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It's as if history is repeating itself: Apple rolls out new features/platform. Developer forges ahead in gray area (there's history here with apps that launch

It's as if history is repeating itself: Apple rolls out new features/platform. Developer forges ahead in gray area (there's history here with apps that launch other apps). Apple "clarifies" their stance by rejecting said developer's app. (In Apple parlance, clarifying means issuing a firm opinion on their openly stated policy of "we'll know it when we see it".) Development community cries out. Apple remains singularly focused; stringently enforcing their policies (even if they are often unclear or inconsistent). I don't mean to lay the blame entirely at the feet of the developer in this case, but it's hard to argue that there isn't history here. Remember when iOS apps first hit and there were a whole slew of "home screen" apps that displayed things like the weather, calendars, etc? Apple banned all those apps too. The reason given was that Apple doesn't want apps to usurp the home screen. Apple wants to control that part of the user experience, because Apple knows best. > Instead, Apple is being Apple and aggressively protecting things that do not need to be protected. They do so with inscrutable and nebulous reasons that leave all involved feeling dismayed. This is purely a matter of opinion. Apple feels that they need to control the user experience. Just read the introduction to the App Store Review Guidelines [1]. Apple's stance is really clear: they control what happens on their platform. They've made some efforts to make the process a bit less lopsided (the appeal board), but it's still crystal clear that Apple holds the reigns. If, as a developer, you disagree with that philosophy, you have to decide how to best effect change. I would argue that continuing to develop for the Apple platform is about the worst way one can affect change. Proselytizing the developer community is a fool's errand. Look at the case of the larger iPhone. What drove that? Apple looked at the market landscape and decided that they could no longer ignore the trend. IMO, your best choice as a developer is cast your lot with the platform that best reflects your philosophy. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/ https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/

danra 12y ago
> It's as if history is repeating itself: > Apple rolls out new features/platform. > Developer forges ahead in gray area (there's history here with apps that launch other apps). > Apple "clarifies" their stance by rejecting said developer's app. (In Apple parlance, clarifying means issuing a firm opinion on their openly stated policy of "we'll know it when we see it".) > Development community cries out. > Apple remains singularly focused; stringently enforcing their policies (even if they are often unclear or inconsistent). You missed the last step - one iOS version later, Apple copies the killer feature it originally rejected as a misuse of the platform, and makes it its own.
- Zikes 12y ago
  Another missed step - Apple approved the "gray area" app in the first place.
  - cageface 12y ago
    That's the thing I don't like about this. If they approve an app in the first place they should only then remove it under extreme circumstances. This kind of nervous uncertainty among devs is bad for the platform.
    - sosborn 12y ago
      >This kind of nervous uncertainty among devs is bad for the platform. Is that really true? This has been going on since day one and yet the platform is thriving.
      - cageface 12y ago
        I wouldn't say the app market is thriving. It's been dominated by the same gimmicky IAP games for a long time, is full of hacky junk apps, and noticeably devoid of serious productivity apps. More and more prominent indies are throwing in the towel and taking jobs, which probably means less innovation. And usage stats show user engagement for new apps at half of what it was a year ago. Even a cheerleader like Marco Arment has expressed serious doubts about the health of the iOS app ecosystem lately.
        sosborn 12y ago
        >It's been dominated by the same gimmicky IAP games for a long time, is full of hacky junk apps, and noticeably devoid of serious productivity apps. These things are a turn off for us, but that doesn't mean that the market is failing.
        bradleyland 12y ago
        These two things can be true at the same time: > This kind of nervous uncertainty among devs is bad for the platform. > The platform is thriving. It is difficult to argue that this kind of activity on Apple's part creates uncertainty. Apple weighs this as a trade-off. What is consistent about Apple is that they err on the side of the user; or at least what they perceive to be of benefit to the user. That is what many of these disagreements come down to.
amirmc 12y ago
> Developer forges ahead in gray area (there's history here with apps that launch other apps). You make it sound like being in a grey area is a bad thing. Most things worth pursuing are probably a little grey in some sense, otherwise they're probably just a 'me-too'. That this app was downloaded so much indicates a strong desire for it. Retrospectively coming up with policies will always create ire.

danra 12y ago

> It's as if history is repeating itself: > Apple rolls out new features/platform. > Developer forges ahead in gray area (there's history here with apps that launch other apps). > Apple "clarifies" their stance by rejecting said developer's app. (In Apple parlance, clarifying means issuing a firm opinion on their openly stated policy of "we'll know it when we see it".) > Development community cries out. > Apple remains singularly focused; stringently enforcing their policies (even if they are often unclear or inconsistent). You missed the last step - one iOS version later, Apple copies the killer feature it originally rejected as a misuse of the platform, and makes it its own.

Zikes 12y ago
Another missed step - Apple approved the "gray area" app in the first place.
- cageface 12y ago
  That's the thing I don't like about this. If they approve an app in the first place they should only then remove it under extreme circumstances. This kind of nervous uncertainty among devs is bad for the platform.
  - sosborn 12y ago
    >This kind of nervous uncertainty among devs is bad for the platform. Is that really true? This has been going on since day one and yet the platform is thriving.
    - cageface 12y ago
      I wouldn't say the app market is thriving. It's been dominated by the same gimmicky IAP games for a long time, is full of hacky junk apps, and noticeably devoid of serious productivity apps. More and more prominent indies are throwing in the towel and taking jobs, which probably means less innovation. And usage stats show user engagement for new apps at half of what it was a year ago. Even a cheerleader like Marco Arment has expressed serious doubts about the health of the iOS app ecosystem lately.
      - sosborn 12y ago
        >It's been dominated by the same gimmicky IAP games for a long time, is full of hacky junk apps, and noticeably devoid of serious productivity apps. These things are a turn off for us, but that doesn't mean that the market is failing.
      - bradleyland 12y ago
        These two things can be true at the same time: > This kind of nervous uncertainty among devs is bad for the platform. > The platform is thriving. It is difficult to argue that this kind of activity on Apple's part creates uncertainty. Apple weighs this as a trade-off. What is consistent about Apple is that they err on the side of the user; or at least what they perceive to be of benefit to the user. That is what many of these disagreements come down to.

amirmc 12y ago

> Developer forges ahead in gray area (there's history here with apps that launch other apps). You make it sound like being in a grey area is a bad thing. Most things worth pursuing are probably a little grey in some sense, otherwise they're probably just a 'me-too'. That this app was downloaded so much indicates a strong desire for it. Retrospectively coming up with policies will always create ire.