This raises the question: How do you shill lots of reviews in the first place? I've tried to leave feedback, but found I had to own the app first. So, I waited about a month after I released the app and had no reviews before I bought a copy myself and added a review.
But I could only add one.
Do these unscrupulous developers just create a bunch of iTunes accounts and buy their own apps so they can post lots of favorable reviews?
I've written 2 apps so far: Points [App Store Link], and Velocity [App Store Link]. For Points, we have set up some forums on our regular corporate site where users can interact directly with us, which works relatively well for dealing with customers who are happy the application, but we rarely hear from the folks with problems.
But for Velocity, (which was done in my spare time rather than for my day job) I've not bothered. Why? Well, really because Velocity is such a stupid-simple app that there is little reason to bother with the overhead of setting up some forums etc. I wrote it mostly to scratch my own itch: I own an iPod, not an iPhone, so I have no GPS on the device. I wanted to calibrate my speedometer, but all the existing speedometer applications required a GPS. So, I wrote Points, which relies upon the user to tap the screen as they pass a marker. I added a bunch of what I thought were neat conversions so you could measure things like furlongs per year, rather than just miles per hour. It's basically been a flop. Nearly all the feedback I receive indicates that the user either did not read any of the very straightforward documentation clearly visible on the download page in iTunes, or that they are just not capable of understanding what the app is for and what it does in the first place.
I think my biggest mistake with Velocity is that I wrote an application that requires a modicum of physics knowledge - which, apparently, very few people possess. *sigh*
My only real complaint with the iPhone comes as the result of having developed a few applications that are currently for sale on the iTunes app store, and it goes like this:
I'm not allowed to interact with my customers.
I frequently get feedback (both positive and negative) on the applications I've written. I'd love an opportunity to comment on this feedback, either to address concerns or to graciously accept the accolades. However, Apple keeps a stranglehold on all feedback from customers, and does not permit you to know much of anything about how to contact the customer directly.
I wish this was different, and is one of the reasons I've taken a break from iPhone development for a while.
So the total revenue they hope to raise is 46,258 * 4 = $185,032? Even if that is an annual subscription amount that is collected from the "adopters" of the code, how is that even close to enough money to fund a project the size of Miro? At today's market prices, this would only barely cover the salary of 2.5 developers.
As if allowing him time to think about it would make any difference. He routinely spews stuff like the following, even though he's had plenty of time to think about it:
"We [Microsoft] don't have a monopoly. We have market share. There's a difference."
"I've never thrown a chair in my life."
"We can believe that we know where the world should go. But unless we're in touch with our customers, our model of the world can diverge from reality. There's no substitute for innovation, of course, but innovation is no substitute for being in touch, either."
"If you look at the dollars, everything about our prices are quite different than classic enterprise software."
"We have no plan in place. We don't expect that to happen."
Darling Duck,
You are my fervent eagerness. My devotion devotedly cherishes your devoted eagerness. My rapture winningly is wedded to your ardent tenderness. You are my burning love. My longing yearns for your liking.
I had to ask myself this question the last time I was crawling through an underground crawlspace below a very old building so I could run drainage tubing from our new server room.
Does anyone know how it is forensically marked? Is it something as silly as a banner that appears from time to time in the film with a copyright notice on it? Or is there something more technically interesting going on - some method of steganography in film?
Don't get me wrong - I abhor and loathe pedophiles, however, it seems that these stories always refer to finding things in a pedophile's basement. Is there some unwritten (or written) agreement between all pedophiles that requires they keep their collections in the basement?
Perhaps I'm misinformed, but is there any evidence to suggest that BitTorrent is used exclusively to distribute copyrighted materials? It seems to me that the argument against it is that it *may* be used to distribute copyrighted materials. If this is truly the case, then I guess we had better go ahead and unplug the whole internet. It was fun while it lasted, but it *may* be used for evil, so while I agr*#&$@@ NO CARRIER
Is there any DRM that is not deceptive at some level? It seems that the makers try very hard to gloss over what the DRM actually does/restricts when they are trying to sell you their stuff.
See, AT&T (and many other carriers) count on the fact that most of the general public has difficulty doing simple arithmetic. When most people are standing in the store holding the shiny new phone, they just can't (or don't care to) add.
I used to work in the college textbook industry, and there was a constant background drum from the book publishers talking about switching everything to eBooks. However, all the students that I ever asked about it were very much in favor of being able to fold down corners, draw in the margins, use highlighers, etc. Personally, when I read, I *like* the tactile interaction with the book.
I'm not all that familiar with the current eBook readers - are they very popular?
We had actually been looking for quite some time without success. Our requirements were not strictly for an IT person - we needed someone more well-rounded, and bilingual. This person fit the bill nicely, so we lucked out that he was pink-slipped. I am not tickled to death that MPC no longer exists, and I know it has left a lot of highly qualified folks w/out work. Seeing businesses fail is never a pretty sight for anyone. We just happened to benefit as a result, for which I'm grateful.
Lemonade from lemons, and all that.
I, for one, happen to be rather pleased that MPC bit the dust: We hired one of their former employees back in November, and he has proven to be a great addition to our (currently growing, amazingly) company.
Slashdot Mirror
This raises the question: How do you shill lots of reviews in the first place? I've tried to leave feedback, but found I had to own the app first. So, I waited about a month after I released the app and had no reviews before I bought a copy myself and added a review.
But I could only add one.
Do these unscrupulous developers just create a bunch of iTunes accounts and buy their own apps so they can post lots of favorable reviews?
That's just stupid.
I've written 2 apps so far: Points [App Store Link], and Velocity [App Store Link]. For Points, we have set up some forums on our regular corporate site where users can interact directly with us, which works relatively well for dealing with customers who are happy the application, but we rarely hear from the folks with problems.
