Apple needs to clean up the App Store

[Jessica Lares]

Not only are there loads and loads of applications that break copyright (and soon enough there will be people after Apple for this), such as game rip offs, game guides, and celebrity stuff, there's also A LOT of SPAM.

This has been going on for MONTHS. Ever since Checkpoints and Shopkick debuted, we no longer have a decent review system in place. It's never ending. Not only that, but you also have ads for porn, and a crappy fake call application (why hasn't THAT developer been kicked out?!).

Personally, I want to renew my Apple Developer account, but it's putting me off. It's like Apple doesn't care. It's like having a high profile Facebook Page with spammer links all over the wall. It doesn't help people who are thinking about downloading your application.

If Apple doesn't take back the control of their store, it's just going to get worse and worse.

 

[Apple...]

Not only are there loads and loads of applications that break copyright (and soon enough there will be people after Apple for this), such as game rip offs, game guides, and celebrity stuff, there's also A LOT of SPAM.

This has been going on for MONTHS. Ever since Checkpoints and Shopkick debuted, we no longer have a decent review system in place. It's never ending. Not only that, but you also have ads for porn, and a crappy fake call application (why hasn't THAT developer been kicked out?!).

Personally, I want to renew my Apple Developer account, but it's putting me off. It's like Apple doesn't care. It's like having a high profile Facebook Page with spammer links all over the wall. It doesn't help people who are thinking about downloading your application.

If Apple doesn't take back the control of their store, it's just going to get worse and worse.

Hey, at least it's not as bad as Android Market.

 

[R94N]

If there's any way you can give feedback perhaps you should.

 

[ChazUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.2; en-gb; GT-P1000 Build/FROYO) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

Not only are there loads and loads of applications that break copyright (and soon enough there will be people after Apple for this), such as game rip offs, game guides, and celebrity stuff, there's also A LOT of SPAM.

This has been going on for MONTHS. Ever since Checkpoints and Shopkick debuted, we no longer have a decent review system in place. It's never ending. Not only that, but you also have ads for porn, and a crappy fake call application (why hasn't THAT developer been kicked out?!).

Personally, I want to renew my Apple Developer account, but it's putting me off. It's like Apple doesn't care. It's like having a high profile Facebook Page with spammer links all over the wall. It doesn't help people who are thinking about downloading your application.

If Apple doesn't take back the control of their store, it's just going to get worse and worse.

Hey, at least it's not as bad as Android Market.

How dare you! I love my steady stream of fake Tetris, Tetr¡s, T3tris, Tetrìs and Tétris clones.

Spam apps ftl.

 

[Simplicated]

I must agree with you.

The reviews section is filled with craps like a fake call app spam, referrals requests of apps that monetize your social network and porn sites.

Apple must clear up this mess. I suggest Apple introduce a Trusted Review system that aggregates or shows reviews by famous app review websites.

 

[Apple...]

I must agree with you.

The reviews section is filled with craps like a fake call app spam, referrals requests of apps that monetize your social network and porn sites.

Apple must clear up this mess. I suggest Apple introduce a Trusted Review system that aggregates or shows reviews by famous app review websites.

Or maybe an option where we can report reviews?

 

[(marc)]

Agreed. I once had an app in the store and people posted false and misleading reviews. Currently there's no way to fight against that and this needs to change.

 

[Jessica Lares]

Agreed. I once had an app in the store and people posted false and misleading reviews. Currently there's no way to fight against that and this needs to change.

That SUCKS! I have two friends facing the same deal too, so lame!

 

[Apple...]

Hopefully it will be resolved this year.

 

[Simplicated]

Or maybe an option where we can report reviews?

There's actually a button for reporting reviews, but only if you access the App Store on a computer. Also, I bet hardly anyone ever cares about the reports...

It's true that it'd be great to have the same button in the iPhone/iPad App Store app, and someone at Apple must take care of such reports and ban associated accounts.

Agreed. I once had an app in the store and people posted false and misleading reviews. Currently there's no way to fight against that and this needs to change.

Sad but true. Some kids are giving one-star reviews whenever an app doesn't meet their expectations (even when the developer doesn't claim such features). Just look at Word Lens. You'll see thousands of complaints about the inclusion of In-App Purchases, lack of a stopping function (they didn't notice the very noticeable Pause button) and many more ridiculous complaints.

This is sad. I don't want to see when developers are all scared away by these kids and spam that totally destroys the relationship between the developer and the customer.

 

[R94N]

Something needs to be done, certainly.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Apple does not want to do anything because they can claim that they have X number of apps. Never mind the fact that less than 1% of them are worth anything. Hell I bet you would be hard press to find 1-2k of even good apps in all of those that they have. Rest are just well crap.

 

[*LTD*]

Agreed. I once had an app in the store and people posted false and misleading reviews. Currently there's no way to fight against that and this needs to change.

A review is a review.

Maybe improve your app and the good reviews will outweigh the "false" ones.

 

[ChazUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.3.1; en-gb; Nexus S Build/GRH78) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

Apple does not want to do anything because they can claim that they have X number of apps. Never mind the fact that less than 1% of them are worth anything. Hell I bet you would be hard press to find 1-2k of even good apps in all of those that they have. Rest are just well crap.

