[Michael Piziak]

Apparently, Google gets a cut from sales in its "Play Store." Somehow, this decision assures Google will continue to get it's $ though it's billing system.


That's just my understanding of what I've read - I may have it all wrong. But I don't care about Google guaranteeing it gets paid. What I care about is that Google/Android seems as if they are starting to exert their power over their Play Store, or the way users get programs/apps, much like how Apple has controlled the content of what is and what is not available in their Apple Store - the way Apple iOS users get programs/apps.

Being a Linux user, one would think I like Google since their Android OS and Chrome OS are based on LInux. But I don't. Many of Google's apps for Android are closed source: It's been described as how Google keeps its iron grip on the open source Android OS. Quite frankly, I despise Google for many reasons and them controlling what is available in their Android Store is just another reason to add to the list. The company's main method here is to bring more and more apps under the closed source "Google" umbrella.

With a home computer, one has several options on how to obtain a program. In LInux, right off the top of my head, I can list 3 different ways to obtain programs/apps - which are snaps, flatpaks, or download a .deb file.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it appears that with Apple and Google's Android, there is one way on both to get an app/program, and that is to obtain it through their "Store"


And some food for thought:


Google's Iron Grip on Android: Controlling Open Source by any Means Necessary

source: Google?s iron grip on Android: Controlling open source by any means necessary | Ars Technica

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Last edited by Michael Piziak; 06-02-2022 at 01:26 PM.

[gatorguy]

Apparently, Google gets a cut from sales in its "Play Store." Somehow, this decision assures Google will continue to get it's $ though it's billing system.


That's just my understanding of what I've read - I may have it all wrong. But I don't care about Google guaranteeing it gets paid. What I care about is that Google/Android seems as if they are starting to exert their power over their Play Store, or the way users get programs/apps, much like how Apple has controlled the content of what is and what is not available in their Apple Store - the way Apple iOS users get programs/apps.

Being a Linux user, one would think I like Google since their Android OS and Chrome OS are based on LInux. But I don't. Many of Google's apps for Android are closed source: It's been described as how Google keeps its iron grip on the open source Android OS. Quite frankly, I despise Google for many reasons and them controlling what is available in their Android Store is just another reason to add to the list.


With a home computer, one has several options on how to obtain a program. In LInux, right off the top of my head, I can list 3 different ways to obtain programs/apps - which are snaps, flatpaks, or download a .deb file.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it appears that with Apple and Google's Android, there is one way on both to get an app/program, and that is to obtain it through their "Store"


And some food for thought:


Google's Iron Grip on Android: Controlling Open Source by any Means Necessary

source: Google?s iron grip on Android: Controlling open source by any means necessary | Ars Technica

Why not use Amazon's own Android-sourced app store? Or maybe Aptoide? If you have a Samsung then use their store. There's other Android App stores too. Google Play, unlike the App Store, is not your only place to get apps for your smartphone. With Android you do have options.

In any event, venting on a camera-focused Pentax Forums seems like an odd choice.

[BigMackCam]

I don't particularly like Google, for various reasons... but here's the thing - it's a business, it's there to make profits, and we have a choice as to whether we grace it with our patronage and furnish it with our money. It was a company - a profit-driven venture - long before it made Android (or parts of it) open source, so anyone that took the bait and assumed that move was somehow altruistic really doesn't have anyone to blame but themselves. If we don't like the way it does business, we can vote with our feet and use other technology providers for the same services - and if all those service providers are doing something similar, or other things we don't like, well... we can just live without those services. Those are our choices...

We seem to be living in an age where many folks expect companies - publicly-traded, profit-driven organsations with investors who expect to see a return - to act in the customer's interests instead of their own, and get all fired up about it when they don't. I find that odd... I mean, I'd love it if that's how businesses operated, but one that always acts in the customer's interests before its own won't make enough profit and won't experience sufficient financial growth compared to its competitors. Google developed and operates the Play Store platform, and it expects a cut of sales revenue from those software providers who use and benefit from it (in this case, Amazon). So, you know, I might not like Google especially, but I can't really blame it for doing what it feels it must - whether I like it or not - in the interests of making money. That's its purpose. Amazon is no different in that respect... Amazon has chosen not to pay Google a percentage of its revenue from sales resulting - albeit indirectly - from an app distributed via Google's Play Store. Is Google in the wrong here, or is Amazon? You might say one or both... I would say neither - because they've made valid commercial choices. Whether we as customers like those choices is immaterial.

We all know what Google is... knew what it was... so we shouldn't be surprised when it acts in accordance with that; and the same for Amazon. The (allegedly) native-American tale of the boy and the rattlesnake comes to mind... he helps it, it bites him, and when he asks why, it replies "You knew what I was when you picked me up"...

[pepperberry farm]

this change also applies to Barnes and Nobles' nook app...