Steve Jobs calls frustrated developer after Apple rejects iPad app
Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs recently made a personal phone call to an iOS developer, after his application was rejected from the App Store for using a private application programming interface.
Developer Ram Arumugam e-mailed Jobs directly on Oct. 26 after he learned his application, "Economy for iPad," was rejected. According to The Seattle Times, two hours later he received a phone call direct from Jobs, who explained to him why his application was rejected.
Arumugam was informed that "Economy" had relied on a non-public API, which is against Apple's rules for developers. The developer explained to Jobs that he used the private code to resolve an issue with making the on-screen keyboard disappear after the user was done typing.
After his conversation with Jobs, Arumugam revised his application and removed the private API, and it was accepted into the App Store. But the developer said he was very surprised that he received a personal call from Jobs.
"The fact that he took the time to read my e-mail, think about the app and then personally call me was amazing," he wrote on his blog.
Jobs has a reputation as a hands-on CEO, and he frequently responds to e-mails sent to him by users. Those e-mails, often with characteristically brief responses, are often republished online and gain considerable attention, though the authenticity of many notes is difficult to prove.
Earlier this year, a phony e-mail exchange was offered for sale to a number of sites, including AppleInsider, before one technology publication purchased the fake conversation and published details from it. Apple's public relations department quickly responded by outright denying the exchange.
Developer Ram Arumugam e-mailed Jobs directly on Oct. 26 after he learned his application, "Economy for iPad," was rejected. According to The Seattle Times, two hours later he received a phone call direct from Jobs, who explained to him why his application was rejected.
Arumugam was informed that "Economy" had relied on a non-public API, which is against Apple's rules for developers. The developer explained to Jobs that he used the private code to resolve an issue with making the on-screen keyboard disappear after the user was done typing.
After his conversation with Jobs, Arumugam revised his application and removed the private API, and it was accepted into the App Store. But the developer said he was very surprised that he received a personal call from Jobs.
"The fact that he took the time to read my e-mail, think about the app and then personally call me was amazing," he wrote on his blog.
Jobs has a reputation as a hands-on CEO, and he frequently responds to e-mails sent to him by users. Those e-mails, often with characteristically brief responses, are often republished online and gain considerable attention, though the authenticity of many notes is difficult to prove.
Earlier this year, a phony e-mail exchange was offered for sale to a number of sites, including AppleInsider, before one technology publication purchased the fake conversation and published details from it. Apple's public relations department quickly responded by outright denying the exchange.
Comments
"The fact that he took the time to read my e-mail, think about the app and then personally call me was amazing," he wrote on his blog.
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What a waste of his time. Shouldn't he be working on getting printing to work instead?
What a waste of his time. Shouldn't he be working on getting printing to work instead?
No, that's what he has his peeps do for him. I actually am not sure if he is even able to code anything.
As for the developer bitching about things, he needs to shut his mouth. He knew he used a private API and admitted to it and then wonders why he was rejected. Clown.
No, that's what he has his peeps do for him. I actually am not sure if he is even able to code anything.
Good point.
Maybe he should spend his time single-handedly saving the publishing industry instead of corresponding with Clowns.
He seems to have backburnered that whole "use iOS to save the publishing industry and the TV industry" project.
Good point.
Maybe he should spend his time single-handedly saving the publishing industry instead of corresponding with Clowns.
He seems to have backburnered that whole "use iOS to save the publishing industry and the TV industry" project.
I think to be fair he pushed really hard at the start, but has met much resistance with companies worried that they will lose money (not been able to gather customer information is a huge, huge thing) or just not interested enough to commit resources. So now it'll happen, but at a much slower pace.
Personally I think it's quite awesome that he would do this, even if these emails and this calls are pure marketing (which I personally don't think they are). Maybe he isn't Jesus but he's the best CEO out there.
What a waste of his time. Shouldn't he be working on getting printing to work instead?
And/Or perhaps what to do with $50 billion?
Although previously discussed on various threads, the thought is that he has a screener(s), that chooses a select few emails and does the prep work etc. How else would he know so fast why it was rejected etc. At least I would hope he has trusted assistants to do this screen and prep work... otherwise, he's a 24 hour a day(and probably distorts time to get more work done) working machine who really is an alien from the planet (fill in the blank).
Good point.
Maybe he should spend his time single-handedly saving the publishing industry instead of corresponding with Clowns.
