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Breaking Up with Google Play: Why Conversations Is Now Free

708 points · 296 comments · ezst

  1. pi-victor · · focus · HN ↗
    I think it bothers OP less that they take a 15% tax than the fact that google provides terrible support for their own play store. If they would take that tax and provide good feedback and speedy version reviews, nobody would ever complain - it is expected to pay something since the play store doesn't run on good thoughts and prayers. But because they're a monopoly (or a duopoly if you count apple, which is a different platform altogether) they can afford to act this way.
    1. chii · · focus · HN ↗
      people hate taxation without representation. That's why this model has to be unsustainable, but the legislation has not caught up at all.
      1. philipallstar · · focus · HN ↗
        This isn't taxation. It's just a silly name for a fee. Fees are what make things sustainable.
        1. bambax · · focus · HN ↗
          It's taxation when it's imposed by a monopoly over users who have no choice except walking away.
          1. mitxela · · focus · HN ↗
            This definition doesn't work, because my only choice when buying a burger at Dairy Queen is to pay the burger's price or walk away too, but it's not taxation.
            1. chii · · focus · HN ↗
              you have the choice not to purchase burgers from dairy queens, but from macdonalds, or five guys, or wataburger.

              You don't have a real choice in an app store on android (except recently, and even then, the alternative stores don't behave well for google-based apps).

              That's why it's not a tax when you choose to buy DQ burgers, but a tax when you choose to deploy an app to google app store.

              1. philipallstar · · focus · HN ↗
                > You don't have a real choice in an app store on android

                You do, and you also can pick iPhone. Or not a smartphone. Or not use apps.

                > (except recently, and even then, the alternative stores don't behave well for google-based apps).

                Google provides planetscale services like Google Maps for free and you want to build apps that use their services but not pay them 15% for their store, and still complain they don't work perfectly? You seem to be outsourcing a lot to Google but expect to give them nothing in return.

                1. mitxela · · focus · HN ↗
                  Google Maps has its own billing model.
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