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By that logic, Uber and Instagram and WhatsApp should not have been started, as the iOS App Store is unequivocally "someone else's land", and these services cou

by sneak 3y ago

By that logic, Uber and Instagram and WhatsApp should not have been started, as the iOS App Store is unequivocally "someone else's land", and these services could only exist as native apps.

JJMcJ 3y ago
At this point it's all but inconceivable that those would be removed from the app servers, iOS or Android. In the early days if something had gone wrong, it might have been a different story. Though I suspect that companies with good VC connections might have side channels into Apple or Google to clear up problems. Not like little guys who can wake up one morning to discover their $20K/month business is no more.
- fernandopj 3y ago
  > At this point it's all but inconceivable that those would be removed from the app servers, iOS or Android. Not at all: one could see a future where any of those companies become Uber rivals - they're both researching autonomous vehicles. When that comes, one incident at Uber and its reason enough to expel them.
- zmmmmm 3y ago
  See Epic games / fortnite
rglullis 3y ago
Why couldn't they be built as web apps? Also, if it helps, by that logic no one shouldn't be using iOS or anything by Apple, which is also a rule that I follow.
xwdv 3y ago
The original logic doesn’t go far enough. You can build on someone’s land, but you’d be wise to be ready to move as soon as it becomes necessary. Essentially you are a nomad, reconfiguring your business to changing conditions, accepting that things will change over time.
Guvante 3y ago
Because Android doesn't exist? Splitting yourself between platforms is exactly how you risk mitigate this kind of thing.
HWR_14 3y ago
Instagram has a web interface. You can use it entirely without an app. And there is no reason Uber or WhatsApp couldn't work on the web.
- aeyes 3y ago
  m.uber.com is completely functional as well
  - HWR_14 3y ago
    When did they do that? I remember being frustrated there was no web interface.
- sneak 3y ago
  You used to not be able to access the camera or camera roll from webapps on iOS. The only way to take or upload photos was with a native app. The file upload input control on websites simply did not work on an iPhone. This is a relatively recent development. I'm fairly convinced it didn't happen sooner in an anticompetitive move to promote native apps over the open web. (Same with web push notifications and a million other tiny things.) Instagram did not and could not have had a webapp in those days (which is a majority of the time Instagram has existed).
  - HWR_14 3y ago
    99% of people primarily use Instagram to view content. I used to use their site to do that. Instagram broke that a little while ago (I assume to force people to download the app). Ironically, given your conspiracy theory, it was Meta that broke Instagram for the web.

by sneak 3y ago

By that logic, Uber and Instagram and WhatsApp should not have been started, as the iOS App Store is unequivocally "someone else's land", and these services could only exist as native apps.

JJMcJ 3y ago

At this point it's all but inconceivable that those would be removed from the app servers, iOS or Android. In the early days if something had gone wrong, it might have been a different story. Though I suspect that companies with good VC connections might have side channels into Apple or Google to clear up problems. Not like little guys who can wake up one morning to discover their $20K/month business is no more.

fernandopj 3y ago
> At this point it's all but inconceivable that those would be removed from the app servers, iOS or Android. Not at all: one could see a future where any of those companies become Uber rivals - they're both researching autonomous vehicles. When that comes, one incident at Uber and its reason enough to expel them.
zmmmmm 3y ago
See Epic games / fortnite

rglullis 3y ago

Why couldn't they be built as web apps? Also, if it helps, by that logic no one shouldn't be using iOS or anything by Apple, which is also a rule that I follow.

xwdv 3y ago

The original logic doesn’t go far enough. You can build on someone’s land, but you’d be wise to be ready to move as soon as it becomes necessary. Essentially you are a nomad, reconfiguring your business to changing conditions, accepting that things will change over time.

Guvante 3y ago

Because Android doesn't exist? Splitting yourself between platforms is exactly how you risk mitigate this kind of thing.

HWR_14 3y ago

Instagram has a web interface. You can use it entirely without an app. And there is no reason Uber or WhatsApp couldn't work on the web.

aeyes 3y ago
m.uber.com is completely functional as well
- HWR_14 3y ago
  When did they do that? I remember being frustrated there was no web interface.
sneak 3y ago
You used to not be able to access the camera or camera roll from webapps on iOS. The only way to take or upload photos was with a native app. The file upload input control on websites simply did not work on an iPhone. This is a relatively recent development. I'm fairly convinced it didn't happen sooner in an anticompetitive move to promote native apps over the open web. (Same with web push notifications and a million other tiny things.) Instagram did not and could not have had a webapp in those days (which is a majority of the time Instagram has existed).
- HWR_14 3y ago
  99% of people primarily use Instagram to view content. I used to use their site to do that. Instagram broke that a little while ago (I assume to force people to download the app). Ironically, given your conspiracy theory, it was Meta that broke Instagram for the web.