This is a problem that isn't unique to the app store sadly. I think all of them want to play the numbers game which will inevitably degrade the visibility of quality of applications.

I barley use Android Market to find decent apps. Instead I rely on forum posts or news articles to sort the wheat from the chaff. I still find Apple's methods of sourcing decent apps better through iTunes and on my iPod.

I've not had the opertunity to use any other competitors app stores to see how they fare but I've seen wp7 owners complaining that their current searching system lumps all Zune content and applications into one search which gets confusing.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.3.1; en-gb; Nexus S Build/GRH78) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)



This is a problem that isn't unique to the app store sadly. I think all of them want to play the numbers game which will inevitably degrade the visibility of quality of applications.

I barley use Android Market to find decent apps. Instead I rely on forum posts or news articles to sort the wheat from the chaff. I still find Apple's methods of sourcing decent apps better through iTunes and on my iPod.

I've not had the opertunity to use any other competitors app stores to see how they fare but I've seen wp7 owners complaining that their current searching system lumps all Zune content and applications into one search which gets confusing.

\
Very true. I will say I am willing to bet good app to crap ratio is better on Android and Window phone 7 right now than Apple which I have to say is the worse.

Reason being is the more apps you get generally speaking the worse the ratio get. Apple has the most Apps and by far the one will the worse ratio of crap to good.

 

[Darth.Titan]

\
Very true. I will say I am willing to bet good app to crap ratio is better on Android and Window phone 7 right now than Apple which I have to say is the worse.

Really? And what are you basing this on? Are you actively using all 3 platforms and making notes on EVERY app in all three app repositories?

Or are you just pulling this ratio out of your rear end? I know what my bet is.

Back to topic, in my experience you always encounter the greatest number of spammy apps when you're one of those people that just refuses to pay for anything. Yes the free sections have plenty of questionable material. That's just because spammers will use any and all means to put their links in front of as many as possible, and iOS is a pretty big audience.

I believe using Apple's feedback system is our best option to make our feelings known about this but let's face it, it's never going to be perfect. iOS, Android, and Windows Phone will always be targets for crap "apps".

 

[Apple...]

Really? And what are you basing this on? Are you actively using all 3 platforms and making notes on EVERY app in all three app repositories?

Or are you just pulling this ratio out of your rear end? I know what my bet is.

I know what my bet is too...

 

[ChazUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.2; en-gb; GT-P1000 Build/FROYO) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

This is a problem that isn't unique to the app store sadly. I think all of them want to play the numbers game which will inevitably degrade the visibility of quality of applications.

I barley use Android Market to find decent apps. Instead I rely on forum posts or news articles to sort the wheat from the chaff. I still find Apple's methods of sourcing decent apps better through iTunes and on my iPod.

I've not had the opertunity to use any other competitors app stores to see how they fare but I've seen wp7 owners complaining that their current searching system lumps all Zune content and applications into one search which gets confusing.

\
Very true. I will say I am willing to bet good app to crap ratio is better on Android and Window phone 7 right now than Apple which I have to say is the worse.

Reason being is the more apps you get generally speaking the worse the ratio get. Apple has the most Apps and by far the one will the worse ratio of crap to good.

I lost all faith in Android Market when I saw this in the new releases earlier last year:

http://www.appstorehq.com/baby-daddy-android-295856/app

No application on the App Store is as wrong or sh*t as that app.

Its wrong. It makes no sense and it is a huge example of one of the worst apps available on any platform.

 

[kdarling]

No application on the App Store is as wrong or ***** as that app.

Yeah, that one's bad. It probably was a college student app, and got put up for the same reason we see a bunch of junk on any App Store: a lot of developers "sell" things mainly to distribute to their family or buddies.

As for being the worst... no. Remember the Shake-the-baby-to-death app on the Apple Store that got approved, then pulled later when the complaints came in?

 

[InsanelyApple]

Maybe Apple needs to do what Google did. Change the star system into a like/dislike system instead.

 

[Jessica Lares]

I wish we didn't even have an app store, it would stop all these stupid apps from being developed in the first place.

Both Blackberry and Windows Mobile survived for YEARS without one. The only thing we have to blame are the users too dumb and download anything and everything.

 

[ChazUK]

As for being the worst... no. Remember the Shake-the-baby-to-death app on the Apple Store that got approved, then pulled later when the complaints came in?

AAh yes. The Shake the baby app. That was totally uncalled for and shouldn't have been approved.

I gues it isn't all rosy Apple's side.

 

[roadbloc]

A review is a review.

Maybe improve your app and the good reviews will outweigh the "false" ones.

I agree with you for once.

 

[(marc)]

A review is a review.

Maybe improve your app and the good reviews will outweigh the "false" ones.

That doesn't change the fact there are wrong reviews for my app. I know you blindly accept Apple's faults, but I don't.

 

[roadbloc]

That doesn't change the fact there are wrong reviews for my app. I know you blindly accept Apple's faults, but I don't.

So what you are trying to say is that your product has reviews from another product on it?