He seems to have backburnered that whole "use iOS to save the publishing industry and the TV industry" project.
Just so tiresome! (Tekstud?)
What a waste of his time. Shouldn't he be working on getting printing to work instead?
Yeah, I mean just look how incompetent mr Steve is. I don't even understand why Apple hasn't fired him just yet. The gall, the gall to reply to people that e-mailed him.
Just fire the guy and bring on Steve Ballmer to Apple. That will work!
I heard him mention something about that on a keynote once.
No, that's what he has his peeps do for him. I actually am not sure if he is even able to code anything.
Even having never met him, I know for certain that he can't. Steve has ideas. His ideas are good enough that he can pay people to do work for him. It's the same as any executive with an idea but without the skills to form something from it himself; he just presents it to a design team and they do their stuff.
No, that's what he has his peeps do for him. I actually am not sure if he is even able to code anything.
As for the developer bitching about things, he needs to shut his mouth. He knew he used a private API and admitted to it and then wonders why he was rejected. Clown.
He sent a correspondence to Steve Jobs and Steve thought it was worthy of a response...so he probably isn't a clown.
What a waste of his time. Shouldn't he be working on getting printing to work instead?
You can't save those that don't want to be saved. The authors and publishers are so delusional right now. They feel like they will stave off e-books if they make them as expensive to purchase as printed versions. There are a few within the industry that are stating how this will fail but no one wants to listen to them.
I spoke with a popular sci-fi author and asked when we would see some of his work available on the Kindle? He went into a rant about the e-books. He told me that I would never see his books on my Kindle and he feels sorry for bigger author's like Stephen King that will be force to release e-books by his publishers.
Note: This author's books are available as illegal scanned PDFs on the internet. I didn't have the heart to tell him.
What a waste of his time. Shouldn't he be working on getting printing to work instead?
Au contraire. This bolsters the widely held belief that Jobs is a product guy at heart. Unlike most CEOs whose expertise is "running a company," his is being immersed in product development and refinement. The printing thing is a work in progress and I have no doubt he is heavily involved in getting it to work. But with with all the patent conflicts this is not a smooth road. Have a little patience. When you pioneer new technology features instead of following others' leads, you have to expect a little noise in the process.
He sent a correspondence to Steve Jobs and Steve thought it was worthy of a response...so he probably isn't a clown.
Yes the developer is a clown. He knows he used private APIs, he acknowledges that he did knowing they are banned according to the very public App store guidelines. So he's a fool to complain when he knows he was breaking the guidelines.
Maybe he is just tired of everyone posting his e-mails online. Few people record phone calls.
I heard him mention something about that on a keynote once.
Yep, he replies to emails I send him every few months or so, but I never publish them. I recall him saying he considers it rude to post it during some keynote or QA somewhere. Of course no one believes me unless I show proof he emailed me, but he has. The two most recent ones were about the proximity sensor rumors from Apple Australia and the Mac App Store.
What a waste of his time. Shouldn't he be working on getting printing to work instead?
It was five minutes, ten at most.
Although I agree that it was totally unnecessary in the sense that this developer had the rules in front of him and didn't follow them. No cause to be "upset". Of course if he'd gotten an email that said "Your app is rejected due to violation of rule X Use of Private APIs. Free free to remove the API and resubmit." There would be no confusion. Unless he got such an email and thinks it's stupid that they wouldn't let you use the API. My only question is how do the developers have access to them anyway. If they can't use them, don't let them see them.
Also who said printing is not working. A bunch of rumor sites. Nothing from Apple. Perhaps it is just fine and all this talk that it won't be included is nonsense. Perhaps it will be excluded not because it is not working but because they want to wait a day or two to see if any bugs in everything else come up first. After all, they can't test every single possible combo of apps etc. that users might have bought that could go screwy. Give the update a few days to settle and then release a x.x.1 with printing on. Or maybe the issue isn't iOS at all but the other side of the game and Apple is waiting for HP etc to have driver updates ready so customers aren't calling to gripe at Apple that it's not working when it's their printer that is busted
Another case of personal service by Jobs. Next, every apple store will have jobs in it once a year so you can ask questions. He will have a crystal ball to predict the future.
Actually, that would be kinda cool. Suppose Mr. Jobs were to visit a random store once per month just to connect with customers. I could not imagine any other CEO of a fortune 500 company doing something like this. But I could see Jobs doing it.