Didn't install the app, but one look at the screenshot of the Fleksy in Playstore shows "earn coins as you type" feature. It also offers in app purchases, but didn't bother to install to check which.<p>I know many apps use coin system, but in many cases it's just a children manipulation.
I use Gboard, and today it had a strange prompt on the bar above the keyboard: "Do you like typing German?".. I was curious and I pressed it, it lead to a prompt where there was text I could copy paste and I guess post on my social media, about how much I enjoy using Gboard...<p>So you fucking want me to advertise for you, Google? And for what reason? Does someone want their promotion/bonus and for that they have to reach x downloads?<p>In fact I'm going to go to the Play Store and give them a shitty review...
>At first glance a spokesman agreed with us that the situation looks odd.<p>Seems like someone messed up somewhere and is probably being resolved.<p>In all honesty though, no app with IAP (especially easy-to-access IAP or IAP that can't be locked by a parent) should get an E rating. Fleksy should get a higher age rating for this reason, not because of an emoji.
I used to be a big fan of Fleksy app before the creators went to pinterest and sold their app to some company.
They new devs probably didn’t know how to fix their previous bugs or work on the code itself. So they started adding new “features” , which was a toolbar for a keyboard app. Kept contacting them on fixing their error, but they just said we know it’s there. Until i switched back to Gboard.<p>I would say, it’s probably because they added something to that toolbar.<p>It’s always like that for most apps, especially keyboard apps. A company abandon their app, then another company buy it from them and not know how to deal with the app. The app ends up with bloatware that no one asked for and then the app gets abandoned
This is a tangent, but is there a good keyboard app for Android that doesn't have emoji? I'm tired of hitting the emoji button accidentally and having emoji show up in autocomplete.
So Google is selectively oppressing certain app developers by using the "Rules for thee, not for me" ideology.<p>Well, they've been doing it for years and that's why there's people in the US Government talking about anti-trust investigations... Hopefully something comes of it.
On a related note, does anyone have recommendations for a Gboard alternative? I've disabled all the "pipe everything I type directly to HQ for analysis" things in Gboard but I'd prefer a non-Google alternative.
The crazy thing with Android and iOS software is that not only can Google and Apple reject your software now. They can kill it any time in the future. Forever.<p>It seems nobody talks about that.<p>As a software developer I would find it way too uncomfortable to build on a platform like that.
Shades of "We do not support competitors' products."<p>Malign neglect -- build a regulatory system that is valid in principle, but it implemented in a complex enough way that it tends to fail often, which has a tendency to scare off consumers, and subject everyone except yourself to it.
People will tend to choose your product to avoid the hassle.<p>You see it everywhere, from non-Pixel Android phones trying to keep with new OS versions, to Windows and MacOS API churn and "secret APIs".
Curious: How effective would it be to separate only the app store from Google/Apple, when it comes to this rating problem? Perhaps not even the infrastructure --- I'd imagine even just having an independent group of reviewers / rule enforcers would make the situation much less absurd?
"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."<p>I think is most likely inconsistent reviewing. I've seen this with Apple, as well as with Google. The apps stores need to have very clear guidelines and well-defined appeal process, possibly with 3rd party arbitration.
This rating is based on a questionnaire:<p><a href="https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/188189?hl=en" rel="nofollow">https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answ...</a>
This is pure anti-competitive and monopolistic action. This is another instance that needs to be noted down for the current investigation into Google, Facebook and others. Period.
I understand it’s a difficult choice to leave the play store, but you’re playing by their rules, their game and in their own field. They can do whatever they want because they’re google.
But, did anyone notice the totally irrelevant "get rich quick" kind of comments on the TechCrunch article? Aren't the comments there moderated?