The Strange Nature of the Nigerian App Market

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The Strange Nature of the Nigerian App Market

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday August 15, 2012 @07:06PM from the this-app-may-come-as-a-surprise-to-you dept.

zacharye writes "With 100 million mobile subscribers, Nigeria stands among leading mobile markets in the world. Its mobile content sector is quite fascinating — this is a market where $100 apps can debut at the No.3 position on Apple's list of top iOS apps. Bible and Quran apps are a major feature of the Nigerian mobile content market. The evergreen 'Message Bible' was launched globally in December 2009 at almost the same time as 'Angry Birds.' While the raging avians achieved greater global success, 'Message Bible' was a smash in Nigeria, recently returning again to No.15 among the top grossing iPhone apps. In the United States, the app didn't even crack the top 600 at its peak."

110 comments

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419 Scam? by ApplePy · 2012-08-15 19:12 · Score: 3, Insightful

None conned so easily as the con man, they say.

--
That I'm right, and you don't like it, doesn't mean I'm a troll.
1. Re:419 Scam? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 19:28 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  And there is no greater con than God, which explains these Bible and Qur'an apps.
2. Re:419 Scam? by Hazel+Bergeron · 2012-08-15 20:12 · Score: 2, Troll
  
  Before C20, I'd agree.
  Today, there is no greater con than capitalism.
  Which is why anyone feels the need for an iPhone and its apps at all.
3. Re:419 Scam? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 20:37 · Score: 1
  
  Well Sir, when was is a Nigerian Prince one does have an reputation to maintain and all that.
  Toddle Pip.
4. Re:419 Scam? by icebraining · 2012-08-15 20:44 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Nope. Religion stills takes the cake.
  
  When it comes to bullshit, big-time, major league bullshit, you have to stand in awe of the all-time champion of false promises and exaggerated claims, religion. No contest. No contest. Religion. Religion easily has the greatest bullshit story ever told. Think about it. Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time!
  But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He's all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can't handle money! Religion takes in billions of dollars, they pay no taxes, and they always need a little more. Now, you talk about a good bullshit story. Holy Shit!
  http://www.godlessgeeks.com/LINKS/Carlin_on_religion.htm
  
  --
  Dilbert RSS feed
5. Re:419 Scam? by icebraining · 2012-08-15 23:24 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  I (and Carlin) said Religion, not the Bible. If you think that churches are teaching the Bible, you're sorely mistaken.
  
  More than four-in-ten Catholics in the United States (45%) do not know that their church teaches that the bread and wine used in Communion do not merely symbolize but actually become the body and blood of Christ. About half of Protestants (53%) cannot correctly identify Martin Luther as the person whose writings and actions inspired the Protestant Reformation, which made their religion a separate branch of Christianity. Roughly four-in-ten Jews (43%) do not recognize that Maimonides, one of the most venerated rabbis in history, was Jewish.
  http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/09/28/130191248/atheists-and-agnostics-know-more-about-bible-than-religious
  
  --
  Dilbert RSS feed
6. Re:419 Scam? by donscarletti · 2012-08-15 23:56 · Score: 2
  
  Martin Luther is not mentioned in the bible. Nor is Augustine of Hippo, Jan Hus, John Calvin, Karl Barth for that matter. Maimonides was not mentioned in the Tanakh or Talemud.
  What is your point exactly? Are you trying to point out that Atheists don't understand the concept of "sola scriptura" or what?
  
