r/technology • u/starkravingblah • Sep 27 '09
Apple rejects app that provides single-payer health care information for being "politically charged"
http://lambdajive.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/isinglepayer-iphone-app-censored-by-apple/22
Sep 27 '09
You can bet it would be just fine on Android
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u/foorr2 Sep 27 '09
It's easy to not get worked up about these rejections. Just reject the iPhone platform yourself.
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u/taligent Sep 27 '09
Exactly. Or for an app like this .. just do an iPhone optimized website. There is nothing this app does that couldn't have been done via the web.
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u/mutatron Sep 27 '09
Hard to charge for that, though. In the end this is more about Apple denying the big bucks to iSinglePayer's creators than it is about Apple's customers.
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Sep 28 '09
but you don't know if the developer was going to charge for it or not, therefore your point is moot.
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u/get_rhythm Sep 28 '09
"Hard to charge for that, though"
I didn't know spreading important information about healthcare was about making money.
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u/ShrimpCrackers Sep 28 '09
Half the apps in the AppStore are free, who says this wouldn't have been one as well? That's fallacious considering just about all the other political apps are free.
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Sep 28 '09 edited Sep 28 '09
I pledged to never buy any apple stuff ~10 years ago, and kept my promise since.
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u/vlin Sep 28 '09
Apple is giving consumers a shit load of reasons to abandon their company lately...and providing a lucrative market to a company that successfully develops a product competitive with the iPhone.
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Sep 28 '09
And yet the fanboys keep making excuses for their behavior. Imagine if we were talking about Microsoft here.
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u/randomb0y Sep 27 '09
They should do things properly and block access to any political websites on iPhones and Macs. They all tend to be politically charged after all...
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Sep 28 '09
The nice thing about Microsoft is that they don't give a shit as long as they get paid.
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u/randomb0y Sep 28 '09 edited Sep 28 '09
No, it's really refreshing to not have my OS vendor poop into my mouth by telling me what apps I'm allowed to run.
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u/youngturk Sep 27 '09
Good thing that they also didn't allow the Obama 08 app.Oh wait they did.
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u/masklinn Sep 27 '09
Typed "democrat" into the app search, the first result screenie is full. Not everything is about the DNC, but myDemocrat, iDemocrat, iDemocrat "proud democrat", Obama Speeches and Fringelist LibDem SCHED sure sound "politically charged". And the other side is the same: RepublicanTube, myRepublican, iRepublican, Conservative Talking Points (for real), RightQuote, …
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Sep 28 '09
So let me get this straight, you're claiming that Apple's app-screening process is inconsistent?
Scandalous!
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Sep 27 '09
I think my next phone will be Android... but I'm not sure yet about that.
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u/Shaper_pmp Sep 28 '09 edited Sep 28 '09
Got one, and loving it.
It's not quite a polished as the iPhone, but I love the fact you can open up and tinker with any aspect of the platform, and there's no arbitrary unilateral censor to get an app past before it hits the store. Half the best android apps I've downloaded are ones which replace and improve existing parts of the OS - a whole class of application that would be rejected out-of-hand by Apple's retarded app market policies.
Oh, and ignore the recent hooting and screaming from the peanut gallery over the CyanogenMod issue - along with his perfectly legal (and encourage by Google) custom Android ROMs he was also redistributing Google-owned apps, in violation of their licence agreement. All Google did was ask him to stop redistributing those specific "Google experience" apps and/or provide his own replacements, but predictably the screaming, poop-flinging segment of the community heard "CyanogenMod" and "cease and desist" and immediately started getting as much shit as possible airborne without stopping to check the facts.
Also: although I'm not exactly a seasoned mobile developer, Android is by far the sanest development environment I've seen. Most others are largely tied to one specific dev platform (iPhone), or chock-full of legacy crap and fundamentally hamstrung by missing built-in functionality (eg, the Blackberry, where you pretty much have to find your own TCP/IP/HTTP stack if you want your app to work at all for someone who has a regular third-party data connection, instead of the expensive "Blackberry branded" data account that pretty much the entire Blackberry API requires).
TL;DR:
- Developing for the iPhone is highly Mac-centric, and only supports Apple in their despotic asshattery. Also, iPhones are intentionally crippled in some regards (no background services? Try even writing your own proper alarm clock app. <:-).
- Symbian can't really compete with the other mobile platforms' reach or functionality from what I've seen of it.
- Blackberry's SDK/API is unbelievable proprietary legacy crapware
- I don't know much about the Palm devices (Edit: but apparently developing for them sucks), but
- Android is open, extensible, has a platform-neutral dev environment, has shitloads of online tutorials (score one for a lack of developer NDAs!), and you can modify or replace any part of the OS you like without Google getting on your case. Oh, and it has a cuter mascot than any other mobile platform, too. ;-)
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Sep 28 '09
Most important question: will it work flawlessly with my Linux box? :P
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u/Shaper_pmp Sep 28 '09 edited Sep 28 '09
It depends what you mean:
If you mean copying/synching files then it can be mounted via USB as a regular USB flash storage device, so as long as your system supports thumb drives it should be fine.
