[psmith2.0]

That'll teach ya. Sinner.

Actually, I can top that. Easily. But I won't.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by Miko Please explain?

Maybe I'm misreading but it seems like you think Apple axing sales of a app that doesn't meet their guidelines is an "issue."

[Miko]

Yes the guidelines are in place for a reason so no that's not what I have issue with. It's the fact that many developers have taken issue with Apple's approval process being rather vague and I can understand where they are coming from. However seeing how the App Store/iPhone is a closed system Apple ultimately can determine what Apps don't meet the guidelines even though you can still gain access to that content using apps that Apple ships on the iPhone.

How are videos showing half naked women on YouTube any different than some app that pulls up half naked images of women from some server?

I mean what's worst to Apple's image, having an app with half nude pictures of girls or seeing some girl use the iPhone as a vibrator?

[Robo]

Originally Posted by Miko It's the fact that many developers have taken issue with Apple's approval process being rather vague and I can understand where they are coming from.

Dude, this is not the case of a developer creating an app not realizing it would be rejected by Apple's "vague" rules. They knew that the app would never get approved, which is why they gamed the system by changing the pictures after Apple approved it. If they really had no idea the app went against Apple's guidelines, why the deception? Why did they feel they had to trick Apple into accepting it? They knew it broke the rules, that's why.

Originally Posted by Miko How are videos showing half naked women on YouTube any different that some app that pulls up half naked images of women from some server?

YouTube videos aren't sold by Apple through an Apple-branded, Apple-promoted App Store?

Originally Posted by Miko I mean what's worst to Apple's image, having an app with half nude pictures of girls or seeing some girl use the iPhone as a vibrator?

Considering those sorts of apps have been around for a while (for all sorts of devices - there's several force feedback "massagers" on Xbox Live too) with a fraction of the fervor this app caused, I'm going to go with this being worse to Apple's image.

I'm not saying I agree with the fervor, but I wouldn't want my premium electronics company to suddenly be in the business of distributing porn for a 30% cut, either.

[Miko]

Originally Posted by Roboman Dude, this is not the case of a developer creating an app not realizing it would be rejected by Apple's "vague" rules. They knew that the app would never get approved, which is why they gamed the system by changing the pictures after Apple approved it. If they really had no idea the app went against Apple's guidelines, why the deception? Why did they feel they had to trick Apple into accepting it? They knew it broke the rules, that's why.

Of course they knew it and they tried to beat the system and they will try again. Why? Because if I want to see naked pictures on the iPhone I can use Safari or YouTube. So developers will keep trying in hopes that Apple changes it's guidelines. What ever happened to "there's an app for that" tagline Apple like to use in their commercials?

Originally Posted by Roboman YouTube videos aren't sold by Apple through an Apple-branded, Apple-promoted App Store?

True, but it's being viewed on an Apple-branded, Apple-promoted device they can make a free app.

Originally Posted by Roboman Considering those sorts of apps have been around for a while (for all sorts of devices - there's several force feedback "massagers" on Xbox Live too) with a fraction of the fervor this app caused, I'm going to go with this being worse to Apple's image.

There's a difference from using the iPhone to massage away the stress in your day and... "use it at your desk, on your couch, in the car" oh and go visit the website I see nothing but river rocks and the lotus position?

Originally Posted by Roboman I'm not saying I agree with the fervor, but I wouldn't want my premium electronics company to suddenly be in the business of distributing porn for a 30% cut, either.

The MyVibe is Free and far worst IMO if used properly so what the difference in the end, no profit? OK

[Robo]

No, the difference is that MyVibe hasn't made headlines in the news media, which is pretty much necessary for something to be "[bad] for Apple's image."

[Miko]

Yup which goes back to my original statement that I think Apple is looking to Tech news sites to help police the apps store.

[scratt]

Originally Posted by chucker Huh?

I didn't catch the quote in pscates post. Y'know he just rambles on and on and after the 5th smiley I start skipping.

But anyway.. My question still stands. wtf are the app reviewers doing, generally anyway! (You'd have to have submitted to the App Store to understand that! )

A lot of app programmers are now supplying content to their apps from a server simply because the review process even for minor bug updates (i.e. 0.01 point releases) are taking a couple of weeks to get approved. Whilst I have no sympathy for the developer we are talking about Apple are going to have a lot more apps which are simply shells loading content from servers unless they employ a few more iReview monkeys...

[psmith2.0]

...and on a somewhat-related note:

More iPhone app controversy, with alleged underaged nudity.

See? Here we go...

Gonna be a weekly thing now?

iCock Snapz 1.0...rejected

YouTube YourTube...rejected

Bang-A-Thong...rejected

Virtu-Cooter 2.0...rejected

Puss 'n' Boots...rejected

Facebook Sitter 1.0...rejected

Wired reports on the latest high profile app removal from the App Store related to nudity. This time, a free app called BeautyMeter was removed due to an inappropriate image of a nude minor. The photo ... depicts a photo of a nude girl snapping a photo of her reflection in a mirror. In the screenshot, the girl, who is listed as a 15-year-old from the United States BeautyMeter is an app that functions similarly to Hot or Not and allows users to upload their own photos to be rated by others.

Yeah, I don't see how that could ever get abused or degenerate into something weird and tacky.



