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I think my use of the word “monopoly” is causing people to miss the forest for the trees. My clients have employees who essentially have two ecosystem options

I think my use of the word “monopoly” is causing people to miss the forest for the trees. My clients have employees who essentially have two ecosystem options when buying a smartphone - Apple or Google. I, as a developer, then have to bend to the will of both of these corporations which, no matter how they compete on other things, are just as bad as each other when it comes to developer treatment. Monopoly, duopoly, whatever - it’s crazy. Why am I uploading my fucking ID to Google, giving them my phone number, which they say “they may contact periodically to ensure the account is still active”, because I distribute private software to a private organisation?

lotsofpulp 3y ago
Because the barrier to entry for this specific product (smartphone) is incredibly high. Kind of like, if you want to buy a passenger plane, you have to go to Boeing or Airbus.
- shortcake27 3y ago
  Does Boeing/Airbus force contractors employed by the airlines who own their planes to jump through crazy hoops and provide all their PII? If I had an airline as a client and I wanted to change the upholstery on a plane, I don’t think I’d need to have the changes approved by Boeing/Airbus in addition to having my personal data (home address, phone, and ID) sold and used to target me with advertising.
  - lotsofpulp 3y ago
    Maybe it is only because Boeing/Airbus cannot figure out how to do that for upholstery. But for software, it is easier to control the changes and hence charge for them.
kemayo 3y ago
I'll grant that it's a bit of a pedantic response, though I do genuinely think that it's better not to misuse terms. It also affects what you appear to be calling for as a response -- just because Apple-and-Google are the two major players in a market doesn't mean that antitrust/monopoly laws are the right things to use. Re: Google, given that you're privately distributing software to a private organization, couldn't you just sideload it onto the Android devices in question? It seems reasonable enough to for them to want you to have a developer account if you're using their infrastructure to distribute these things. But my (minimally informed) understanding is that, unlike Apple, Google doesn't force you to have a signing certificate from them or anything for the software to even run on a device.
- shortcake27 3y ago
  Yeah, you’re right. The user just needs to allow apps from unknown sources. If your employer asks you to disable security settings on your phone to install untrusted software, this raises a lot of alarm bells. AFAIK I can’t sign the APK to generate trust like I can with MacOS. Although I suppose if I could, then I’d still need to go through verification anyway. But yes, it’s disingenuous to claim Google is forcing me to do anything. Currently I can distribute software to any Android device with the change of a setting.

lotsofpulp 3y ago

Because the barrier to entry for this specific product (smartphone) is incredibly high. Kind of like, if you want to buy a passenger plane, you have to go to Boeing or Airbus.

shortcake27 3y ago
Does Boeing/Airbus force contractors employed by the airlines who own their planes to jump through crazy hoops and provide all their PII? If I had an airline as a client and I wanted to change the upholstery on a plane, I don’t think I’d need to have the changes approved by Boeing/Airbus in addition to having my personal data (home address, phone, and ID) sold and used to target me with advertising.
- lotsofpulp 3y ago
  Maybe it is only because Boeing/Airbus cannot figure out how to do that for upholstery. But for software, it is easier to control the changes and hence charge for them.

kemayo 3y ago

I'll grant that it's a bit of a pedantic response, though I do genuinely think that it's better not to misuse terms. It also affects what you appear to be calling for as a response -- just because Apple-and-Google are the two major players in a market doesn't mean that antitrust/monopoly laws are the right things to use. Re: Google, given that you're privately distributing software to a private organization, couldn't you just sideload it onto the Android devices in question? It seems reasonable enough to for them to want you to have a developer account if you're using their infrastructure to distribute these things. But my (minimally informed) understanding is that, unlike Apple, Google doesn't force you to have a signing certificate from them or anything for the software to even run on a device.

shortcake27 3y ago
Yeah, you’re right. The user just needs to allow apps from unknown sources. If your employer asks you to disable security settings on your phone to install untrusted software, this raises a lot of alarm bells. AFAIK I can’t sign the APK to generate trust like I can with MacOS. Although I suppose if I could, then I’d still need to go through verification anyway. But yes, it’s disingenuous to claim Google is forcing me to do anything. Currently I can distribute software to any Android device with the change of a setting.