breeko
OpenCalc App Store page not reachable anymore
Hey,
since a couple of weeks the OpenCalc Apple App Store page is not reachable anymore. https://apps.apple.com/app/opencalc/id1403173317 just shows "Connecting to the iTunes Store..."
It's also not possible to install the app on an iphone/ipad anymore.
Same here, except for me the App Store says it isn’t available in my region.
@breeko made this great and elegant argument for why you don’t need ads to support simple calculator app, and has gone and proven himself wrong by letting his own free opensource version die. It’s disappointing…
On the plus side, it is open source, so if someone wants to fork it and release it to the App Store again…
My developer account expired and I was tired of paying $100+ a year to host a few free iOS apps. I think that's the reason you see so few high quality free iOS apps. I was okay with paying the fee while I was building the apps and had higher ambitions for developing in the iOS ecosystem, but paying that $100+ year after year eventually got to me.
I wish there were an alternate distribution method for iOS apps. But the best I can do is open source the product and encourage someone with an active developer's account to host it.
Google has a more reasonable policy of a one time $25 fee. I noticed my Google product was recently taken down as well but that was due to a new checkbox I had to click, so I clicked that checkbox and it's now in review. That should hopefully be back up soon.
I still do think that you don't need ads to support a simple calculator app. And adding ads would not come anywhere near the developer fee anyway. I would have to churn out dozens of clones with very invasive ads and other nefarious tracking... wait it's all starting to make sense...
That is totally fair. I haven’t ever had to maintain an iOS app, so I have no room to criticize. It would be nice if Apple supported OSS, by lowering the developer fee for developers who release OSS without ads. Thank you for releasing this!
Would you be interested in a crowdfunding your developer license through https://geyser.fund? I'll be glad to set up the project on geyser.
