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August 8th, 2008 at 5:34 pm

The question of how Apple should use the App Store blacklist has been bandied about lately and so far, no one really has the answer. Should Apple act unilaterally and remove apps without any warning? Should it ask for user input? The questions are numerous and the answers are in short supply. I think it needs to have a full-fledged plan that’s made available to the public so developers and users alike will know what to expect.

So what exactly should Apple be doing? It should first start out with a real policy. How can it summarily remove applications from the App store without warning the developer or user? It doesn’t make any sense.

Included in that policy, it should develop an understanding between both the user and Apple that makes both entities work together to achieve the lofty goal of making it a better service for all parties involved.

First and foremost, Apple needs to install a “report” button that lets the users alert the company to ridiculous applications like “I am Rich” and helps them sift through the good and the bad.

By doing that, it also helps create a rapport between Apple and users, who have been kept in the dark so far about what’s really going on when it removes applications like NetShare, Box Office, and others. Let’s face it – users are downloading these applications and they have every right in the world to know what’s going on with them. I don’t think that’s asking too much.

Secondly, Apple needs to set parameters for how apps should be priced. I have no problem with developers assigning prices to their work, but $1,000 for an iPhone application that gives you a mantra isn’t worth $1, let alone $1,000.

So how does it achieve that goal? Easy: ask the users again. With each purchase, Apple should include a link taking users to a survey asking them if the app is worth the suggested price. This will give the users the opportunity to have a say in the matter that goes beyond simply buying an app or not, and also eliminates any suspicion by users that Apple is pulling down applications without cause.

Granted, many users will probably complain about pricing, so Apple will need to keep a level head and decide, based on customer response and developer input, if it’s really worth what developers are charging. I realize this sounds a bit anti-capitalist and freedom is being taken from developers by the retailer, but let’s not forget that Apple has a vested interest in seeing people buy apps too. And if the companies are gouging you at checkout, Apple looks bad in the process too.

Lastly, Apple needs to give developers the opportunity to stand up for themselves. So far, Apple hasn’t given developers any chance to save their apps and has instead chosen to remove them without warning to anyone. By giving the developers the chance to respond and adjust issues (if need be), Apple will stop looking like the bad guy and start looking like the voice of reason – something it’s severely lacking right now.

There’s no easy solution to the App store and chances are, we won’t see any major moves for a while. But something obviously needs to be done and Apple needs to be at the center of that movement.

Source:Mashable!

Facebook is getting itself into all kinds of trouble in Germany with the country’s top social network, StudiVZ.

According to reports, Facebook is suing the German leader for copying its “look and feel” on its own site and believes it’s misusing Google’s intellectual property. But in a twist that Facebook failed to mention, the company has tried to acquire StudiVZ numerous times and has failed each step of the way.

“Facebook may have the superior technology, but it doesn’t have the users in Germany,” said an executive, who insisted on anonymity because the talks were confidential. “That is what Facebook wants with StudiVZ.”

That’s exactly what Facebook wants. And why wouldn’t it? In order for Facebook to truly become an international powerhouse in the social networking space, it needs to expand its presence internationally and finally create a real value proposition in places other than the US. And what better way to achieve that goal than by acquiring the leader in the major strategic countries?

As I mentioned yesterday, Facebook is still lagging far behind its competitors in most countries throughout the world and although it’s growing quite rapidly, it has little chance of catching up anytime soon. But with the amount of revenue it incurs each year in the United States alone — about $350 million — there’s no reason to suggest it can put some of that to good use and start acquiring major social networks abroad to increase its presence throughout the world.

At first glance, some might wonder why Facebook should even consider buying a leading social network overseas, but it makes total sense and should have been the company’s course of action a year ago.

International expansion is vitally important to the growth and continued strength of a major social network. The walled garden mentality that has developed in the social networking space has seen most major networks die quicker than they should after users become fickle, move to the next offering, and leave their former service behind. But with international dominance, that issue can be resolved and even if Facebook loses its dominance in the US, it can still cling to it overseas.

And that’s precisely why Facebook needs to start acquiring other social networks across the globe and ensure that it’s the top service for people anywhere in the world. It may be a daunting task and it may cost the company quite a bit in the short-term, but I truly believe that it’s an investment worth adopting and should reap huge rewards for Facebook over the long-term.