Undisciplined Android Developers Get Google Accused of Market Censorship

Svetlana Gladkova,

on October 21, 2008,

T-Mobile G1 phone featuring ShopSavvy Android application Yesterday evening we saw a number of publications discussing the fact that the number of applications in the Android Market was suddenly reduced from more than 50 to only 13 - with only two days left until the first Android powered device, T-Mobile G1, starts shipping on Wednesday.

There were a few theories for why it could happen with users already starting to get their preordered phones and unable to download the much-hyped applications like ShopSavvy. The theories ranged from Google censoring the apps away to some cleaning up in the marketplace before all the G1 owners rush in to grab their applications.

But often the tone of publications was pretty negative with bloggers mentioning some sort of a déjà vu in Google removing the applications from the marketplace - obviously comparing this case to Apple’s policy of only admitting approved applications to the App Store where iPhone owners buy and download their applications. Of course such accusations are very dangerous for Google with its Android platform introduced everywhere as absolutely open. It is obvious that the open source platform is set against all the other mobile operating systems as advantageous for both users and applications developers. Of course removing applications did not seem to be in line with the open strategy.

But very soon some readers in the comments on the blogs started to mention the simple fact that Google had some scheduled maintenance for the Android Market and unavailability of the majority of applications could be the result of this maintenance. And this is actually exactly what happened: application developers were supposed to submit the latest versions of the applications to fit the latest version of Android Market itself. This has been proved by Alexander Muse from ShopSavvy - one of the most discussed Android applications who left this comment on my own blog post about the situation:

We realized this morning that ShopSavvy was no longer in the Android market. We thought we had until the 21st to send in our ‘latest version’ of ShopSavvy and we didn’t realize Google would remove the old version prior to uploading the ‘new version’. This seemed to take most developers by surprise. Google actually contacted us and asked, ‘Yo, when are you guys going to send in your final update?’ We got them our final version (for now) by lunch and I think it is in the Market now.

So the whole problem has a very simple explanation with both Google and developers of the applications making a few mistakes resulting in the entire commotion. First of all, Google was probably not explicit enough about the consequences of not submitting the latest versions of the applications on time and about the deadline as well when talking to developers. On the other side, the developers were not aware the applications could be removed if they did not submit the new versions on time - and we all know how developers can be perfectionists polishing the apps as long as they can.

Honestly, I hoped Google would do the job of organizing the developers of Android applications better now that they worked close with them to prepare for the launch date of the first Android-powered phone with T-Mobile. I don’t know who is more to blame here - Google or the developers - but I still think it is worth noting how a small confusion can lead to such huge accusations these days. It looks like yet another proof that a big company like Google should be as conscious as possible about everything it does not to be accused of something terrible when there’s really nothing terrible to accuse it for.

ShopSavvy Doing Amazingly Well on the Android Market

Android Market: What We Know and What We Should Expect

Android Market Applications: 13 Is a Weird Number but Hopefully Temporary

First Google Android Phone Expected to Hit Stores in October

5 Comments (Subscribe to rss)

THE MOBILE GOD - October 21, 2008 at 07:21 am PDT

You’re actually right… I love this article and rate this as the best info I’ve read all month. I was even worried, but the question for us not lucky enough to have the G1 in their hands is: How many apps are in the Market right now?
Alexander Muse - October 21, 2008 at 08:27 am PDT

Hopefully we aren’t seen as ‘undisciplined Android developers’. Anyway, According to the Android Market, as of this morning ShopSavvy is the most popular application in the Market with almost 5,000 downloads just hours after uploading our latest version.
Svetlana Gladkova - October 21, 2008 at 10:39 am PDT

@The Mobile God: Thank you for this high appreciation of my post here, glad you’ve enjoyed it this much. As for the number of applications, I guess we will soon see a blog dedicated to Android apps that will have some real-time tracker - it is only a matter of time (if such a blog has not been launched already without getting my attention)
Svetlana Gladkova - October 21, 2008 at 10:41 am PDT

@Alexander: Well, the undisciplined was maybe a little harsh with Google also doing the job of informing you what to expect on the deadline this poorly. Congrats on the success of the first few hours, glad to see the app gaining traction!
streetstylz - October 22, 2008 at 06:46 pm PDT

Regarding ShopSavvy:

NeoMedia has patents that cover this technology

http://www.neom.com/13.html

Patent #6,651,053 — Interactive system for investigating products on a network

An interactive search system for use with a global computer network, e.g., the Internet, using a search identifying barcode to rapidly and effectively obtain a supply of related information for presentation to a user. A computer, either landline based or mobile, may be used to input a UPC code, taken from a package or advertisement or prestored in the computer, to an implementing server on the network. The server contains a database of product and manufacturer identifying UPC codes and uses the input UPC code and the database to identify the manufacturer and is programmed to then perform a search of the network to locate sites relating to or operated by the manufacturer. Also, the server may search the network on a product basis to locate other sites containing the UPC under search. Using “parsing” technology, the server “pulls out” the product description, transmits it to and places it in a random access memory (RAM) or storage of the computer, and proceeds to perform further searching relying on the product description to uncover relevant information. Accordingly, using a single input, a collection of product-related and manufacturer information is quickly assembled in the computer available for a user’s consideration all at once at any time.