App Store Devs: your arbitrary rejection is now under NDA

Posted by John Brownlee, September 24, 2008 3:26 AM | permalink

Absolutely bogus: App Store developers can not only be turned down by Apple for shameful reasons like competing with a built-in App, or creating a program of limited appeal, but now you're not even allowed to talk about it. Rejection letters and stated reasons for rejections are now under NDA.

Wise up, Apple. This is a particularly onerous attempt at hushing up criticism... and it particularly gets the goat when you could simply defuse that criticism by being more open and honest about the App Store's positively arcane approval process. If this is the way you're going to treat your programmers, there's now a competing platform — Google's Android — that will likely be just as good or better than the App Store. Developers are going to leave the platform in droves. Hell, that exodus has already begun.

Apple Extends Non-Disclosure to App Store Rejection Letters [Mac Rumors]

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Discussion

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#1 posted by brassmule , September 24, 2008 4:17 AM

Nice. Things always go from bad to worse, but sometimes it's fun to watch. They have a good product (iphone + app store) that would be great, but instead we get massive fail.

massive fail FTW!

But seriously, this whole series of events since the release of the iPhone 3G just blows my mind in how stupid it looks from the outside, and how Apple just keeps on bringing the hits regardless.

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#2 posted by strider_mt2k

, September 24, 2008 4:31 AM

From Jesus Phone to Stalin Phone.

You know what we need?

Some woman with a hammer to run into the meeting and smash the screen.

That's what we need.

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#3 posted by FoetusNail , September 24, 2008 6:19 AM

Once again Apple generously provides a good reason to save my money.

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#4 posted by Anonymous , September 24, 2008 7:22 AM

All your apps are belong to us.

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#5 posted by rossgrady , September 24, 2008 8:00 AM

Yep. I have an acquaintance who had an app declined because it made gentle mockery of an American political figure. Apparently that falls under the (infinitely broad, I guess) definition of "offensive" in the App Store rules. I guess he violated his NDA by even telling me that much. Hopefully Apple's jackbooted thugs won't be kicking down his door as a result of this comment . . .

If T*Mobile's 3G network weren't Teh SuX0rz, I'd go get in line for an Android phone today.

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#6 posted by The Lizardman

, September 24, 2008 9:43 AM

Quick, signal the fanboy army to tell us again how Apple is saving us from the evils of M$.

It's nice to see the second of the two evils recognized as such from time to time.

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#7 posted by Downpressor , September 24, 2008 8:28 PM

If APPL makes millions from AppStore and GOOG only impresses the nerds, oh how I'll laugh and laugh and laugh.

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#8 posted by A New Challenger

, September 25, 2008 12:27 AM