Apple warns developers against gaming App Store rankings | Macworld:
For many developers, Apple’s warning, and the fact that it appears to be cracking down on apps that take advantage of these means, is definitely a positive. For one thing, it helps level the playing field for those trying not just to make a hit, but a living developing software.
“There are plenty of developers who work very hard to produce quality apps,” The Iconfactory’s Craig Hockenberry wrote in an email toMacworld, “and we’re all happy to see Apple kick these scammers to the curb.”
(Via www.macworld.com)
Dan Moren over at Macworld did a great job with this article. I’m glad someone is bringing the issue some attention, lest App Store customers get the impression that the majority of developers are more like snake oil salesmen than legitimate small business owners.
I suppose to some extent we should expect the hucksters to come in and try to make a quick grab for a million dollars off the latest trend. But I hope that it’s clear to at least a good number of App Store customers that we’re not all in it for fame and fortune. Some of us, as the article points out, really do just want to make a decent living and escape life in a cubicle. We’re in it for the long haul.
I talk about this constantly with my partners at Bombing Brain Interactive. The long term goal: be able to continuously make a living designing and building great products. No Lamborghinis or cruises around the world required. Just make enough to keep going and not have to work a “day job.” Support our families doing something we love, and make customers happy in the process.
There’s no short cut to achieving that goal. You work your butt off and keep trying to improve your apps, and hope that you get enough buzz and word of mouth going to keep feeding you.
The sooner the get-rich-quick scammers move on to the next big thing, the better off we’ll all be. I’m just surprised it’s taking this long for them to realize that most are falling flat on their faces. As long as they’re still around, the rest of us have to keep fighting the negative public perception.
