New rules see 1,500 apps deleted. http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2014/08/29/microsoft-crapware-purge/1
"For crapware that still populates the Windows Store, the company has asked that its users report all such applications through official channels or by emailing reportapp@microsoft.com." Next step....crapware writers send influx of reports to Microsoft about all the legitimate apps to get them removed/bumped down the list instead.
I foresee a few problems with these new rules.. If they have allowed crapware into the store in the first place they obviously haven't been checking the software, what difference is forcing devs to name apps to reflect the true functionality going to make if they still aren't going to check the software against how it's named, described. They haven't been checking if some apps belong to particular dev's so how are they going to know what icon belongs to what app, what happens when two developers lay claim to the same icon. Laying down new rules mean nothing if no one is going to police, or enforce them. Microsoft needs to invest more man/woman power into actually vetting submissions properly, not casting down edicts from on high.
Development date I'd imagine. But god I hope they do this to their phone store too. And it would be a win for them to dump copy cat apps, that aren't genuine to the ownership company, e.g. Father 500 fake book apps.
Conversely enforcement means nothing if there aren't any rules laid down to enforce. You kind of need both.
I for one am very glad that this is happening. As a long time Android user who has recently made the move to a Lumia 930 and Surface Pro 2, anything that can be done to keep the shite out of the store will be appreciated. It's not terrible by any stretch, and there is a lot less crap in the Windows store than either Apple or Google's - what it is missing are a number of "official" apps from Google etc. Apple and Google might laugh at MS for only having a few hundred thousand apps as opposed to seventy-eight quintillion, but when only a few thousand of those are actually of any use the MS store actually looks more attractive, and will only improve.
Indeed, but they already have the following rules that probably would have prevented much of the crapware, if only they had enforced them. ...
That isn't entirely Microsofts fault though, iirc Microsoft had an awesome youtube app, but were forced to pull it after pressure from Google themselves. It's a shame but there a still alternatives that work well enough. Like you though, I actually find the MS store more useful because of its size, and would't go back to android unless I was forced to!
Surly with 1500 apps removed they may as well just shut the thing down...The repository must be empty!
Actually, they needed just one, most important rule: 1. Don't make ****. I guess that I am hallucinating my apps then, such as: News Bento Hyper for YouTube Tweetro Flipboard Skype Evernote Touch OneDrive DropBox Deezer Vimeo /r/etro Wave News Republic Reuters TED Wikipedia Google Search (with voice search) National Rail Enquiries Currency Converter Star Chart Sidebar Dictionary Cocktail Flow (naturally) Bamboo Paper Fhotoroom Autodesk Sketchbook Express 8Zip Fresh Paint
I reported the Windows Store and got it removed! (They put it straight back when they realized it was theirs)
