I have a slightly different take on this than the original poster. Currently Google is treating apps like web pages, and using ranking algorithms to highlight the successful apps. The poor apps don't need to be expelled because they are in the rankings basement where nobody sees them.
The only place this breaks down is when you browse the new releases and see a bunch of spammy apps that crowd out the real apps that represent a significant amount of work. Here I would like to see a change, but again it does not have to involve moderating apps out. Instead, the publishers who churn out these spammy apps should be marked as "high volume publishers" and lose the privilege of having their updates featured in the regular new releases section; maybe there could be a single, separate section for "high volume" new releases and anybody who really wants to look there can do so. The list of legitimate publishers who would be marked high volume by some simple automated algorithm would be short and they could request an exception. That would solve the problem I am seeing without much work. --SJ On Thu, Oct 7, 2010 at 7:31 AM, William Ferguson <[email protected]> wrote: > But that's just down to how the Google/Apple marketing departments put > the spin on it. > > If it was 15,000 apps that really deliver vs a horde of apps of > dubious quality, then a good marketing department should be able to > run hard with that. > It could be pitched as an accelerated Darwinian environment. > Only the *great* survive here. > > I can picture the images that would ship with it now. > An army of variagated Android Apps on one side surrounded by the > dismembered remains of the unfit, and on the other side a horde of > insipid apps jammed shoulder to shoulder. > "Go with the strength". > > Gee maybe I should have pursued marketting instead of development. > Yep - I'm definitely coming down with a fever. > > > On Oct 7, 7:30 pm, String <[email protected]> wrote: >> Also, app markets have (unfortunately) become a numbers game in the >> eyes of the public. It's important for Google to be able to say they >> have 150,000 (or whatever) apps in the Market; clearing the dregs >> would drop that number considerably, probably by an order of >> magnitude. Although this would probably be a better situation, for >> both devs and users, it's a net loss on the mindshare front. And >> that's not unimportant to the decision makers. >> >> String >> >> On Oct 7, 3:33 am, Brad Gies <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> > The market does this by default already.... >> >> > They only have roughly 22 categories, and there are 70,000 apps... which >> > means roughly 3,000 apps per category, and they only show 800... >> >> > If your app is in the bottom half of your category... it's effectively >> > not there :). >> >> > Not to say the Market works well at all.... but in this case it's >> > filtering out the worst of the worst by default :). >> >> > But, as long as the Market is the only game in town, it's probably not >> > possible for Google to filter it because they are effectively a monopoly >> > and not allowing any app would be a PR nightmare. Apple doesn't really >> > have the same problem because they are not even trying to claim any kind >> > of openness. >> >> > Sincerely, >> >> > Brad Gies >> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > Bistro Bot - Bistro >> > Blurbhttp://bgies.comhttp://bistroblurb.comhttp://ihottonight.comhttp://fo... >> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> > Everything in moderation, including abstinence >> >> > Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can >> > change the world. Indeed. It is the only thing that ever has - Margaret >> > Mead >> >> > On 06/10/2010 1:08 PM, Kumar Bibek wrote: >> >> > > Agree, but before removing such an app, Google should atleast intimate >> > > the dev the reason, else, it won't be fair for the developer. And for >> > > this, someone will definitely have to checkout the app in person, >> > > before taking it down. >> >> > > Also, if Google wishes to include such a condition in Terms and >> > > Conditions, say for example, if you app has 2000 downloads with avg >> > > rating of 1.5 stars, your app will be automatically removed, I am not >> > > sure, if all the devs would like this. >> >> > > On Thu, Oct 7, 2010 at 1:33 AM, TreKing <[email protected] >> > > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> >> > > On Wed, Oct 6, 2010 at 2:49 PM, Kumar Bibek <[email protected] >> > > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> >> > > Yep, but this might not be a fool proof method. Say, a >> > > competitor dev can easily go and mark a new entrant as spam, >> > > and leave negative comments. 15-20 such comments and spam >> > > flags would obviously be a disadvantage for the new app. >> >> > > Of course, but in my mind it would take a considerable amount of >> > > "votes" to get one ejected - certainly more than 15-20, which >> > > still would require a dedicated effort by either a lot of >> > > individual competitors or a single company instructing their >> > > employees to use such tactics, which one would hope is the >> > > exception, not the norm. >> >> > > And of course there would be other criteria. For example, if one >> > > developer has 200+ apps, with an average rating of 2 stars and >> > > each app has been flagged as spam at least 100 unique times over >> > > the course of time, it's fair to assume they're worthless spammers. >> >> > > I'm sure some clever Google Engineer could come up with a fairly >> > > reliable algorithm for Market spam detection. >> > > A "20% time project", perhaps? >> >> > > >> > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> > > ---------------------- >> > > TreKing <http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking> - >> > > Chicago transit tracking app for Android-powered devices >> >> > > -- >> > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> > > Groups "Android Developers" group. >> > > To post to this group, send email to >> > > [email protected] >> > > <mailto:[email protected]> >> > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> > > [email protected] >> > > <mailto:android-developers%[email protected]> >> > > For more options, visit this group at >> > > http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en >> >> > > -- >> > > Kumar Bibek >> > >http://techdroid.kbeanie.com >> > >http://www.kbeanie.com >> >> > > -- >> > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> > > Groups "Android Developers" group. >> > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> > > [email protected] >> > > For more options, visit this group at >> > >http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Android Developers" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. 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