But for Velocity, (which was done in my spare time rather than for my day job) I've not bothered. Why? Well, really because Velocity is such a stupid-simple app that there is little reason to bother with the overhead of setting up some forums etc. I wrote it mostly to scratch my own itch: I own an iPod, not an iPhone, so I have no GPS on the device. I wanted to calibrate my speedometer, but all the existing speedometer applications required a GPS. So, I wrote Points, which relies upon the user to tap the screen as they pass a marker. I added a bunch of what I thought were neat conversions so you could measure things like furlongs per year, rather than just miles per hour. It's basically been a flop. Nearly all the feedback I receive indicates that the user either did not read any of the very straightforward documentation clearly visible on the download page in iTunes, or that they are just not capable of understanding what the app is for and what it does in the first place.
I think my biggest mistake with Velocity is that I wrote an application that requires a modicum of physics knowledge - which, apparently, very few people possess. *sigh*
My only real complaint with the iPhone comes as the result of having developed a few applications that are currently for sale on the iTunes app store, and it goes like this:
I'm not allowed to interact with my customers.
I frequently get feedback (both positive and negative) on the applications I've written. I'd love an opportunity to comment on this feedback, either to address concerns or to graciously accept the accolades. However, Apple keeps a stranglehold on all feedback from customers, and does not permit you to know much of anything about how to contact the customer directly.
I wish this was different, and is one of the reasons I've taken a break from iPhone development for a while.
So the total revenue they hope to raise is 46,258 * 4 = $185,032? Even if that is an annual subscription amount that is collected from the "adopters" of the code, how is that even close to enough money to fund a project the size of Miro? At today's market prices, this would only barely cover the salary of 2.5 developers.
Now where are you gonna find a half a developer?
That wasn't the force that was disturbed - well, maybe it was the dark side...but then, how would you have felt it?
Oh, wait...
I bow to our new USB-Based NIC overlords....
Is this a sign that the judicial system is finally going to start to treat the RIAA like the mobsters they mimic?
As if allowing him time to think about it would make any difference. He routinely spews stuff like the following, even though he's had plenty of time to think about it:
"We [Microsoft] don't have a monopoly. We have market share. There's a difference."
"I've never thrown a chair in my life."
"We can believe that we know where the world should go. But unless we're in touch with our customers, our model of the world can diverge from reality. There's no substitute for innovation, of course, but innovation is no substitute for being in touch, either."
"If you look at the dollars, everything about our prices are quite different than classic enterprise software."
"We have no plan in place. We don't expect that to happen."
(All lifted from: http://thinkexist.com/quotes/steve_ballmer/ )
Darling Duck, You are my fervent eagerness. My devotion devotedly cherishes your devoted eagerness. My rapture winningly is wedded to your ardent tenderness. You are my burning love. My longing yearns for your liking.
The flying cows!
I had to ask myself this question the last time I was crawling through an underground crawlspace below a very old building so I could run drainage tubing from our new server room.
That was pretty dirty.
I hear Jupiter has approached Obama's administration to request some bailout cash - It's not the planet's fault the spot is shrinking, after all.
Does anyone know how it is forensically marked? Is it something as silly as a banner that appears from time to time in the film with a copyright notice on it? Or is there something more technically interesting going on - some method of steganography in film?
Are you saying that a large portion of the human species have medical implants? If you truly believe this, I'll give you a large portion of my M&Ms.
xyzzy
Don't get me wrong - I abhor and loathe pedophiles, however, it seems that these stories always refer to finding things in a pedophile's basement. Is there some unwritten (or written) agreement between all pedophiles that requires they keep their collections in the basement?
Perhaps I'm misinformed, but is there any evidence to suggest that BitTorrent is used exclusively to distribute copyrighted materials? It seems to me that the argument against it is that it *may* be used to distribute copyrighted materials. If this is truly the case, then I guess we had better go ahead and unplug the whole internet. It was fun while it lasted, but it *may* be used for evil, so while I agr*#&$@@ NO CARRIER
Is there any DRM that is not deceptive at some level? It seems that the makers try very hard to gloss over what the DRM actually does/restricts when they are trying to sell you their stuff.
While you are out snipe hunting, could you pick me up a left-handed smoke shifter? Thanks.
See, AT&T (and many other carriers) count on the fact that most of the general public has difficulty doing simple arithmetic. When most people are standing in the store holding the shiny new phone, they just can't (or don't care to) add.
--Kimball
http://www.incredicode.com/velocity.html
Or, from the manpage for date we find this smoldering slagheap: date -j -f "%a %b %d %T %Z %Y" "`date`" "+%s"
I used to work in the college textbook industry, and there was a constant background drum from the book publishers talking about switching everything to eBooks. However, all the students that I ever asked about it were very much in favor of being able to fold down corners, draw in the margins, use highlighers, etc. Personally, when I read, I *like* the tactile interaction with the book. I'm not all that familiar with the current eBook readers - are they very popular?
Yeah, looks just like the Rodents Of Unusual Size from Princess Bride. Freaky.
Any fireswamps in Haiti?
We had actually been looking for quite some time without success. Our requirements were not strictly for an IT person - we needed someone more well-rounded, and bilingual. This person fit the bill nicely, so we lucked out that he was pink-slipped. I am not tickled to death that MPC no longer exists, and I know it has left a lot of highly qualified folks w/out work. Seeing businesses fail is never a pretty sight for anyone. We just happened to benefit as a result, for which I'm grateful. Lemonade from lemons, and all that.
I, for one, happen to be rather pleased that MPC bit the dust: We hired one of their former employees back in November, and he has proven to be a great addition to our (currently growing, amazingly) company.
You must be new here...