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I've yet to see an HN hate thread about the trillion dollar company Google and its Play Store, with the same fees, stealing 30% from an even broader part of soc

by riscy 3y ago

I've yet to see an HN hate thread about the trillion dollar company Google and its Play Store, with the same fees, stealing 30% from an even broader part of society.

hackernewds 3y ago
Au contraire I believe Google is the most hated company on HN by a mile and half. We see this play out IRL even with their anticompetitive lawsuit outcomes
- DeathArrow 3y ago
  Both Apple and Google do nasty things. Other companies, too. This thread is dedicated to Apple's own wrongdoings. If Google does nasty things, that doesn't mean Apple should get a pass. Most people here care about consumers, not about companies, especially about monopolistic companies.
  - riscy 3y ago
    Apple allowing alternate payment methods with a fee discount in the US, as Google does in other countries, is a wrongdoing? Consumers don’t care about the fees developers pay.
    - jsnell 3y ago
      It's not a fee that the developers pay. It's a fee that the customers pay.
account-5 3y ago
You clearly not been looking hard enough; Google, rightly, gets hated on way more than Apple. My experience tends to be that on HN apple can do no wrong.
- paulddraper 3y ago
  The iOS vs Android flamewar has a clear winner on hn
- riscy 3y ago
  Google gets mild-mannered, disappointed commenters sighing about how they've messed up search, the web, and has no product/customer support. When Apple comes up, people get on their soap boxes with expletives about how society and the world is fundamentally being ruined. The tone just isn't comparable at all.
  - johnnyanmac 3y ago
    you must have missed the soapboxes on how google cannot properly support products anymore (The "google graveyard") and especially any topic touching on Youtube. But sure, for Android topics they get off lighter because devs do technically have F-Droid as an option, or simply hosting an APK on version control for user s to find. There are ways to get around Google's barriers even if they have a steep financial penalty. Apple gives no official way without voiding your warranty (I don't even think rooting your Android these days void you).
    - DeathArrow 3y ago
      You can install only some types of apps from third party stores or sideload them. Many apps like banking apps require using Google Play Services and if you use a third party ROM like LuneageOS or Huawei HarmonyOS, good luck with installing certain apps.
      - johnnyanmac 3y ago
        well yes. That's more on the dev than google though. No one is forcing Chase to stay on Google Play and go so far to not work if you sideload it. Or maybe Google is and that will be rounded into all the other stuff happening in courts. They are important apps, but they are relatively few that go that far.
  - 3y ago
dotnet00 3y ago
There are threads pretty much daily about how evil Google is.
throwaway20222 3y ago
First visit? Welcome!
conradfr 3y ago
The only difference is that you don't need to own an expensive Google device and pay $100 per year to develop for the Play Store, the 30% criticism applies as well though.
hyperhopper 3y ago
Google doesn't force you to use Google Play and Google doesn't force devs to pay them. (Also they are still hated as well)
kelnos 3y ago
While most people do install apps through the Play Store, Google doesn't lock down their platform to make it the only option. I have one alternative store (F-Droid) installed, and also have a couple apps side-loaded. Google's 30% isn't the only option on Android. Apple's 30% is the only option on iOS. Regardless, Google gets plenty of flak here for a variety of things, including how they run the Play Store.
- riscy 3y ago
  I really don’t think it’s about side-loading, principles of freedom, the spirit of hacking, etc. HN’s full of indie app developers trying to make money. They know iOS users more often pay for things so it’s their target audience. I doubt existence of F-Droid is even a drop in the bucket of fee savings for those developers on Android. Otherwise, Google would do something about it to get their cut.
- tonoto 3y ago
  Also, Google doesn't have a developer fee. How's that Apple both have 30% commission and a "membership" fee - https://developer.apple.com/support/enrollment/ https://developer.apple.com/support/enrollment/ Unfortunately, many corporations only leave the choice of Windows or Macos. Open source operating systems are treated like 3rd class passengers..
  - JimDabell 3y ago
    Google does have a developer fee. It’s a one-off fee rather than a yearly fee, but they do have it. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6112435 https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ...
    - tonoto 3y ago
      Developer fee for the Play Store yes, but no developer fee for using the open stores (although I'm well aware that in certain environments it is disallowed to use other than the Play Store) or developing local apps.

