Jobs Intervenes in the App Store

[Jeff Campbell]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/12/steve-jobs-intervenes-approves-knocking-streaming-video-app.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss' target='_blank'>http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2...tm_campaign=rss</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"The impassioned pleas of one developer e-mailed to Steve Jobs resulted in a quick reversal of his app's rejection. The launch of the app today is the first known approved app that can stream live video directly from one iPhone to another, and the first approval for an app with known use of private APIs. Apple's change of heart came "directly from the top," and is a sign that real change in the App Store approval process is in the works."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1259718208.usr105634.jpg" /></p><p>He must have really written a good email to get Jobs involved. Either that, or in combination with that, Jobs liked the app and wanted to see it succeed. I don't know how much of this can be attributed to a "real change" in the App Store approval process though, sounds to me like an isolated incident. What are your thoughts?&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[doogald]

It apparently was quite an email. Here is an excerpt, as reported by Business Week:

Dear Steve, Remember dropping out of school to drop in other classes to make it as an entrepreneur? I have admired you as an entrepreneur. I am a life long entrepreneur. I have never given up. I push my own rock up my mountain no matter how long it takes to get to the top, and love every minute of the journey. I believe you will respond. I believe Apple is fair and truly cares about its platform and developers. Though I have to say, not having anyone to speak to for review is very cold, dark and not Apple. As much as I want my own response….I am writing for my fellow developers spending all of their own money, working around the clock just to post their app to your store, only to get rejected in a way that is cold and hopeless is why I am writing you today. Do it for the sake of all developers. Give them a pre-approval process, not a set of guidelines that are subjective and ultimatley up to opinions and feelings. Give them a human to talk to. Imagine building the iPhone for 12 months only to have AT&T send an e-mail with no one to dicussing it saying “rejected due to 3.1.2”.

See http://www.businessweek.com/technology/ByteOfTheApple/blog/archives/2009/12/does_steve_jobs.html