Straight from the Hip: The Middle Ground of Openness
“Straight from the Hip” is our new regular column by Pamela Hazelton that talks about webOS and mobile tech.
An attractive feature of the Android platform is total openness. So much openness, in fact, that Google doesn’t even validate apps submitted to the catalog. It’s the complete opposite of Apple’s strongarming developers and their content, but that doesn’t make it much better.
I expect to get a great deal of flack from Android devotees (users and developers who believe in complete openness), but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m wrong. When all is said and done, your average consumer just wants something that works.
Openness… it’s a term we’ve come to use very loosely. And it’s a word many wannabe developers use as a defense mechanism even if they don’t understand what they’re doing, because the majority of consumers have no clue what Open Source is, nor do they care. They don’t want to waste their time calling tech support, surfing forums for answers and searching Google for someone who may have the same problem. Those who post their problems immediately to Twitter don’t think they should have an issue at all, and certainly don’t believe they should spend their off-time trying to fix what went wrong.
Android isn’t the only “open” OS, either. PalmOS and webOS have a lengthy history of embracing open development.
Google’s approval process for apps is nearly non-existent. In fact, an entire site – Android Police – addresses this issue:
“However, there has been increasing criticism of Google’s poor handling of application publishing due to relaxed restrictions and lenient app approval policies. On the other end of the spectrum, Apple has gotten a plethora of bad press about their own overly harsh and oftentimes subjective process. I’m not sure where the middle ground is that Android can attempt to move to…”
I have the answer: webOS. Why? Because, unlike Apple, Palm doesn’t handcuff developers and censor apps. Hate it all you want, but there is a market for adult-themed apps, and as long as they follow the API, Palm will approve them. Satirical cartoons? No problem there, either. And, unlike Google, Palm does have an approval process. They analyze the source code and make sure an app isn’t going to kill our devices or pass along sensitive, private information. Just last month Google remotely killed two Android apps off people’s devices because they didn’t follow terms and could have been used maliciously.
I’m often asked why I love webOS and Palm so much. There are many reasons – someday I’ll take the time to list all the reasons – but the app approval process is a big one. While people use the number of apps offered as one of the biggest selling points of any device, without disclosing how those apps are produced or distributed, they’re conveniently leaving out some key information. I’d feel pretty good if a company remote killed an app because it might compromise security or privacy. I’d feel a whole lot better, though, if they never let me install it in the first place.
I was raised old-school, where your word meant something. A handshake solidified a deal. Our legal system has proven, however, that signing a piece of paper or ticking a checkbox doesn’t guarantee anything. Why would any consumer entrust a market that does nothing to police the applications it provides, risking their privacy and the functionality of their phone? Sadly most aren’t aware the risk even exists.
But Google is.
Advantage: webOS. Fewer apps? Sure. Less risk of of phone-crippling scripts? Absolutely. Less risk of my sensitive data being compromised? Definitely.
Pamela Hazelton is an eCommerce consultant, trainer and developer, focusing on store shopability. She hosts the webOS Enthusiasts group on LinkedIn, and blogs frequently about webOS at her site: www.pamelahazelton.com.
Pamela is also Executive Producer for Sight Unseen Pictures, LLC, a production company currently representing her blind husband’s film directing efforts.
