While I see what you’re trying to say here, the App Store is not extortion. You don’t have to build an app for their platform. If you do, you do so knowing beforehand that the app requires approval to be listed on their App Store, and that such approval is not guaranteed or owed just because you think it is. You’re also free to distribute the app privately the way many enterprises do, and how services like TestFlight work. You can use web technologies and bypass any App Store, revenue cut, or approval process. Every step of the way no matter which way you go, you’re making an informed choice, willingly. Choosing to go down the App Store path, regardless of if side loading is available or not, is not extortion. Nobody forced you to build an app for a platform that requires approval and has a long history of denying apps. I don’t understand the attitude everyone has where they feel entitled to shit just because it’s something they want. Private company. Closed platform. Walled garden. Approval process. This isn’t a democracy and never was. Why do you think you can will something you don’t own or have any decision making powers at into something it never claimed to be and never was? Fix capitalism, or change our culture not to revolve around greed and maximizing profits, and the shit Apple does won’t happen. If there is a way to make more money, walled gardens to extract more money will always exist.
In my opinion, all of this falls apart once you consider that Apple has sabotaged the mobile web as an application platform basically since the inception of the iPhone. You actually just don't have a choice if you want to reach that audience, in a lot of cases. Heck, we only now just got Web Push which sort of kinda works sometimes on mobile Safari at the moment.
I also disagree that every organization in a capitalist society has to be inherently evil, but that might be more of a fundamental discussion ;)
Things have improved vastly with the introduction of web push but Apple is still dragging their feet on making it possible to create a good mobile experience with web-only apps.
Now, I generally don't like conspiracy theories and I seek not to attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity (or even a lack of attention, etc.) However, in this particular case it seems very obvious to me that Apple is doing it in order to force developers to build native apps.
Extortion usually demands something under the threat of something bad happening that you do not want, and the action is taken against you by someone else.
You have a choice to write and iOS app and publish to the App Store or not. If you choose not to, what bad action is Apple purposely and actively taking against you in retaliation to you not giving in to their demands? Oh wait, they didn’t demand anything from you or threaten anything bad should you not meet those demands. They didn’t approach you with a demand. They didn’t approach you at all. They don’t care about you or anything you have going on.
How is Apple extorting you here? I would like to understand what state of psychosis I must obviously be in for this to be reality
> Extortion usually demands something under the threat of something bad happening that you do not want, and the action is taken against you by someone else.
The action you do not want is "rejecting any appeal/blackballing" if you tell people what Apple reviewers did.
You claim "Apple reviewers are within their rights to do that, it's their garden/world you're just living in it."
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Your professor unjustly gives you a D, but if you complain to anyone, he'll make it an F. It's your fault; you voluntary chose to enroll in that class knowing that the professor could assign you a poor grade. Losers weepers.
Like their entire App Store business?