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Breaking Up with Google Play: Why Conversations Is Now Free

708 points · 296 comments · ezst

  1. wccrawford · · focus · HN ↗
    15% is a lot. I'm not trying to say it isn't.

    And they're annoying and often screw up the review process.

    Google is always going to make money off any work they do. That's just business. They're not going to put more money towards better reviews without taking more money. And without the reviews, even as crappy as they are, a lot of really crappy software would be on the store. And a lot more would be actively malicious

    And you were making like 7x as much as they were taking. Without them, you would even get noticed and you'd have made nothing.

    We know this because almost nobody installs FDroid, and the other stores like Samsung make basically nothing for developers, even though they're preinstalled on so many devices.

    1. Netcob · · focus · HN ↗
      It's not just business - it's basically a monopoly. Enough to extract rent while providing a minimal service.

      Imagine if all streets were owned by two large companies who charged you enough to use them that you'd be paying as much in fees as you are in paying for gas. People would still use cars. The streets could be in horrible condition, the two companies would be making an insane amount of profit, but there would still be people out there saying that if it wasn't for those companies we wouldn't be getting anywhere and it's just business.

      1. kriops · · focus · HN ↗
        It's literally not. And your analogy is bad, because it describes inelastic demand, and not the platform effect.
        1. Netcob · · focus · HN ↗
          To me that's semantics.

          If I had an app, I'd have to pay Apple whatever they want to charge in order to get access to one part of all mobile phone users and Google whatever they want to charge in order to get access to the other.

          Maybe calling that a monopoly wouldn't be good enough in an economics paper, but I don't see much of a practical difference. I get to accept the price or not do business.

          And to set off some more bots: We desperately need regulation in this space.

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