  --
  When Argumentum ad Hominem falls short, try Argumentum ad Matrem
7. Re:419 Scam? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 00:13 · Score: 0, Troll
  
  As a confirmed Agnostic (normally leaning heavily towards Atheist) Also having never attended church, I know more about the bible then 95% of the "religious" leaders out there. Of course they spend almost all their time in pursuit of profits and twisting or out lying about the bible to further their goals...
8. Re:419 Scam? by bigtrike · 2012-08-16 00:28 · Score: 2
  
  Wouldn't that only apply to sects that believe in sola scriptura? I've only been educated in one of the religions mentioned, and the basic education had to do a lot more with tradition, ritual, and culture more than purely biblical studies.
9. Re:419 Scam? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 00:32 · Score: 1
  
  Do you have a link to the specific studies you've conducted to come to that 95% statistic?
  Because without any evidence, I don't believe you.
10. Re:419 Scam? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 00:39 · Score: 0
  
  Also as an agnostic (with gut instincts leaning toward atheism), I think your generalizations are BS. Maybe it had to do with attending various churches when younger, and not seeing rabid exceptions that make their way into news ... or maybe it has to do with not liking anyone that tries to twist or make up facts to further their goal and apparent authority, whether about the Bible or about other people.
11. Re:419 Scam? by Ollabelle · 2012-08-16 01:09 · Score: 1
  
  Oh, I don't know, maybe this is how they launder the money from those 419 scams....
  
  --
  Ibid.
12. Re:419 Scam? by alexgieg · 2012-08-16 01:18 · Score: 1
  
  Are you trying to point out that Atheists don't understand the concept of "sola scriptura" or what?
  Which, incidentally, doesn't make sense. For you to accept the principle of "sola scriptura" you have to accept an extra-scriptural tradition saying, as its first extra-scriptural commandment: "you shall use this scriptura". And if you accepted one extra-scriptural commandment which by its very nature is clearly superior to the whole of that scriptura, well, why not others?
  
  --
  Conservatism: (n.) love of the existing evils. Liberalism: (n.) desire to substitute new evils for the existing ones.
13. Re:419 Scam? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 01:27 · Score: 1
  
  The Bible teaches slavery is okay, it is alright to beat your wife, you can force your daughters to have sex with other men, a raped woman can regain her honor by marrying the rapist, and that homosexuality is immoral. What else do I need to know about its Bronze Age wisdom?
14. Re:419 Scam? by alexgieg · 2012-08-16 01:34 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time!
  Actually, the Christian Hell is the Greek Hades, in which the Greek religion said everyone went no matter what. You had some slight better places within Hades for good people, such as the Elysium Fields, but it was commonly accepted that going to anywhere in Hades wasn't good, and that staying alive was way better, thank you very much. (Olympus, by the way, was the realm of the gods and demigods, not of dead humans.) So, early Christian apologetics at the time went more or less like this:
  Christian: "Hey, bro! Do you have a minute?"
  Greek: "Yeah, sure. What is it?"
  Christian: "I'd like to talk to you about a hot new Eastern religion I follow. But before, please tell me: where do you go after you're die?"
  Greek: "Well, to Hades. Everyone knows that."
  Christian: "And what if I told you you can actually go to Olympus instead?"
  Greek: "What? How come!? That's unpossible!!!11!1!!!"
  Christian: "Ah, but it's very possible! Let me tell you about this god of mine..."
  PS.: By the way, the Christians don't think certain specific things lead to Hell/Hades. Keeping in line with the Greek religion, it's all of them. Do anything or nothing at all, and you go to Hades anyway. It's merely the standard human afterlife, no strings attached. Heaven/Olympus is an optional alternative.
  
  --
  Conservatism: (n.) love of the existing evils. Liberalism: (n.) desire to substitute new evils for the existing ones.
15. Re:419 Scam? by Urthas · 2012-08-16 02:32 · Score: 0
  
  It's too bad Carlin's extreme cynicism turned whatever wits he had to idiocy. Yes, I said it. Carlin was an idiot.
16. Re:419 Scam? by icebraining · 2012-08-16 02:47 · Score: 3
  
  You're confusing the Christian doctrine to what Christians believe. I can tell you that they're extremely different for the most part.
  