Would be impossible for Apple to police such a thing (and it's not even their job or responsibility to do so, IMO). But I can imagine the lawsuits and other ugliness if this app got out there and became a 14-year-old "sexting" enabler. Somebody, somewhere, would look to take a piece of Apple's ass for it, I'm sure. Deep pockets and all.

[Partial]

I <3 apple but I don't support their decision to moderate their store. Have parental controls on a device, and let apps be set to "AO" (adults only), and block those from iPhones prohibiting this.

Otherwise, Apple should but out and let any app fly.

[turtle]

Originally Posted by Partial I <3 apple but I don't support their decision to moderate their store. Have parental controls on a device, and let apps be set to "AO" (adults only), and block those from iPhones prohibiting this. Otherwise, Apple should but out and let any app fly.

The problem there is the lawsuits that would be filed against Apple for allowing those types of apps to be installed and available. As "sue happy" as this generation is I can't imagine the number of settlements and legal battles that would actually happen if the store was wide open for anything to be sold.

Plus, I don't blame them for limiting what's sold in it's store. Think of a Advance Auto, would you image seeing tampons sold there? Surely there is a female who works on cars and can use it but it's not the market Advance Auto wants to be in. Sure the App Store is virtual, but they still have their market in mind.

[Partial]

I don't disagree with you, but I wish it wasn't that way.

[scratt]

@Partial: So pictures of children partially naked are ok with you, as long as only adults are looking at it?

Frankly there is so much crud in the AppStore I am all for Apple binning much much more. At the moment App update times for legitimate publishers is something like 2 weeks+.

It is impossible to market your app, or even deal with your customers effectively when you have no idea when an update is going to hit.

The worst case scenario is an unforeseen bug that hits a few users, and then the interminable weeks of waiting for a minor update to get checked and approved, while you get negative reviews, and Apple ignores your pleas for an update to be timely. Not really their fault that as they are being bombarded daily with crap.

All the time you have spotty little twats uploading 50 copies of the same app with a different name for each region, clogging the approval process up, and multiple posting on the dev forums moaning that their latest abomination x 10 is not getting approved. Most of their apps are buggy and get rejected, but in effect Apple have to process the same bug 100's of times.

Half the time the apps are nothing more than one of Apple's own demos with some new pictures in them, and they are charging upwards of $1.99 for these hoping to cash in on the first few days of "New App" promotion.

Do that enough times and the few hundred sales you get in the first few days, no matter how bad your app is, before it drops off the radar, more than make up for your time..

I can't imagine how bad it would be if Apple opened the pandoras box of cheap porn apps being available in the AppStore.

For me it's quite nice to have one area of the internet where sex is not plastered all over the place. More power to Apple on that IMO.

[drewprops]

I skipped to the end just to say that if I'm going to have porn on my iPhone (which I have not yet ordered) I want it to be porn that I have PERSONALLY shot with my iPhone....

[Brad]

Originally Posted by turtle2472 Sure the App Store is virtual, but they still have their market in mind.

Too bad Apple refuses to say what kind of market they have in mind.

Instead, developers only find out after they've put in an investment that Apple doesn't want to play ball.

[scratt]

I am all for more communication from Apple. The C64 emulator is an example where even limited comms from them fell down, because the right hand didn't know what the left was doing inside The Mothership.

But do people really see Apple allowing porn in the AppStore?
Come on! For the 30 seconds they wasted compiling one of Apple's own developer examples and changing some URLs and images I think they really have little to complain about.

RIght now I am not that happy with the overall flow of the AppStore admin, and consequently have got both the Palm and Android SDKs. I'll certainly be looking at those markets too.

In some ways the bloat that fills the AppStore is diluting the size of the market for everyone, unless you are a Golden Child, or have EAs marketing power. Other than that you need to make something very special to get noticed.

The smaller market of Palm may not seem that small initially if the AppStore they have doesn't get the same kind of attention from 12 year old wannabes, and cynical low budget crap-ware houses.

[turtle]

Originally Posted by Brad Too bad Apple refuses to say what kind of market they have in mind. Instead, developers only find out after they've put in an investment that Apple doesn't want to play ball.

Other than the fact that I'm not a programmer, () this is exactly why I would have a hard time justifying hard work on an App for the store.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by turtle2472 this is exactly why I would have a hard time justifying hard work on an App for the store.

This line of thought would seem to feed into the flood of crappy apps out there, since investing in good apps is a risky move.

Go Apple!

[scratt]

Originally Posted by turtle2472 Other than the fact that I'm not a programmer.

Don't worry about that.. Jump in!

I think that 90% of the people publishing apps are not programmers anyway.
In fact I think most of them are sub-human.

If I could I'd post some excerpts from the Dev Forum here! Hilarious!

Stuff like..

"I send app 2 APPLES and THEY don't pay me yet. Why are APPEL so cr&p. I spend time and money. Treat me right. This is crap.. "

Or. "I want to make WOW for iPhone. Show me how. Thanks."

etc.

[turtle]

Brad- Yeah, it's a really bad cycle they've created isn't it. I think I saw something to this effect on DF a while back too.

Thanks for the encouragement scratt. At least I'm above that level.

[jcoley2]

Originally Posted by Miko Already here thank goodness for oleophobic screens.

That's pretty funny. . .I almost spit up my morning tea. . . .