
Tell HN: The Free Version of My GPS iPhone App Came Out Today (Gaia GPS Lite) - andrewljohnson
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=333273242&mt=8
======
JMiao
i was foolish enough to expect this would take me to a product page on
apple.com

~~~
gojomo
No affilaition, but I just came across this app-store web gateway and thought
I'd pass it along:

[http://app-store.appspot.com/?url=viewSoftware%3Fid%3D333273...](http://app-
store.appspot.com/?url=viewSoftware%3Fid%3D333273242%26mt%3D8%26ign-
impt%3DclickRef%253Dcom.apple.jingle.app.store.xml.MXAutoSourcedGenrePage-US-
Lockup_r1c1)

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andrewljohnson
I posted the paid version a month or so ago, and a lot of HN folks downloaded
it, so I thought I'd post the Lite version too.

A download would be much appreciated, and a rating or review would be doubly
appreciated:
[https://userpub.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZUserPublishing...](https://userpub.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZUserPublishing.woa/wa/addUserReview?id=333273242&type=Purple+Software)

Thanks for all your support everyone! For those of you with Gaia GPS, 2.0 is
coming out soon, and includes GPX imports among other stuff.

Here's a link to our website too: <http://www.gaiagps.com>

------
hernan7
Hi, the link tries to install some app on my (non-existent) iPhone. Is this
the app?

<http://appshopper.com/navigation/gaia-gps-lite>

Based on the screenshot, my only nitpick would be that the colors on the
compass are a bit too toned down. I would prefer a more colorful "N" at least.

Also, did any of the (hopefully) good ideas from
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=880814> help in any way?

------
headShrinker
This looks like a nice GPS app. I am currently using instaMapper to record and
display my GPS loc on my website
<http://www.instamapper.com/ext?key=8445164355070808348>. I would like a
really lightweight app to measure and upload my location to somewhere where I
can plug the waypoints in to the google map API. Just a feature idea.

~~~
uuilly
Give accuterra a shot.

------
there
why does a gps recorder have "frequent/intense mature/suggestive themes" and
require that i "must be at least 17 years old to download this application"?

~~~
andrewljohnson
As it turns out, if you have a webview in your app that gives access to like
wikipedia or google, you have to have this rating.

We found this out the hard way when version 4 of our first app got rejected,
after being accepted with the same stuff for several versions.

------
maura777
This is the best app I have used in a LONG time! Keep up the good work!

~~~
huhtenberg

      user:	    maura777
      created:  241 days ago
      karma:    1
      comments: 1
    

Sockpuppet ?

~~~
andrewljohnson
Just a friend on IM. A bit overzealous :)

~~~
cscotta
I saw that you also posted this review of your own app (Gaia GPS, $2.99),
claiming that you hadn't tried one of the features:

[http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewConten...](http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewContentsUserReviews?id=329127297&onlyLatestVersion=true&pageNumber=0&type=Purple+Software)

andrewljohnson: * * * * * (five stars)

"The new version of the app is a nice improvement on the original. I
particularly like the map bookmarking button, though I haven't used the
driving directions yet. The maps from CloudMade are also an improvement on the
OSM maps."

What's up with that?

~~~
andrewljohnson
Of course I review my own app. In addition, my co-founders review the app, my
dad rates the app, my investors rate or review the app, and anyone else in the
world I can get to rate or review it as well.

I don't consider that unethical in the slightest, considering my competitors
literally hire PR firms to write reviews for them, and have armies of
employees to do the same. I have written on this topic occasionally:

[http://www.andrewljohnson.com/article/Fixing%20the%20App%20S...](http://www.andrewljohnson.com/article/Fixing%20the%20App%20Store%20with%20Measure%20of%20Credibility)

It's not just that "everyone else is doing it" that makes it OK to do. If you
want your star ratings to be in the same league as the rest of the apps on the
store, then you have to generate more reviews than your regular users will
provide to keep up with everyone else. It's not a matter of OK - it's a matter
of survival.

I do wish there was more credibility to the reviews on the App Store, but
that's just not the way it is. Maybe someday Apple's system won't demand all
developers get all their buddies to buy and review their app. It's just
absolutely pervasive - go check out some popular apps and see if you can pick
out all the fake reviews. The clear giveaways are: 1) has only written one
review, or only reviewed the app and competitors 2) references new features in
the app 3) badmouths competitors 4) long and rambling. The fake reviews
usually have some combination of these.

As long as the big guys are paying for reviews, I don't consider it even a
little bit unethical to review my own app. Even in my little navigation
market, the top app has a company and at least a dozen iPhones - that's a
dozen automatic five star reviews. I can't compete on this front, but I can
try.

~~~
gojomo
You make a reasonable case for showing up with a review, to match competitive
practice. And you didn't use a fake name.

But as CEO/Founder of a 4-person company -- and perhaps a code contributor as
well? -- you really "haven't used the driving directions yet"? Even if that's
true, it sounds like an embellishment to make the review sound like it's
coming from a casual user.

Does Apple have a policy on self-reviews?

~~~
andrewljohnson
No, my review was honest. I liked Map Bookmarks, and I haven't used the
Driving Directions feature (which we actually cut from version 2). As you
point out, I use my standard nick name for my reviews. A Google search for the
word andrewljohnson is dominated by me, so when the other poster suggested I
would be mortified at being found out... clearly not.

Apple doesn't seem to have a policy on self-reviews, but I'd assume that their
feeling is anything goes since they know about companies hiring firms to write
reviews and don't do anything about it.

~~~
ektimo
I'm the other poster, and I believe you weren't Technically Lying
(<http://lesswrong.com/lw/11y/not_technically_lying/>) but why did you bring
up that you hadn't used the driving directions? Maybe this had nothing to do
with deceiving people into thinking you weren't associated with the product
but I find it doubtful. A more honest self-review (if this really is accepted
practice on iPhone) would just say why you think your product is good. It
seems you're skating a little over the edge at best.

~~~
andrewljohnson
Ironically, I think that my review is probably obviously not from a "casual
user" and that changing it to be a general praise would make it more
effective.

I don't think there are hairs to be split here. It's going to be deceptive as
long as I don't announce who I am in the review.

It occurs to me that signing the review might be the most effective thing to
do - at least I would be unique.

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rwrice2r
This app is awesome! We are using it all the time. Thanks for the good work
and keep it coming!

~~~
andrewljohnson
Thanks Russell :)