  --
  Dilbert RSS feed
17. Re:419 Scam? by alexgieg · 2012-08-16 03:27 · Score: 1
  
  You're confusing the Christian doctrine to what Christians believe. I can tell you that they're extremely different for the most part.
  Ah, yes, true enough.
  
  --
  Conservatism: (n.) love of the existing evils. Liberalism: (n.) desire to substitute new evils for the existing ones.
18. Re:419 Scam? by icebraining · 2012-08-16 05:47 · Score: 1
  
  Maybe you could try reading the whole report. I just posted the summary.
  And no, I (not "Atheists", we're not a club) didn't know the concept of "sola scriptura". I'm from a Catholic country, where such concept isn't well known. That said, I wasn't trying to claim that all those lines refered to the Bible.
  
  --
  Dilbert RSS feed
19. Re:419 Scam? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 10:31 · Score: 0
  
  Jewish is ethnicity, Judaism is religion. Richard Feynman was a person of Jewish ethnicity, he was an Eithiest.
  Please learn the difference before making comments such as: "Roughly four-in-ten Jews (43%) do not recognize that Maimonides, one of the most venerated rabbis in history, was Jewish."
With this app, you dont have to write this anymore by Razgorov+Prikazka · 2012-08-15 19:12 · Score: 1

Dear sir,

I write to you because you are a decent person, and I need your help. My father was the minister of agriculture before the civil war broke out. In the civil war, jihadists where after the money my father had secured for building a dam. This money...

--
rm -rf --no-preserve-root / ...and let /dev/null sort them out...
No surprise there by Wizard052 · 2012-08-15 19:13 · Score: 5, Informative

As Africa's most populous country, it's got millions of mobile subscribers. This is one prime market that's often overlooked as the West focuses on the BRIC markets...
1. Re:No surprise there by William+Robinson · 2012-08-15 19:38 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Just checked and surprised to see India has 929 million mobile subscribers. That is huge market.
  
  --
  hilarious
2. Re:No surprise there by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 20:14 · Score: 0
  
  No one said it was a country.
3. Re:No surprise there by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 20:32 · Score: 1
  
  Brazil 192,787,000 GDP per capita $12,788
  Russia 141,927,297 GDP per capita $12,993
  India 1,210,193,422 GDP per capita $1,389
  China 1,336,970,000 GDP per capita $5,430
  Nigeria 162,470,737 GDP per capita $1,452
  hell, Indonesia 237,424,363 GDP per capita $3,508
  Nigeria is a /market/ sure, but "prime" indicates First to me. It's more middle-pack.
4. Re:No surprise there by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 20:38 · Score: 0
  
  Learn to read?
5. Re:No surprise there by Sqr(twg) · 2012-08-15 21:18 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  And with a GDP per capita of approximately USD 2 600 (a twentieth of the US) very few of those can afford to pay for apps. The fact that the “CFA Exam Audio Series: Level II 2013 priced at $100 placed #3 gives a hint as to how many Nigerians are buying apps.
6. Re:No surprise there by Mr.+White · 2012-08-16 04:14 · Score: 1
  
  Since we are talking about mobile apps, we need to compare smartphone prevalence, not number of mobile subscribers.
  In poor countries, mobile phones are very popular for a number of reasons. But most of those phones are not smartphones and won't be unless someone designs a $100 smartphone. (without contract price.)
  
  --
  witold.org
7. Re:No surprise there by gl4ss · 2012-08-16 05:55 · Score: 1
  
  Since we are talking about mobile apps, we need to compare smartphone prevalence, not number of mobile subscribers.
  In poor countries, mobile phones are very popular for a number of reasons. But most of those phones are not smartphones and won't be unless someone designs a $100 smartphone. (without contract price.)
  ..practically every phone over 50 bucks can run programs.
  there's plenty of smartphone definition filling devices in the 100 bucks range, without contract. nokia has a bunch of models, that's where the bulk of their unit numbers comes. it's pathetically under targeted segment from sw developers today, not least because nokia CEO even likes to pretend they don't exist!
  
