Lol I do this too. If I see an "are you enjoying our app" banner I will immediately click yes, follow the link to the store, and then immediately 1 star. Even if I enjoy the app and use it daily.
Companies that attempt to filter out negative feedback can pound sand.
Why? If you like it, why not give it a good rating and review if you’re going to take the time. For ratings apps can only present them officially like once or twice a year on apps. So once you rate it, then nothing should bug you again. What’s wrong with companies attempting to get positive feedback from those who like the app. The people who don’t like it, or when there’s one little thing wrong, go out of their way to one start it anyway (like if they have popups that ask you if you like the app even though it addresses the problem you have and that’s why you downloaded it). And if it is free, well, then going out of your way to one star it is a real bummer for that dev trying to make something of value for free and grow via star ratings and having you detract from that. (Unless they are free and collecting and selling all your data - at that point, and if they did this in a shady way although that’s hard to do because of disclosures - I could see giving a low rating review.) just seems overly critical in my opinion but maybe efforts like yours will change dev behavior overall.
I expect a company to roll over and show its neck if it wants me to give it a good review, none of this “we’ll have separate processes for positive and negative feedback” nonsense. I don’t want to put the developers who DON’T engage in such ploys to be put at a disadvantage, and intuitively I know that they are put at a disadvantage unless people act in the way that I act. That ends up rewarding cowardice instead of bravery and transparency.
That sounds harsh. I kindly ask if they want to leave a review to support me in my app. What's wrong with that? Haven't received any complaints and I got a lot of nice reviews I presume I wouldn't have gotten otherwise.
What’s wrong with that? It’s fucking irritating. It’s not my job to do marketing for them, and frankly I resent constantly being asked for feedback on every interaction. I bought a lightbulb. Please rate it! I bought toilet paper. Please rate it! It’s like being around a really insecure person who’s constantly trying to win your favor. Just be a good person and it will happen, but try to do it and you make it way worse.
I provide a free game with no monetization and if they play more than an hour I ask if they would like to rate it. That's the only payment I get beyond donations. How is that unreasonable and worth giving me a 1 star for?
There are a few patterns here I didn’t dive into in my original comment above.
1. I don’t use a lot of apps. I prefer web for most things. It turns out the apps I do download are from bigger companies (YouTube, Netflix). It’s annoying to be nagged by these companies. I already pay them $x/mo and now they’re asking more from me? Please leave me alone.
2. Many apps are first asking if I like it THEN prompt me to review if I say yes. It is my understanding that this is against the rules for the Apple App Store. If it’s not it should be. That’s shady behavior. It’s so common that I’ve been conditioned to not even believe that the first prompt is even real. I feel like I’m literally being Phished for reviews here. I don’t like it.
So yes, I’m to the point where I assume all nag-ware is employing some manipulative dark pattern and I default to 1-star review. Yes I will one star review some apps that don’t deserve it. But at this point those developers are playing in the same sandbox as all the bullies and I can’t tell them apart anymore. I have to protect myself. I don’t have the mental energy to try and distinguish between the good guys and bad guys anymore.
It is my opinion that Indie developers need to find a better way to market themselves. The water has been poisoned on reviews.
Sorry if you disagree with me. But that’s where I’m at now.
> 1. I don’t use a lot of apps. I prefer web for most things. It turns out the apps I do download are from bigger companies (YouTube, Netflix).
I think you're just lucky. Or maybe my friends and I are just cursed. I get asked to rate everything. My doctor's office sends me an email to rate them on the web after every single visit. If I go in for a follow-up a week later, I get 2 emails asking for ratings - one for the initial visit and one for the follow-up. My dog's vet asks for a rating. I get a pizza delivered, they want a rating. It's too much. I definitely never rate an app that asks me to for the reasons you've said. It's all very scammy and I'm conditioned now. Sucks for the honest guys, but c'est la vie.
Well, out of hundreds of reviews I haven't received a single 1-star yet. I think you're exaggerating that the whole ecosystem of reviews has been poisoned. Maybe it's my specific audience but most reviews are great and sincere.
Fwiw, I'm not asking if they like it first. I ask them to write an honest review if they want, and that it helps support the game.
I'm just surprised this small thing is controversial considering how hard I've worked on being transparent and avoid dark patterns.
Companies that attempt to filter out negative feedback can pound sand.