Google Play, Google’s marketplace for Android applications which now reaches a billion people in over 190 countries, has historically differentiated itself from rival Apple by allowing developers to immediately publish their mobile applications without a lengthy review process. However, Google has today disclosed that, beginning a couple of months ago, it began having an internal team of reviewers analyze apps for policy violations prior to publication. And going forward, human reviewers will continue to go hands-on with apps before they go live on Google Play.
I haven’t noticed any slowdowns or complaints from developers so far.
One thing I have noticed (just did a quick search then) was the removal of crap such as “Flash Deluxe Pro Player” with Flash and Adobe branding made by a third party which was nothing more than a piece of scamware. I hope that they not only test submissions but they also reject those who violate trademarks of established software companies to avoid the sort of scamware that up until recently was very common in the Play Store.
I kinda think it should be up to the devs whether they want to have their app submitted for approval or not, but let users set an option (or preferably have it on by default) not to show unapproved apps in Play store searches.
What would that accomplish? An honest dev should have no reason to not want their app to go through an approval process and no sane, knowledgeable user would install anything from the non-approved section, so only not-so-technically-inclined people who were duped into it would install anything from there.
You know, I’m not sure. It made sense when I first posted it, but now I’m drawing a blank. lol
One reason might be if the wait times get really long and the dev needs their app out right now, and their users know to look for it.
I think he (WorknMan) was looking to ensure that the side-loading principle/dynamic is preserved. Where if Google, unlike Apple, continues to provide a means of sidestepping their controls, albeit with a somewhat hidden enabling switch that is off by default, they are then precluded from refusing apps outright on dubious grounds or of them expanding those controls to further their own needs at the expense of their users.
One need look no further than Apple and their business practices to see just how petty and self serving, even huge companies can be when they have complete, unassailable control over all that happens on iDevices they rent(sell)to people.
Primarily seen now is that Apple is using that locked down, single source, tyrannical control to establish iToll-booths in every arena they enter or allow on their iDevices.
We don’t need Google to become even more controlling than they are, but it seems, sadly inevitable at this juncture.
From the Greek philosopher Plato 428-348 BCE,
“This, and no other, is the root from which a tyrant spring forth, when he first appears he is a protector”.
The side-loading process has nothing to do with Play Store or Google’s approval process.
Before I go on a tirade I would like a clarification: are you talking about this approval process or about something that hasn’t even happened yet?
“The side-loading process has nothing to do with Play Store or Google’s approval process.”
Yes it does. The ability to side-load prevents Google from being a single source for Android apps. It is Google’s one primary saving grace over Apple in this regard.
“hasn’t even happened yet” but Google is/has continued moving in the direction of greater and greater control, not all of it to the benefit of Android users.
“Before I go on a tirade”
Huh? Which is it, just a general self superior attitude or an over abundance of self importance?
I accept neither…done!
Is there actually an alternative app store? Just in case you want to be independent from google…
F-Droid is an installable catalogue of FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) applications for the Android platform
https://f-droid.org/
Aptoide is probably the slickest, predominate one.
I’ve used it a lot.
http://m.aptoide.com/
In a pinch I used to use an old tablet and Google user account to download apps from the Google Play store that couldn’t be sourced elsewhere.
I too want nothing whatever to do with Google/Others, myself. If I want to use Google maps or search I use the somewhat more anonymous web interface.
What annoys me is when an ethically/freedom oriented entity such as Mozilla’s Firefox, sends you to Google Play to get the .apk of their browser, when they feed all the desktop versions directly from their site.
I’ve moved away from Google, have been boycotting Apple’s products since forever in protest of their control freakery and refusing to hand over full ownership rights to the purchasers of their devices.
Am now using a simple burner Tracfone that runs the Brew OS.
Edited 2015-03-18 06:21 UTC
As long as they don’t pull an Apple and start rejecting apps just because they compete with Google’s own (or put stupid purchasing restrictions on them), and as long as the ability to side load apps remains in place, then I’m all for this. I don’t actually mind curated app repositories, in fact I think they’re a good idea. What makes Apple and Microsoft’s a problem for some isn’t that they’re curated, but that they’re the only store you are permitted to have. So far as I’m concerned, Google can run the Play Store how they will and others can run their own stores how they will. I see no problem here, and if it cuts down on the amount of crapware cluttering the Play Store so much the better.
Now, should Google remove the ability to side load third party stores or apps, then we have a problem. I don’t see this as likely however, as Google are fully aware this is one of their main market advantages.
Well, the developers that can complain are the ones that tried to compete with Google (or Google began to compete with them), they went out of market due to Google’s competition (usually unfair via internal cross-financing), so I’m hardly surprised that someone out of business will complain
The egg and chicken problem, really.