  --
  world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
8. Re:No surprise there by mattack2 · 2012-08-16 11:13 · Score: 1
  
  I don't follow phones too much, but I think the phones you're talking about are more typically called "feature phones". They're not quite as capable as "smartphones", and the apps they run are much simpler. (I'm not even sure if all of them have separate app stores.)
Elitism by mr100percent · 2012-08-15 19:13 · Score: 3, Interesting

You're talking about a country with a per capita income of only $2,600. Clearly only the top 1% buy these phones and thus the expensive apps.
1. Re:Elitism by ccguy · 2012-08-15 19:17 · Score: 1
  
  You're talking about a country with a per capita income of only $2,600. Clearly only the top 1% buy these phones and thus the expensive apps.
  You'd be surprised at the profiles of the 'letter from a prince generator' buyers...
2. Re:Elitism by loosescrews · 2012-08-15 20:14 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  $2,600 of reported income.
3. Re:Elitism by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 20:26 · Score: 1
  
  You're talking about a country with a per capita income of only $2,600. Clearly only the top 1% buy these phones and thus the expensive apps.
  A phone doesn't cost what you pay for it. You can expect that the price is adjusted to increase the customer base.
  In general Africa also have very few landlines (I cannot speak for Nigeria in particular.) and this leads to a situation where a cellphone is pretty darn important. A Nigerian is probably willing to spend a lot more of their income on a cellphone than you would.
4. Re:Elitism by Anne+Thwacks · 2012-08-16 05:37 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  I can speak for Nigeria - it has very few landlines, and most of those don't work. Many Nigerians have relatives in Europe who send their old phone to them when the contract expires (American phones are, of course, even more useless outside America than inside).
  The income distribution in Nigeria is radically different from Europe or America, and a great many Nigerians are outside the monetary economy, and quite a few are reasonably well off, In any case, no one in Nigeria believes statistical data, especially if it originates with the private sector or the government, or anyone else.
  
  --
  Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
5. Re:Elitism by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 13:05 · Score: 0
  
  In any case, no one in Nigeria believes statistical data, especially if it originates with the private sector or the government, or anyone else.
  ...as opposed to statistical data that pops into existence all by itself?
Aint no fool by Penurious+Penguin · 2012-08-15 19:14 · Score: 5, Funny

How do I know this article isn't a Nigerian scam? I aint clickin' on that link, no sir I aint.

--
Forward! -- Emperor Norton, 2012
1. Re:Aint no fool by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 22:42 · Score: 0
  
  It is high time people stopped this negative and obviously racially motivated stereotype of associating scam with Nigeria. Facts:
  (1) 99% of all email scams/spams originate from the US and not Nigeria.
  (2) Bernie Madoff who defrauded his clients of $50 Billion is American and not Nigerian.
  (3) Wall Street stole trillions of $$ from the world and caused the current global financial crisis. Wall street is not Nigerian.
  (4) The word 'scam' is an english word hence it must have originated from England and other english-speaking countries
  (5) No more than 5% of every nation is corrupt. The Mafia is prevalent in Italy, yet we don't call all Italians Mafiosos and criminals
  (6) Politicians in every nation are corrupt e.g. British MPs expense frauds, Berlusconi, Chirac, US lobbying etc. Yet we don't call their people as scammers.
  There is no excuse for ignorance in the information age.
2. Re:Aint no fool by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 23:19 · Score: 0
  
  (4) The word 'scam' is an english word hence it must have originated from England and other english-speaking countries
  An amazing piece of logic. Kudos to you, AC.
3. Re:Aint no fool by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 23:37 · Score: 1
  
  Surprise. Surprise. According to Wiki,
  
  For example, in 2006, 61% of Internet criminals were traced to locations in the United States, while 16% were traced to the United Kingdom and 6% to locations in Nigeria.
4. Re:Aint no fool by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 23:52 · Score: 1
  
