Facebook Developer Quits Due to Tyrannical Apple Approval Policies

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Posted November 11, 2009 at 9:18pm by iClarified

Joe Hewitt, the developer behind the iPhone Facebook app, has quit due to tyrannical App Store approval policies.

Hewitt tweets, “Time for me to try something new. I’ve handed the Facebook iPhone app off to another engineer, and I’m onto a new project.”

TechCrunch managed to obtain further details finding out that Hewitt attributed his decision to quit the project entirely on Apple’s tyrannical App Store approval policies:

My decision to stop iPhone development has had everything to do with Apple’s policies. I respect their right to manage their platform however they want, however I am philosophically opposed to the existence of their review process. I am very concerned that they are setting a horrible precedent for other software platforms, and soon gatekeepers will start infesting the lives of every software developer.

The web is still unrestricted and free, and so I am returning to my roots as a web developer. In the long term, I would like to be able to say that I helped to make the web the best mobile platform available, rather than being part of the transition to a world where every developer must go through a middleman to get their software in the hands of users.

If the developer of what is likely the most popular iPhone application has reached such frustration then think about how the rest of the developers must feel. Apple has a real problem here.

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Facebook Developer Quits Due to Tyrannical Apple Approval Policies

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Bastion - February 22, 2010 at 3:09am

"I am philosophically opposed to the existence of their review process." He's not "frustrated", like something about his experience with Apple's review process was difficult or broken or inconsistent or slow -- he said it simply shouldn't exist because "the Internet is free, man". How many times have we heard that? And as for middlemen, is he unaware that most software is published? It has to go through a process of quality checks, marketing, communications, etc. to ensure it is ready for consumption? Maybe in his world you just slap some executables up on a website and say to users "have at it" (oh, wait, that IS open source/free software, isn't it?), but that isn't how professional software is created, and it's not how Apple creates it. Sounds to me like someone trying to blow some trumpets to get a new, higher paying job...

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513e6cb - November 12, 2009 at 9:25am

App store exist cuz of the early jailbreak iphones with Installer. Then apple decided to release App store cuz of the hype for jailbreak and apps.

ellijjott - November 13, 2009 at 11:59am

straight to the point!!! Apple provide developers with a way to make a money - not self-promotion... big deal if someone doesn't want to make apps for apple product under apple's rules... it will be another guy who is willing to work and will be a customer who will use it...

eLLiJJoTT - November 12, 2009 at 4:27am

yeah, yeah... and when facebook put everything everywhere not allowed to remove yourself completely? nobody likes to be done to him what he is doing to other... facebook tried to control your account there so apple likes to control their ;) I can not see much difference in behaviour of FB and apple

Richard - November 12, 2009 at 3:42am

This is as heavy as when Microsoft Bought Cydia... ( http://hq.nu/1r )

DNA64 - November 12, 2009 at 5:05am

Microsoft NEVER bought Cydia. That was a Aprils Fools Joke, just wanted to make that clear for other readers :P

Jupi - November 12, 2009 at 3:03am

Bravo!!

Cody - November 12, 2009 at 2:56am

what a loss. the facebook app is superbly designed; it's a shame such a talented developer has been disenfranchised by apple. hopefully the person taking over can continue his vision by bringing push notifications sometime soon, and hopefully apple takes notice.

Jay - November 11, 2009 at 10:40pm

If it wasnt hard it wouldnt be called a job and you wouldnt get paid for it.

Joe Cole - November 11, 2009 at 10:36pm

Tyrannical is a joke. Draconian is more like it. Apple's loss, Cydia's gain. Jay, bag this guy before he goes rogue.

samK - November 11, 2009 at 9:24pm

let's go cydia!

mike - November 11, 2009 at 10:25pm

hell yea cydia winterboard google voice pdanet swirlymms idashboard cycorder the list goes on apple needs to just make everything open the current restrictions are ridiculous could you imagine if they opened up to the porn industry lol can you even start to think of some of the apps that would be released and how much money could be made