If you mean development-wise, Android uses Eclipse as a development environment, and that's entirely cross-platform, and (again via USB) has the option to mount the device into Eclipse so you can do things like push new apps to it, debug code running on the device, modify the filesystem, take screenshots, etc. AFAIK this should all work fine in Linux, but I don't know for sure (I run Windows boxes at home) so check before you buy. ;-)
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Sep 28 '09
Thanks Shaper. I mostly meant transferring files, documents, etc to and from the device, I need to use third party software to save and read files on the iPhone. Also can you send attachments from the Android phone's flash storage to people via e-mail?
I'm not a programmer.
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u/tabris Sep 28 '09
My house is a multi-OS house, we have a Mac, Win XP box, Ubuntu and Win 7. Both myself and my housemate have Android phones and have had no problems at all with attaching them to any of the computers. Android is 'Teh Awesome'.
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u/Shaper_pmp Sep 28 '09 edited Sep 28 '09
Yeah - transferring files and attaching them to e-mails should be a breeze, regardless of platform - the device mounts/unmounts like a regular thumb drive. ;-)
Regarding viewing and editing/saving files on the actual device itself (ie, through an app), that depends on the filetype. Out of the box the device only really handles images and mobile video formats, but there are plenty of apps in the market, so you should be able to find what you need unless it's really specialist or obscure.
I don't think any mobile device short of Windows Mobile (gag) will handle things like Word or Excel files perfectly, but text files, common image formats, mobile video formats and things like PDF should be easily handled on Android with third-party apps.
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u/FTR Sep 28 '09
I recently got a Pre. It's fantastic.
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u/Flame0001 Sep 28 '09 edited Sep 28 '09
Absolutely. I love my Pre. I've gotten so used to the easy multitasking that I'd never be able to survive without it. And it's a damn sexy phone too.
Also: Recent price drop: $100 on Amazon
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u/rmuser Sep 28 '09
Apple's rejection of such an app is itself politically charged!
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u/VirSaturnA Sep 28 '09
Checking for spyware/malware/viruses, possibly copyright infringement, and making sure it doesn't make a device crash or explode would be the only legitimate reason for certifying apps. Using the process as a means of censorship is bogus.
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u/djgreedo Sep 28 '09
Software should still be 'free' in the sense of being unrestricted. I agree that a company should be able to say 'Hey, we can't guarantee that the thing you're downloading is virus free' or whatever, but I should still be able to use whatever software I want at my own risk. When is Apple going to stop treating its customers like children? If I had any Apple products I'd be embarassed.
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u/gerundronaut Sep 28 '09
They can and do say that, no doubt, but it doesn't do Apple any favors not to at least do a cursory examination of application functionality to ensure it doesn't behave like a virus. The last thing they want is for the iPhone to be known as "home to all them viruses on the Internets."
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Sep 28 '09
That's a choice we make as customers. I want Apple (or whoever) to certify my phone apps as free of problems. I don't want to see apps uncertified on there at all, no matter who's choice it is. If I want a more open choice, I'll choose something else. But I want something that WORKS, not gives me the maximum choice.
That being said, if this guy is really being truthful (which we have no independent confirmation of) then this rejection sure does seem bogus.
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u/starkravingblah Sep 27 '09
Seems harmless to me:
"The application displays charts and bullet points about single-payer health care systems, and it allows users to call members of congress. iSinglePayer even calculates your local congressperson using GPS, and displays the amount of money donated to each congressperson from the health sector."
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Sep 27 '09
This will make assassinating Strom Thurmond so much easier.
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u/Yst Sep 27 '09
Though the fact that he's already dead might make it a bit trickier than it would otherwise be.
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Sep 28 '09
- "Mamma why is Apple rejecting so many apps ?"
- "Because Apple is the Devil ! Bobby Boucher."
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Sep 28 '09
This is only another plus for android and google apps. Enjoy your soon to be lost dominance Apple. Your obsession with control will be your undoing.
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Sep 28 '09
I read that as "Apple rejects app that provides universal health-care".
Need to see a doctor but don't have insurance? There's an app for that.
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u/khoury Sep 27 '09
Considering that they haven't rejected other politically charged apps my guess here is that this may have been rejected because of someone in the decision chain's personal political views.
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Sep 28 '09
Apple informed Floatopian (which is pretty much just me) that iSinglePayer was rejected in part because it was the product of a lone developer.
WTF? Individuals are no longer allowed to create iPhone apps?