  (4) The word 'scam' is an english word hence it must have originated from England and other english-speaking countries
  
  The logic of this point defies me, however it's probably worth pointing out that English is the official language of Nigeria!
5. Re:Aint no fool by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 00:00 · Score: 0
  
  Yes. Now, do you honestly think that this caused by the fact that the word 'scam' is an English word?
6. Re:Aint no fool by paxprobellum · 2012-08-16 01:33 · Score: 1
  
  Troll is also an English word...
7. Re:Aint no fool by virgnarus · 2012-08-16 01:35 · Score: 1
  
  You have my word.
  - Nigerian Prince
  P.S. Please help me and my country.
8. Re:Aint no fool by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 02:03 · Score: 0
  
  well clearly going by the original AC's logic the word "word" is an english word and therefore it must have originated from england and other english-speaking countries, and so all words in all languages must have also come from there as well.
9. Re:Aint no fool by NixieBunny · 2012-08-16 02:18 · Score: 1
  
  Fact: over half of the advance fee fraud email solicitations that show up in my spam folder self-identify as Nigerian.
  
  Curiously, the only spam I get is this sort of thing, punctuated by a very infrequent resending of exactly the same Chinese programming outfit's solicitation.
  
  --
  The determined Real Programmer can write Fortran programs in any language.
10. Re:Aint no fool by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 02:26 · Score: 0
  
  but Bird is THE Word!
11. Re:Aint no fool by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 04:15 · Score: 0
  
  Think...The word 'scam' was clearly invented in England many moons ago to address a problem that existed way back then.
12. Re:Aint no fool by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 04:24 · Score: 0
  
  "over half of the advance fee fraud email solicitations that show up in my spam folder self-identify as Nigerian."
  Hmmn, does the source IP address in the email IP header confirm it was sent from nigeria or does your subconscious just translate spam=nigeria? ;-)
13. Re:Aint no fool by six · 2012-08-16 06:58 · Score: 1
  
  Fact:
  97.3% of statements starting with "Fact:" are actually repeated talking points supported by absolutely no real fact.
14. Re:Aint no fool by Man+Eating+Duck · 2012-08-16 08:36 · Score: 1
  
  (4) The word 'scam' is an english word hence it must have originated from England and other english-speaking countries
  Hey, brainiac, I'll have you know that "svindel" is a Scandinavian word, hence it must rather have originated from Scandinavia.
  
  --
  Are you a grammar Nazi? I'm trying to improve my English; please correct my errors! :)
9 out of the 10 highest-grossing iPhone apps in Am by gl4ss · 2012-08-15 19:23 · Score: 3, Insightful

"9 out of the 10 highest-grossing iPhone apps in America are free."
it's clear that americans go for nigerian scams easier than nigerians who like to pay up front.

--
world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
Africa by jones_supa · 2012-08-15 19:37 · Score: 2

It's also interesting to see how Africa in general seems to be steadily rising towards a more developed continent. China too is making investments there, and Renault recently launched the continent's largest automotive factory.
1. Re:Africa by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 19:54 · Score: 0
  
  They are much, much for intelligent than any other creature in the universe.
2. Re:Africa by quenda · 2012-08-15 19:57 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  It's also interesting to see how Africa in general seems to be steadily rising towards a more developed continent.
  Surely you must be talking about plate tectonics there.
3. Re:Africa by Adam+Jorgensen · 2012-08-15 20:58 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Nope, we're basically still being raided for raw resources by the rest of the world.
Religious make-believe! by xenobyte · 2012-08-15 19:39 · Score: 0, Troll

With all that interest in the make-believe of religions, it's no wonder the country is filled with make-believe princes with make-believe fortunes needing help...

