

How App Store grifters clone an overnight success to make a quick buck - MBCook
http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/08/how-app-store-grifters-clone-an-overnight-success-to-make-a-quick-buck/

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ChuckMcM
This is certainly a place where Apple's review process could add value if it
wanted to. Too bad they haven't stepped up to that yet. I would guess that the
same icon would be an immediate flag but I guess not.

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MBCook
I would agree. I love my iPhone but for all the flack they get for having a
"walled garden" they don't seem to go nearly far enough.

It took them a _very_ long time to stop allowing people to update their apps
without a new review ([http://www.webpronews.com/pokemon-yellow-app-
store-2012-02](http://www.webpronews.com/pokemon-yellow-app-store-2012-02)).
For every popular game there are dozens of near or perfect clones, or worse
yet 'strategy guides' that have no real value.

They also don't do anything to prune bad apps. They like to say they have
1,872,394 apps in the store. Apple allows apps that have only been downloaded
3 times over 3 years to continue to take up space and clog search results. And
there seems to be no process to find and remove apps that constantly have
ultra-low reviews (such as the 'Pokemon Yellow' app listed above).

The truth is, Apple could be doing quite a bit more to make their app store a
friendlier place for users. There have been some small updates that helped,
such as when they added in-app purchase indicators. But there is definitely
low-hanging fruit left.