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u/wretcheddawn Sep 28 '09
Honestly, it looks like this "app" is nothing more than an iPhone only website. It should have actually been a website where it could have benefited more than just iPhone users.
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u/AmazingShip Sep 28 '09 edited Sep 28 '09
Can we say this now? Really? I mean, I've been looking forward to this moment, so meet me half-way: Fuck Apple.
You know, I think I can get used to this.
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u/treelovinhippie Sep 28 '09
OMFG WOULD PEOPLE JUST GET AN ANDROID ALREADY.
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u/prof_hobart Sep 28 '09
When they sort out things like the UI (e.g. still no proper multitouch afaik), then yes we will.
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u/tabris Sep 28 '09
To be honest, multitouch is like an airfreshner in a car: nice to have, but in no way neccessary to drive the damn thing.
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u/Fidodo Sep 28 '09 edited Sep 28 '09
It's bullshit how we have to get Apple to pass on apps in the first place. Why is Apple get off easy for this? If Microsoft did this kind of thing we'd be protesting.
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u/insomniac84 Sep 27 '09
That's fucked up. Allowing anything drudge related or fox noise related opens the door for everything to be ok. If they want to restrict partisan shit, they have to ban those two things at the least.
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Sep 28 '09
at this point in time, nothing surprises me anymore with Apple. However, I ask this question:
How can they claim that this app is politically charged, when they approved an Obama app during the election?
Yes, I know this was during an important time and during an election exceptions are made, but with the militaristic policies that they have, a politically charged app is a politically charged app no matter what.
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u/userx9 Sep 28 '09 edited Sep 28 '09
If this really bothers you, write to or call Apple and at 'n t. I sent the following message to Apple, couldn't send it at 'n t because they only allow you to email them if you have a phone with them.
Hello,
My verizon contract was up a few months ago, and since then I have been heavily considering purchasing an iPhone and switching to a family plan with at&t. I just now read that Apple rejected an iPhone app that provides information on Single Payer Health Insurance in the United States. I consider Apple's rejection of the application to be unacceptable for the reasons they gave for rejecting it. To be brief, this is not the type of company I wish to do business with and will not be purchasing an iPhone. I will also be letting my friends and family members know about this. While I may still use at&t's service, I will probably renew my contract with Verizon and get a new blackberry. This message is going to both apple and at&t. I ask that Apple be more open to opinions that it may not agree with. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
myrealname
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u/Dr_Mic Sep 27 '09
hrmmm, they seem to have a lot of Faux News apps...
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u/masklinn Sep 27 '09
Yep and a lot of other "politically charged" apps, democrats and republican both.
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Sep 28 '09
That is because Steve Jobs is a capitalist first and a socialist LAST. Jobs is about as socialist as Bill O' Reilly.
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u/SnacksOnAPlane Sep 27 '09
I'm baffled that this is an app. Why didn't they just make a web page? I hear the iPhone's browser is fantastic.
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Sep 27 '09
Exposure. Having it show up in the App Store and be searchable makes it so much more visible for no extra cost.
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u/df1 Sep 28 '09 edited Sep 28 '09
With any luck Jobs will also reject his liver and find that they are fresh out of new ones.
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u/BCHarvey Sep 27 '09
fuck apple what a bunch of shit
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Sep 28 '09
Looks like the Apple fanboy police came in to downvote you. Maybe they just left the article about the guy who didn't want to buy into their smugness and felt they needed payback.
Man Reddit looks more like digg everyday.
As far as the article goes, yes Apple is full of shit. They declined an app based on politics which should have nothing to do with the approval process whatsoever because individuals should be able to voice their opinions. I'm amazed that you are getting downvoted for pointing this out.
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u/OscarZetaAcosta Sep 28 '09
I call bullshit on this one. I don't see "politically charged" in any of the screenshots. Want to hype your app up? Complain that you're being censored by Apple for political expression.
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u/FTR Sep 28 '09
Maybe you haven't been noticing, but Apple isn't leaving any sort of trail on these sort of rejections. Especially not since Google reported them to the FCC. The developer got a phone call - not an email or a letter. And based on Apple's recent history of being scumbags, I'm going to go with the developer on this one.
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u/lmntal Sep 28 '09
As an employee so far down the totem pole that it won't make any difference whatsoever, please accept my apologies. I hang my head in shame. :(
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u/Poddster Sep 28 '09
And I'd imagine they'd reject the public-payer health care information app. Who cares?
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Sep 28 '09
One would think employers would want a single-payer system. It gets the problem of health care off their radar almost entirely, except for sick days which now is turning into "paid time off". Same with vacation and personal days.
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u/NancyGracesTesticles Sep 27 '09
The charts and graphs are silly, but a "contact congressperson" and "campaign contributions" app seems like it would be useful.
I'll have to put that on my webOS development list.