iPhone 3rd Party Apps - Minimum Standards for Buggyness

[Matt1974]

After the App Store launch, and after downloading several so-called native Apps, I've realized that some of them were really buggy and I ended up deleting them for not being user friendly, for being completely useless, or even worst, for being too buggy to be reasonably operative and useful.
Many of them simply crash your device (even after the 2.0 update).

I've came up with the conclusion that should come up with some kind of quality standards and a perform a reasonable review before launching some of them. This review should include not only a Buggyness Approach to guarantee the customer a workable app; but also an Ethical approach, to avoid pathetic apps like the I Am Rich thing; and finally a Completed Category approach as well, to avoid situations like the so many "useful" flashlights that have been released.

Also, it's simply not fair to have to pay for something without trying it, or even worst, to pay for something that has clearly some HUGE unresolved issues. I am sure most of you guys have experienced this. And if not, many of you were probably tempted to try an App but after reading some reviews... paying without trying??? no way...!

I thought perhaps would read this thread and consider some reasonable solution to address this issue.

 

[DipDog3]

I've came up with the conclusion that should come up with some kind of quality standards and a perform a reasonable review before launching some of them. This review should include not only a Buggyness Approach to guarantee the customer a workable app; but also an Ethical approach, to avoid pathetic apps like the I Am Rich thing; and finally a Completed Category approach as well, to avoid situations like the so many "useful" flashlights that have been released.

Are you joking? Apple DOES REVIEW APPS!

At least they say they do, but no one really knows what happens when a developer drops their app in the Apple Review Black Box.

 

[lindsayanng]

how was I am Rich buggy OR unethical? it was neither.. and apple DOES test their apps, but they can not test them on quality, because (and this has been said a THOUSAND times here) quality means different things to different people

one mans trash is another man's treasure

Also, the apps that are buggy are usually the ones who's server's get overloaded..i'm sure apple didnt test the stability of their servers, just the actual app. They were probably also tested in a "clean" environment. Not on an iphone that has a bunch of other things bogging down it's memory.

 

[Matt1974]

Are you joking? Apple DOES REVIEW APPS!

At least they say they do, but no one really knows what happens when a developer drops their app in the Apple Review Black Box.

You are right, they supposedly DO review these Apps... what is crystal clear is that they are seemingly not doing a very good job. Imagine if they would release an iLife 09 as buggy as some of these apps...

Perhaps they should have not a committee review, but a specifically dedicated team working on it. And the idea of an Ethical Committee is crucial, since the I Am Rich thing should have never made it to the App Store... that was simply embarrassing... a clever boy waiting for someone to mistakenly and innocently buy a $999 useless crap. Clearly, there was no ethical review on that one .

 

[admanimal]

I think we need to withhold judgement about how buggy apps are until after the firmware itself becomes more stable, at least when it comes to crashing issues.

 

[lindsayanng]

I am Rich was NOT against ANY ethics, but thats a debate for a different thread. You are just being picky and argumentative..

 

[Matt1974]

how was I am Rich buggy OR unethical? it was neither.. and apple DOES test their apps, but they can not test them on quality, because (and this has been said a THOUSAND times here) quality means different things to different people

one mans trash is another man's treasure

Also, the apps that are buggy are usually the ones who's server's get overloaded..i'm sure apple didnt test the stability of their servers, just the actual app. They were probably also tested in a "clean" environment. Not on an iphone that has a bunch of other things bogging down it's memory.

I Am Rich is not an example of a buggy App, it is the perfect example of an unethical App, since it was nothing but a clever boy trying to get an idiot ( or a technologically challenged iPhone user) to touch the wrong buttons...

By Buggyness Approach I am not talking about the QUALITY of an App, but about its STABILITY. And there are hundreds of examples... iPhone's original Apps never caused any problem, even after the device was overloaded with 3rd Party Apps. Well... Safari crashes from time to time but you get my point... some Apps are definitively too buggy to be launched. For example, check MobileChat reviews, among others.

 

[CommanderData]

I Am Rich is not an example of a buggy App, it is the perfect example of an unethical App, since it was nothing but a clever boy trying to get an idiot ( or a technologically challenged iPhone user) to touch the wrong buttons...

I have a different opinion of "I am rich" that I posted elsewhere. Consider this:

I believe the whole point of the "I am rich" app was for the purchaser to show that he/she has so much money they can afford to throw it away on useless things. Anyone can afford an iPhone now, so this was a way to stand out/be different. Kind of like dipping your iPhone in 24k gold plating. Doesn't do sh*t but prove you have more money than the Average Joe will see in his lifetime.

The author was providing a "service" for the rich, taking a mere pittance from them in exchange for something the rich person can show off to prove they are better than you

 

[Matt1974]

I have a different opinion of "I am rich" that I posted elsewhere. Consider this:

The author was providing a "service" for the rich, taking a mere pittance from them in exchange for something the rich person can show off to prove they are better than you

Ok, so... the author was just providing a "service" for the unhappy rich who -poor man Lord have mercy for him-, he doesn't know what to do with his money and he needs to prove he is better than the rest of the mere mortals by throwing his money away (well, not acutally throwing it away but putting it into this qualified and respectable developer's bank account who was just doing a social service...) (with all due respect for him, I just want to make my point, nothing personal ).

Yeah! my *ss!

Anyway, if that was not an unethical app then why did Apple take it away from the App Store? If this decision was not for Ethical reasons then what was that?

Humbly the way I see it is Apple is learning on the go on this, and they did have an ethical review on that. But, that's just me.

And this is why I want to hear all your thoughts. Thanks for all your input on this thread.

 

[lindsayanng]

they probably took it down because of the mistakes that were made, and by allowing people to download apps, and then ask for a refund because they ACCIDENTALLY hit the wrong button, is setting a bad precident. It will make people download an app for a day and then return it - BAD for developers ... but thats just my guess..

Otherwise, the ONLY other reason they took it downw as because people whined about it.. It wasnt hurting anyone, but people didnt like the IDEA. Maybe you should ask Apple why they took it down.. but i dont think it was because it was "unethical"

I dont think apple should put "ethics police" on their shoulders. They clearly stated no porn or "dirty" material. Bathroom humor, ect.. but if they go any further than that, then they are making decisions for EVERYONE on what is "acceptable" which i do not feel apple WANTS to do.

 

[CommanderData]

Ok, so... the author was just providing a "service" for the unhappy rich who -poor man Lord have mercy for him-, he doesn't know what to do with his money and he needs to prove he is better than the rest of the mere mortals by throwing his money away (well, not acutally throwing it away but putting it into this qualified and respectable developer's bank account who was just doing a social service...) (with all due respect for him, I just want to make my point, nothing personal ).

Yeah! my *ss!

Anyway, if that was not an unethical app then why did Apple take it away from the App Store? If this decision was not for Ethical reasons then what was that?

Humbly the way I see it is Apple is learning on the go on this, and they did have an ethical review on that. But, that's just me.

And this is why I want to hear all your thoughts. Thanks for all your input on this thread.

You're funny!

But seriously, I do think this was supposed to be some sort of "status symbol" app. As for why Apple removed it... It received 8 sales, two of which were accidental and required refunds. That's 25% refund rate, they probably assumed it would be better to remove it to prevent more headaches with their credit card processor (or bad press if they denied refunds).