--
"For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong." -- H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) --
Drugs? by KreAture · 2012-08-15 19:52 · Score: 2

1. Buy the dealers app or in-app purchase of insanely priced virtual wares
2. Display as proof
3. Recieve drugs

This market needs better control!
1. Re:Drugs? by gl4ss · 2012-08-15 20:29 · Score: 1
  
  and pay tax? money laundering at the same time.
  
  --
  world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
2. Re:Drugs? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 20:48 · Score: 0
  
  With 30% going to Apple? No way...
3. Re:Drugs? by KreAture · 2012-08-15 20:58 · Score: 1
  
  30% is actually very cheap for drug money laundring.
4. Re:Drugs? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 21:16 · Score: 0
  
  30% is actually very cheap for drug money laundring.
  apps are also great because nobody is questioning millions in app revenue, but it's really hard to fool anyone you "washed cars" for 1 million.
Obviously by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 19:54 · Score: 0

The apps are being paid for with stolen credit cards.
As another commenter said the average income is $2600
Angry Birds and Quran? Hmm.... by KrazyDave · 2012-08-15 20:27 · Score: 1, Funny

Angry Birds - Jihad Suicide Bomber Edition! I smell a mega-smash hit in Nigeria!

--
www.chihuahuarescue.com- Help to end dog abuse, abandonment and cruelty
1. Re:Angry Birds and Quran? Hmm.... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 20:48 · Score: 0
  
  Angry Birds - Jihad Suicide Bomber Edition! I smell a mega-smash hit in Nigeria!
  Ummh...Ignorance.
2. Re:Angry Birds and Quran? Hmm.... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 23:00 · Score: 0
  
  Angry Birds - Jihad Suicide Bomber Edition! I smell a mega-smash hit in Nigeria!
  Ummh...Ignorance.
  Ummh...Denial.
3. Re:Angry Birds and Quran? Hmm.... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 01:38 · Score: 0
  
  No. That's in Egypt, not Nigeria.
Faith of Nigeria by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 21:04 · Score: 3, Interesting

40% of population are Christian and 50% muslin. No surprises as to the fervor of their faith.
1. Re:Faith of Nigeria by pr0nbot · 2012-08-15 22:22 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Those non-Christians aren't going to last long in hell... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslin
2. Re:Faith of Nigeria by echucker · 2012-08-15 23:57 · Score: 2
  
  Hmm, some folks might cotton on to those numbers not matching the fabric of the religious structure there.
3. Re:Faith of Nigeria by bigtrike · 2012-08-16 00:48 · Score: 1
  
  If they mix with other fabrics, they'll definitely end up in hell.
  "Deuteronomy 22:11 Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woolen and linen together."
4. Re:Faith of Nigeria by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 00:51 · Score: 0
  
  I would think that the central character of any faith in Nigeria would be some sort of con man with a super human ability to bore people to death with idiotic scams. One wonders why the government of Nigeria tolerates this nonsense as it simply destroys any respect that anyone might have for their nation.
5. Re:Faith of Nigeria by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 02:33 · Score: 0
  
  That's part of the Old Covenant, which was overruled when Christ came
6. Re:Faith of Nigeria by fustakrakich · 2012-08-16 02:36 · Score: 1
  
  And the remaining 10% are lying?
  
  --
  “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
7. Re:Faith of Nigeria by Anne+Thwacks · 2012-08-16 05:45 · Score: 1
  
  Perhaps it has not occured to you that:
  a) The government of Nigeria itself is a boring, idiotic scam
  b) The government of Nigeria is completely irrelevant to most Nigerians, and incapable of enforcing anything significant
  Unlike America where:
  a) The government of America is a boring, idiotic scam
  b) The government of America controls the lives of most Americans, and is capable of enforcing anything it likes.
  
  --
  Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
8. Re:Faith of Nigeria by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 05:49 · Score: 0
  
  Matthew 5:18:
  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
9. Re:Faith of Nigeria by CAIMLAS · 2012-08-16 12:36 · Score: 1
  
  The remaining 10% are reportedly Muslix. They'll last a bit longer in hell and put off a sweet, savory roasted oats odor as they cook...
  