by riscy 3y ago

I've yet to see an HN hate thread about the trillion dollar company Google and its Play Store, with the same fees, stealing 30% from an even broader part of society.

hackernewds 3y ago

Au contraire I believe Google is the most hated company on HN by a mile and half. We see this play out IRL even with their anticompetitive lawsuit outcomes

DeathArrow 3y ago
Both Apple and Google do nasty things. Other companies, too. This thread is dedicated to Apple's own wrongdoings. If Google does nasty things, that doesn't mean Apple should get a pass. Most people here care about consumers, not about companies, especially about monopolistic companies.
- riscy 3y ago
  Apple allowing alternate payment methods with a fee discount in the US, as Google does in other countries, is a wrongdoing? Consumers don’t care about the fees developers pay.
  - jsnell 3y ago
    It's not a fee that the developers pay. It's a fee that the customers pay.

account-5 3y ago

You clearly not been looking hard enough; Google, rightly, gets hated on way more than Apple. My experience tends to be that on HN apple can do no wrong.

paulddraper 3y ago
The iOS vs Android flamewar has a clear winner on hn
riscy 3y ago
Google gets mild-mannered, disappointed commenters sighing about how they've messed up search, the web, and has no product/customer support. When Apple comes up, people get on their soap boxes with expletives about how society and the world is fundamentally being ruined. The tone just isn't comparable at all.
- johnnyanmac 3y ago
  you must have missed the soapboxes on how google cannot properly support products anymore (The "google graveyard") and especially any topic touching on Youtube. But sure, for Android topics they get off lighter because devs do technically have F-Droid as an option, or simply hosting an APK on version control for user s to find. There are ways to get around Google's barriers even if they have a steep financial penalty. Apple gives no official way without voiding your warranty (I don't even think rooting your Android these days void you).
  - DeathArrow 3y ago
    You can install only some types of apps from third party stores or sideload them. Many apps like banking apps require using Google Play Services and if you use a third party ROM like LuneageOS or Huawei HarmonyOS, good luck with installing certain apps.
    - johnnyanmac 3y ago
      well yes. That's more on the dev than google though. No one is forcing Chase to stay on Google Play and go so far to not work if you sideload it. Or maybe Google is and that will be rounded into all the other stuff happening in courts. They are important apps, but they are relatively few that go that far.
- 3y ago

dotnet00 3y ago

There are threads pretty much daily about how evil Google is.

throwaway20222 3y ago

First visit? Welcome!

conradfr 3y ago

The only difference is that you don't need to own an expensive Google device and pay $100 per year to develop for the Play Store, the 30% criticism applies as well though.

hyperhopper 3y ago

Google doesn't force you to use Google Play and Google doesn't force devs to pay them. (Also they are still hated as well)

kelnos 3y ago

While most people do install apps through the Play Store, Google doesn't lock down their platform to make it the only option. I have one alternative store (F-Droid) installed, and also have a couple apps side-loaded. Google's 30% isn't the only option on Android. Apple's 30% is the only option on iOS. Regardless, Google gets plenty of flak here for a variety of things, including how they run the Play Store.

riscy 3y ago
I really don’t think it’s about side-loading, principles of freedom, the spirit of hacking, etc. HN’s full of indie app developers trying to make money. They know iOS users more often pay for things so it’s their target audience. I doubt existence of F-Droid is even a drop in the bucket of fee savings for those developers on Android. Otherwise, Google would do something about it to get their cut.
tonoto 3y ago
Also, Google doesn't have a developer fee. How's that Apple both have 30% commission and a "membership" fee - https://developer.apple.com/support/enrollment/ https://developer.apple.com/support/enrollment/ Unfortunately, many corporations only leave the choice of Windows or Macos. Open source operating systems are treated like 3rd class passengers..
- JimDabell 3y ago
  Google does have a developer fee. It’s a one-off fee rather than a yearly fee, but they do have it. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6112435 https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ...
  - tonoto 3y ago
    Developer fee for the Play Store yes, but no developer fee for using the open stores (although I'm well aware that in certain environments it is disallowed to use other than the Play Store) or developing local apps.