Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: apple, censoring, app, store, dictionary | Themes: Smartphones, 3GSM
Apple weeding out naughty words from the App Store?
There's been a lot of press on Apple and its App Store approval process for applications written for the iPhone, but perhaps the most startling one this week is word that Apple effectively censored a dictionary.
According to the detailed account of events on Daring Fireball, Ninjawords, an online dictionary based off of Wikitionary, made several attempts to get onto the iTunes App Store as an iPhone and iPod Touch application.
Several times Apple rejected Ninjawords dictionary on the grounds that it contained obscene words, which are in violation of the iPhone SDK agreement. Of course, it could easily be argued that the words in the dictionary are not being used in an obscene manner. Making matters even more cloudy is that other dictionary applications available on the App Store contain all of the profane words that Ninjawords was rejected for.
Apple's seemingly confusing and restrictive standards for iPhone apps is having developers up in arms, which is not a good thing for users.
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What a pile of shit. Wait, i mean poop.
now, apple doesn't want you to learn new words. way to go apple.
who cares.. its not like people use victionaries these vays anyways
[citation]Making matters even more cloudy is that other dictionary applications available on the App Store contain all of the profane words that Ninjawords was rejected for.[/citation]
I wonder what, if any, legal ground the Ninjawords devs might have for action against Apple for this...
I'm positive I'm not 6 years old. Stop censoring every app. I think I'll have to ditch my Ipod Touch for a Zune HD. Why can't they just make a product and let third party developers innovate?
the device was never meant to be innovative outside of anything apple trademarks or copyrights themselves... the app store is a perfect way to find out wot people want and then take over themselves! don't get it confused, this is all about apple and only apple making the 'innovations' here...
Jailbreak your iPhones and iPods and tell Apple to get the fuck out of our way. We will use these product the way we wish and do not need Apple looking over our shoulder.
fuck apple, seriously what is wrong with him or rather what kind of idiots are running the show. we do not live in china, is ok for me to say fuck, fuck !
who cares.. its not like people use victionaries these vays anyways
I'm glav to see another Apple keyboarv prouv user!
I applaud Apple for having the guts to take the initiative. In fact, I hope they start censoring what we write in our text messages and Safari. I'm tired of having to censor myself.
For instance, I find the beginning of the word d**tionary to be offensive and I hate having to constantly edit words like d**ctionary. These guy are great programmers and they have keen insight into what is and is not appropriate for us all so cut them some slack, geesh!
Jailbreak your iPhones and iPods and tell Apple to get the fuck out of our way. We will use these product the way we wish and do not need Apple looking over our shoulder.
Or better still, don't get one in the first place. I'm never going give these offspring-of-female-canines anything.
@matriculateme: lol :-)
^^ I hope that was nothing but sarcasm there matriculateme
now, apple doesn't want you to learn new words. way to go apple.
You're surprised they don't want their users educated?
I know why everyone is being so hateful toward Apple on this. Everyone is jealous of Apple's success in innovation towards censorship. Apple invented censorship and everyone past, present, and future are just ripping off Apple's success!
How about they clean up the 65k useless apps out of the 68k they have? That would be a better thing to do than censor apps that are actually useful!
I have a friend that has an iPhone and he's bored out of his mind with all the 100s of apps he has, what he uses? The mp3 player, couple games, the phone and SMS... On the counterpart, I'm using my BlackBerry for whatever office work I need to get done and I keep "alt-tabing" to be able to copy paste stuff from one place to another...
imspecial: Yeah, I've been saving that one for the right occasion
dman3k: Nice.
we all know the only reason they are censoring the victionaries is because it hasnt avoptev Ialphabet yet.
Hooray for censorshit, I mean cencorship.
/sarcasm
F**k, my ipod is really hot and making a hissing noise! Do you think it will ex...
Seriously, everyone is censoring the internet these days. I'm not saying we should go back to the wild west days, but really, everyone censoring?
I can't use the Dictionary from apple store, but i can look boobs with it.
Yes, I realize that a dictionary isn't technically the interwebs, but it came from there right?
I like to think its up there right now all warm and cozy in "internet heaven" with the Amazon Kindle version of 1984!
The usual bullsh*t from Crapple.
So I guess the iShit won't be out any time soon?
Death to Censorship!
But FOX should be sued for making up shit.
freedom of speech, freedom of information. it's in direct violation of our constitutional rights. That's it, plain and simple.
nowhere here do i see any exemption that gives apple the right to deny anyone any kind of information normally accessible in any way shape or form. http://www.usdoj.gov/oip/foia_guide07.htm
Poop, ah you mean feces.
That's a sour apple to swallow
I don't want to spark any tin-foil-hat conspiracy theories but doesn't that apple app atore logo look suspiciously like a masonic symbol?
Jailbreak your iPhones and iPods and tell Apple to get the fuck out of our way. We will use these product the way we wish and do not need Apple looking over our shoulder.
Yeah, pay hundreds of dollars to Apple and tell them to fu..... oh wait, you already gave them money, too late, you lose.
Best option. Don't buy it.
who cares.. its not like people use victionaries these vays anyways
There is no "D" in the iAlphabet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspeak
Apple, (sorry I meant Oceania), now the self appointed guardian or morality, goodness and pulling the Party line. All we need now is to support Big Brother in our glorious war against the evil Microsoft, (sorry I meant Eurasia). Proles rejoice!!!!!