  --
  ~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
Message bible? by SuricouRaven · 2012-08-15 22:01 · Score: 1

Would that be 'The Message' bible? That piece of crap doesn't even deserve to be called a 'translation.' I'm an atheist, and even I find it offensive that someone had so little respect for the historical text as to produce The Message. Some people try to defend it by calling it a 'paraphrase' instead, but that is simply excusing the terrible inaccuracies and even entire verses outright rewritten.
1. Re:Message bible? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 22:49 · Score: 0
  
  Just wait 2000 years,
2. Re:Message bible? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 22:50 · Score: 1
  
  Some people try to defend it by calling it a 'paraphrase' instead, but that is simply excusing the terrible inaccuracies and even entire verses outright rewritten.
  Where exactly do you think The Bible comes from? During the Council of Nicaea, whole sections of the "Bible" (at the time) were discarded or re-written to match the prejudices of the attendees.
3. Re:Message bible? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 23:19 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  That is not correct, though that's a common misconception. The Council of Nicaea did not address the question of which books would be included in the Biblical canon. Rather, it concerned the nature of the relationship between God the Father and his son Jesus--it was a dispute between the followers of Athanasius who finally won out, who asserted that they were different persons, and the followers of Arius, who believed that God and the Son were separate entities. It was, of course, a political struggle, and that particular council was not the final word on the matter. There were messy struggles between the two factions (and several others that cropped up over the years) until the Emperor Theodosius I settled the question essentially by fiat near the end of the 4th century. (It was officially settled by council--but strangely enough, the results of the later councils always seemed to match the theological opinion of the reigning Augustus.)
  The books that were taken to be part of the canon were largely settled somewhat earlier by consensus between the "orthodox" Christians--the ones that finally won out. Groups of Christians that disagreed were disenfranchised and exiled before the Council of Nicaea, as a result of the legal battles that ensued after the Edict of Milan legalized Christianity. At that time, the courts had to settle which groups were the actual Christians, and thus officially tolerated, and which were the churches of the false Christians that did not fall under the Edict's orders to restore seized property.
  There were no Ecumenical Councils that took a position on the canon until the Council of Trent asserted the canonicity of the so-called "deuterocanonical" books--books in the Old Testament which the new Protestants rejected. The Protestants, of course, continued to reject those books, and so most Protestant Bibles fail to include books like Tobit and 1 and 2 Maccabees.
4. Re:Message bible? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-15 23:40 · Score: 0
  
  The above reminds me somewhat of a story line in Red Dwarf, where factions of cats wage war - "the cause of the cat civil war is whether their god was named Cloister or Clister".
  Given how little we could deduce about any god, it seems daft to fight over such trivial detail.
5. Re:Message bible? by Vintermann · 2012-08-16 00:23 · Score: 1
  
  Educated atheist gets lectured by uneducated atheist about religion. News at 11.
  
  --
  xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
6. Re:Message bible? by Vintermann · 2012-08-16 00:25 · Score: 1
  
  It wasn't. It was about the color of the silly hats they were supposed to wear in the restaurant at Fuschal (Fiji). Don't get into a Red Dwarf fan war with me, I dare you.
  
  --
  xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
7. Re:Message bible? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 00:44 · Score: 1
  
  You dare me to don't get into a war with you?
  I dare you to not don't English war go to with me.
8. Re:Message bible? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 02:35 · Score: 0
  
  There are near-complete manuscripts of the Bible from before that council and those manuscripts are used in modern translations, so the re-writing claim is irrelevant.
9. Re:Message bible? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 03:21 · Score: 0
  
  All four of the great uncial codices were written after the First Council of Nicaea.
10. Re:Message bible? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 04:11 · Score: 0
  
  noted
11. Re:Message bible? by jschrod · 2012-08-16 12:48 · Score: 1
  
  The above reminds me somewhat of a story line in Red Dwarf, where factions of cats wage war - "the cause of the cat civil war is whether their god was named Cloister or Clister".
  Read again:
  
  At that time, the courts had to settle which groups were the actual Christians, and thus officially tolerated, and which were the churches of the false Christians that did not fall under the Edict's orders to restore seized property
  .
  (emphasis mine) and learn: "never attribute something to ignorance that can be equally well be explained by greed".
  
