Simon Woods

I’ve been saying for years that the 30% cut is completely out of line with the value that Apple provides to developers.

– Manton Reece, App Store rent-seeking

Apple has already decided they can just do all of the app-focused editorial in-house. How long before they start scooping up app developers and signficantly increase the number of first-party apps?

I’m not at all confident the average iPhone buyer (i.e. Apple’s most valuable customer) could care less about third-party apps and so find it difficult to see them receiving real pushback for that kind of move.

I recently stumbled across I don’t hang out on the internet by Ryan Barrett and it hit a few marks for me, in different ways. One of the most significant effects being on the web has had on me is to ask a question: How much of this do you want?

My primary use of the web was to connect with people, much like Ryan explained, as a young adult looking for like-minded people. However, my relationship with the web has transformed to the point where I now feel as if I have both feet in different worlds; on one hand I adore the web enthusiast community – open web, IndieWeb, Micro.blog, etc – not least because without that collective behaviour it’s difficult to imagine the web would be relevant at all; on the other hand I love seeing non-web enthusiasts take part of their physical lives and share it with, well, more people than was previously possible. I connect in many ways with both sets of people and the intensity of my preference changes depending on a number of factors, not least of which is my mood.

However, the problem is the toll this can have on my energy and time, and frankly, on my mental health. Of course, “Just take a break!” is great advice and it’s always important to take a step back from any particular activity, even if only once in a while. I need more than that; my goal to work remotely requires focus, organised time, restraint; is that possible whilst investing time in a number of enthusiast activities? I’m convinced it is not.

The choice is therefore: what do I cut? Over the next couple of months I’ll be making difficult decisions with this, as the majority of middle-aged people also seem to do so.

Well… I have at least experienced all kinds of different joy in the process of indulging in a variety of interests and passions over the past several years. Things could have been much worse.

One of my reasons for feeling trepidation at giving Apple a try beyond iPhone and iPad is that there is no cheaper option to try. There is no entry-level model; this is simply not something Apple are interested in offering to people.

So if I run into similar problems to that which Kohan Ikin has experienced I’ll be pretty well screwed. After saving for a computer for months and then relying on it to get work done, they would basically have me by the balls and only create more stress of a kind that is damaging in different ways.

“Just use what you’ve got” or “Just get another computer” you might say; right, fair enough, but I am already using what I have got – which, don’t get me wrong, is quite good – and the fact is that I am talking about my livelihood here, not just something to fart around on with the browser and email and shitty games or something. The change to the Mac might not actually work; it might be the case that I prefer Windows but even then just to try the Mac there is still this potential for more stress than I am sure I have the capacity with which to deal.

Damn it. Technology needs to hurry up and become better overall and more accessible.

I still don’t get how they keep getting away with it.

– John Philpin, Facebook’s Dirty Tricks …

John is as concerned as I am with regard to the depth of vile incompetence at which both the Big Tech and political entities of our societies are allowed to operate at, and continue to thrive in the process.

The one thing that continues to surprise me is just how surprised so many online commenters are about this; as if corruption has not been at the heart of our so-called democracies for, well, ever.

If there’s one thing commenters can do, especially with the reach of Kottke and the like, is help build the alternatives and shine a light on the ways in which things can be improved. I understand that what’s in the news is what gets people’s eyeballs but at some point we all have to be accountable for improvement rather than mere observation.