[barista]

>It seems Google will allow them to build an HTML5 app

Isn't it more like Google is forcing them to write an HTML5 app by refusing to allow native app?

[jlgreco]

Google cannot force them to make anything; they are separate companies.

Google is allowing them to make an HTML5 app, and forbidding them from making a native app. They are not forcing them to do anything.

[Karunamon]

Sophistry. Users expect a Youtube experience on an average mobile device, and by dictating the language it must be written in (WHY? What possible legitimate reason does Google have to do this?), they are effectively forcing Microsoft's hand.

[jlgreco]

> WHY?

Well, because apparently there isn't a soul at Microsoft who knows how to read a ToS...

Why do you think Microsoft are resorting to a smear campaign? They don't have a leg to stand on.

[Karunamon]

Just because it's in a ToS doesn't mean it's reasonable or immune from complaint or criticism. I can require in my ToS that everyone who uses my Awesome(C) API to do a headstand on first access, that doesn't make it reasonable.

It's completely unreasonable, to the point of being WTF-worthy, to require the app which accesses the API to be in a certain language.

Seriously. I'm having trouble phrasing how dumb this is. As long as the app can generate the appropriate requests and serve the appropriate data, who cares? What possible legitimate reason does Google have to decide if the app is written in HTML5, Java, INTERCAL, brainfuck, or lolcode? Why provide an API at all if you're going to do platform restrictions?

[jlgreco]

Microsoft are lucky Google isn't cutting them off entirely. If I were Google, that's what I would do.

[Karunamon]

At least that would be more defensible than what they're doing now.