform developer who failed to maintain backward compatibility. It is the consequence of deliberate platform choices and we should not try to shift the blame onto individual 3rd party developers or conjure up mystical forces like "bit rot".

basisword 5y ago

>> Because some of these apps are artistic works, and making artistic works effectively unusable arbitrarily is unconscionable. Don’t be ridiculous. They’re software products for sale on a store. If the developers consider them art and care deeply about that they can release the code and anyone can install the app on their device then.