  --
  Joachim
  
  People don't write Manifestos any more -- what's going on in this world? [Frank Zappa]
Nigerians need apps? by macraig · 2012-08-15 22:46 · Score: 1

What, like Farmville, Oil Tycoon, Poacher Paradise, Sim 419, and Love(...Not) Connection?
1. Re:Nigerians need apps? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-18 03:11 · Score: 0
  
  http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3053749&cid=41023259
subject by Legion303 · 2012-08-15 22:54 · Score: 3, Funny

"Bible and Quran apps are a major feature of the Nigerian mobile content market."
Worst casual games ever.
What a major blow to religion by MisterPuddles · 2012-08-15 23:21 · Score: 2

Easy access to the Bible? You don't want people reading that thing. They'll start to see how wacky it is.
1. Re:What a major blow to religion by ericloewe · 2012-08-16 00:29 · Score: 2
  
  Judging by Mein Kampf, universal access to a book does not mean it is universally read beyond the first few pages. The book (or app) becomes a sort of status symbol, while its true purpose is mostly ignored.
2. Re:What a major blow to religion by couchslug · 2012-08-16 01:24 · Score: 1
  
  "You don't want people reading that thing. They'll start to see how wacky it is."
  Sophisticated atheists would question it, but ignorant tribesmen in mud huts aren't different from its original audience.
  Religion sells to the ignorant and the desperately self-deluding. The Third World is infested with it.
  
  --
  "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
3. Re:What a major blow to religion by doesnothingwell · 2012-08-16 02:39 · Score: 1
  
  It warms my heart to know that trapped in the midwest usa, I'm not in the biggest podunk religious shithole anymore. Thanks Nigeria for raising the bar.
  
  --
  They can have my command prompt when they pry it from my cold dead fingers.
about the same content by kenorland · 2012-08-16 01:00 · Score: 1

Bible and Quran apps are a major feature of the Nigerian mobile content market. The evergreen 'Message Bible' was launched globally in December 2009 at almost the same time as 'Angry Birds.'
And all three apps feature about the same kind of content.
"Status symbol" by Kupfernigk · 2012-08-16 02:13 · Score: 1

As in, if you lived in Nazi Germany and didn't have a copy of Mein Kampf displayed prominently in the drawing room, pretty soon you would have no status?

--
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
1. Re:"Status symbol" by ericloewe · 2012-08-16 02:55 · Score: 1
  
  Perhaps, or perhaps something along the lines of carrying a crucifix - replace crucifix with bible app. In either case, the real meaning can easily be ignored or avoided and the object becomes a status symbol, devoid of any true meaning.
So is California by Kupfernigk · 2012-08-16 02:16 · Score: 1

Sorry, you don't have to travel to the tiers monde to find ignorant and desperately self-deluding people. Just look at the churchgoing percentage in the USA versus Western Europe. (And just look, for that matter, at gamblers, especially the ones in hedge funds and banks).

--
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
Why? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 03:13 · Score: 0

Why do we keep seeing iBGR stories on the front page? They struggle mightily to be relevant to the tech world, but fail.
Lmfao by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-16 04:02 · Score: 0

And people actually download this shit for $100 or whatever amount from sand niggers in nigeria that are well known for all kinds of scams? Talk about fucking gullable.
News Flash by viperidaenz · 2012-08-16 11:59 · Score: 1

Religious apps are popular in highly religious country.