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When I was at Dropbox, one of the big threats to the business we talked about was OS's banning file sync applications and forcing them to use their own APIs for

When I was at Dropbox, one of the big threats to the business we talked about was OS's banning file sync applications and forcing them to use their own APIs for them instead. It looks like that's finally happening now, unfortunately.

baby 4y ago
It’s interesting how Apple is making so many enemies in tech. When I was at Facebook it was the same, with mark encouraging people to get android phones. I see that amazon, twitter, and the gaming industry all have issues with apple too. It’s interesting to say the least. I just cancelled my twitter blue membership when I learned that I was going to pay more just because I subscribed through iOS, thinking I will resub from dekstop, but then never did. I also ended up buying a bunch of audiobooks and books through apple books because I never could do it through kindle and the amazon apps. I can’t imagine I’m the only one.
wtallis 4y ago
It doesn't look like that's what's happening. This is only an issue because Dropbox isn't trying to be a file sync application any more, and is instead trying to be a userspace network filesystem driver.
- moonlighter 4y ago
  Exactly that! Compare the simplicity from the original Dropbox app to the behemoth of what it is now...
  - wtallis 4y ago
    The original Dropbox wasn't just simple to use, it was also simple to understand: you knew what it was doing and how it worked, well enough to have correct expectations about how it would behave in circumstances like having a slow or broken internet connection. I guess they now consider those circumstances to be so exceptionally rare that they can be ignored.
- joshspankit 4y ago
  They painted themselves in to that corner by selling up to 3TB of storage on the idea that you could have access to all of it any time [you’re online] even on your <1TB laptop
  - disantlor 4y ago
    aka a great, extremely useful feature
Terretta 4y ago
On the contrary, they didn't ban it, they made it "first class". So the tricks Dropbox did early on to show unique icons etc., now built in. OneDrive personal and business use this fine, so can others, and then they all behave consistently with similar looking icons and affordances, whichever sync providers the users use. Like many things HN devs complain about, devs forget they are not the main character, the user is. This experience convergence is fantastic for users.

baby 4y ago

It’s interesting how Apple is making so many enemies in tech. When I was at Facebook it was the same, with mark encouraging people to get android phones. I see that amazon, twitter, and the gaming industry all have issues with apple too. It’s interesting to say the least. I just cancelled my twitter blue membership when I learned that I was going to pay more just because I subscribed through iOS, thinking I will resub from dekstop, but then never did. I also ended up buying a bunch of audiobooks and books through apple books because I never could do it through kindle and the amazon apps. I can’t imagine I’m the only one.

wtallis 4y ago

It doesn't look like that's what's happening. This is only an issue because Dropbox isn't trying to be a file sync application any more, and is instead trying to be a userspace network filesystem driver.

moonlighter 4y ago
Exactly that! Compare the simplicity from the original Dropbox app to the behemoth of what it is now...
- wtallis 4y ago
  The original Dropbox wasn't just simple to use, it was also simple to understand: you knew what it was doing and how it worked, well enough to have correct expectations about how it would behave in circumstances like having a slow or broken internet connection. I guess they now consider those circumstances to be so exceptionally rare that they can be ignored.
joshspankit 4y ago
They painted themselves in to that corner by selling up to 3TB of storage on the idea that you could have access to all of it any time [you’re online] even on your <1TB laptop
- disantlor 4y ago
  aka a great, extremely useful feature

Terretta 4y ago

On the contrary, they didn't ban it, they made it "first class". So the tricks Dropbox did early on to show unique icons etc., now built in. OneDrive personal and business use this fine, so can others, and then they all behave consistently with similar looking icons and affordances, whichever sync providers the users use. Like many things HN devs complain about, devs forget they are not the main character, the user is. This experience convergence is fantastic for users.