Comments on: Apple censors iPhone dictionary app

By: Anton

Anton — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:12:29 +0000

Guys, c’mon. You seem to be mistaking Apple with other companies. This is not a democracy. Its a dictatorship.

In a world of Apple. They own you.

By: Tom Fulep

Tom Fulep — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:19:59 +0000

What a fucking load of bastard bollocks!

By: Simn

Simn — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:10:28 +0000

I actually sent the following email to sjobs@apple.com:

“Seriously, you ban “objectionable” words from dictionaries, and put on a 17+ label? You should think about your reputation. Apple is starting to smell, and people are taking notice.

http://daringfireball.net/2009/08/ninjawords

Regards,

XXXXX”

I got this response:

“This article is very inaccurate and untrue.

Steve

Sent from my iPhone”

I don’t make this up (probably not Steve responding either, but def someone at Apple).

Don’t know what that’s supposed to mean, but I assume we have another case of an overzealous employee.

By: Mike Smith

Mike Smith — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:46:13 +0000

LOL, it rather humorous considering what kids hear on a school bus anyway. Not to mention Apple has other uncensored apps.

By: telepilot

telepilot — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:43:35 +0000

*sigh*.. For how long will the iPhone platform be relevant?

I never bought my first iPhone, preferring to use my iPod touch to listen to music and try out applications and stuff. As I’ve slowly migrated more and more of my daily life (economics, todo-lists, shopping lists, games, etc…) to the Touch I’ve decided to take the leap and buy a 3GS (gps!). Given the last couple of months application mess I’m actually more interested in the Android platform but there are currently no A-phones good enough yet. I will probably end up buying the 3GS (if the Spotify app is approved) but in two years time when my contract finally ends I hope that the Android platform has matured enough as it is positioned to blast past this locked in kiddy-sandbox.

By: David Robins

David Robins — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:23:57 +0000

Apple is making me mad! Have they teamed up with Ayatollahs to become virtue police????

By: mertz

mertz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:33:08 +0000

what problem solved. that whole ratings specifications is a little stupid. there’s a law here that forbids convenience/corner stores from selling smokes or drinks to kids yet i see lots of kids smoking and drinking. i just want to know what mommy/parental brigade has gotten to apple’s nuts cause this is bullshit. i mean when i wanted to know the meaning of some of the stuff i heard adults talking about around me or on tv i hit up my best friend the world book dictionary. i think it’s been noted many times that all those words can be found in one dictionary or another. i think this is less about the dictionary and more about what goes into this whole regulation process.

By: mertz

mertz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:29:47 +0000

hey no knocking dictionary.com. i love them. they are legit. is your chinese dictionary legit and google/viewer certified.

this whole apps approval process must not be based on popularity, because if it was i would be shocked…lmao.i think apple is encouraging innovation and encouraging developers to keep at it…i mean developers could come up with the next apple.

By: mertz

mertz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:26:30 +0000

really? but i really want to love apple. i do. i already love their advertising department and their designers…i want to become a devoted apple user…actually nope i like the way i do things now…when i need to i will use apple products but for the most i avoid them with a huge yardstick. i’m hoping this new apple tablet will convert me from my non alliances with tech companies so i can become a single product consumer.

By: mertz

mertz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:20:53 +0000

this is why i hate sprint and at&t and why none of my extended family members, my friends and their families do not use those providers.

By: mertz

mertz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:18:17 +0000

anyone made an urban dictionary app for the ipod? cause that wouldn’t make the cut at all. if there is one let me know and let me know if it’s 100% kosher.

By: mertz

mertz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:11:35 +0000

check the answer above.

By: mertz

mertz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:11:14 +0000

standard pr

By: mertz

mertz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:10:48 +0000

yes, yes it should. i mean as long as we continue to be dumb i don’t think apple can excuse itself from it’s own stupidity. they should censor themself. i wonder how that would go…would that be a one man conversation with self?

By: mertz

mertz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:09:28 +0000

lol. man. they need to have a more credible setup of what is or is not acceptable.

By: mertz

mertz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:08:01 +0000

yeah. +1

what’s a quiff? remindes me of swiffer.

By: mertz

mertz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:06:50 +0000

you let your 6 year old son have a cellphone with full internet service…wow. that is one lucky kid. did he know how to text message and download music and all that stuff. i held out for a long time. i still don’t know how to use the internet on my nokia. and no way would my parents allow me to have a phone at 6 years of age.

By: mertz

mertz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:04:09 +0000

it pisses me off and makes me feel sooooo old

By: mertz

mertz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:03:22 +0000

show me a big city where a parent isn’t letting their little tyke use gadgets and even their comps to go on the internet. my cousins are well versed in barbie.com, anything stupid dorah, bratz, nickelodean kids, disney, and some other sites. anything with stupid games and they are there…especially if it looks like an animated character with huge eyes and lots of hair. my uncles and aunts, the kids parents, try to make sure the sites are okay, but once the kids get this down they get very smart and sly. i know little kids in grade 2 who use msn and think it’s necessary to have a list of all their school buddies because they are all bffs and need to talk everyday…but they can’t just call each other or visit like how we used to do at that age. meh. lots of little brainy kids out there. hahaha and they curse too but they make it cute and do the whole oh i didn’t mean to do that i just heard it on the playground, or from a teacher, or school staff or from my parents.

By: mertz

mertz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:57:59 +0000

uhm i care about this…especially if the words being censored in these apps are also in the apple reference library.

kids are smart. you may think they don’t know how to swear but it’s most likely not possible. even people in the backwooods of everywhere in the world know how to swear, in english or another language.

this isn’t about overbearing parents at all who buy or allow their own kids to use gadgets. the www is easily accessible and has liberated the kids…right along with adult literature and films. kids know how to curse, even drive cars (did you see the youtube videos of the seven year old boys driving their parent’s cars…lol.), have sex, steal, break in to movie theatres still, and lots of other things. a silly, although maybe necessary ratings system isn’t going to keep a kid from doing what they want to do, parents or no parents.

By: JoaquinFassbinder

JoaquinFassbinder — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:08:06 +0000

Great story John, especially your description of the acceptance team.

Squirrel!

By: Ken

Ken — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 03:13:07 +0000

I’m offended that Apple allowed itself into the App Store. Apple as we all know is a fruit that Eve bit into (according to some book). That led to the eviction of her and her boyfriend and spawned a scandalous series of sexual escapades that resulted in people…oh and Sodom(y). In my mind, if the word “apple” is in a product name, they’re selling sex so they need to limit access to adults over 17 (in most states) for any product with this word in it or if, you know, a company might have that word in it’s name…somewhere…

By: appdev

appdev — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:19:16 +0000

This doesn’t bode well for my upcoming app, 1001 ways to use cunt in a sentence. It really is earth shattering. Also makes fart noises.

By: appdev

appdev — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:17:50 +0000

No, China is just where they have children assemble their hardware. I’m pretty sure app approval is handled in Saudi Arabia.

By: appdev

appdev — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:15:26 +0000

I now just give most my apps a 17+ rating. I got tired of waiting a month for a review and getting the infamous “Your app is taking longer than normal to review” email which only portends imminent rejection.