Peace ad-blocker withdrawn after maker Marco Arment says success 'doesn’t feel good'

[Muz]

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/34302253/peace-ad-blocker-withdrawn-after-maker-marco-arment-says-success-doesnt-feel-good

 

For those unaware, it's the ad blocker for iOS.

 

The man behind one of the most popular ad-blocking apps has withdrawn his product from the app store, saying "achieving this much success doesn't feel good."

 

He added: "Pulling Peace from the store after just two days is going to be an immensely unpopular move, and subject me to a torrent of unpleasantness. But that'll end soon enough, and that's better than how I'd feel if I kept going."

[DannyRyu]

I bet he got paid a large sum of money by advertisers.

[Guest]

I bet he got paid a large sum of money by advertisers.

 

Doubt it, seeing as though there are still plenty of other ad-blockers out there. That would just be a waste of money on their part

[Opeth747]

No sympathy from me. 

[Oshino Shinobu]

I have a feeling this wasn't a moral decision. Or, he went like the FlappyBird dev who was overwhelmed with the sudden success or something. 

[Toddwjp]

personally ad blockers on phone should not be a thing, unfortunately ads are needed to pay for stuff

[Muz]

personally ad blockers on phone should not be a thing, unfortunately ads are needed to pay for stuff

I don't agree, too many fucking app devs cramp their shitt ads all over their apps because they have a shitty buisness model.

[EChondo]

personally ad blockers on phone should not be a thing, unfortunately ads are needed to pay for stuff

I disagree entirely, ads on mobile are the one place they shouldn't be. That is where data caps actually matter AND ads on mobile are 100x more intrusive than desktop.

[Toddwjp]

I disagree entirely, ads on mobile are the one place they shouldn't be. That is where data caps actually matter AND ads on mobile are 100x more intrusive than desktop.

True but certain ads eg banner ads don't take a lot and removing all the as content just hurts content creators

[TroubleKlef]

Doubt it, seeing as though there are still plenty of other ad-blockers out there. That would just be a waste of money on their part

 

^. At first I thought Danny's theory was very viable but the second most popular paid app on the store is another adblocker. Not to mention the flood of other ad blockers that will soon enter the market. It wouldn't make sense for advertisers to pay off one app dev.

[xXChaoticSymphonyXx]

Doubt it, seeing as though there are still plenty of other ad-blockers out there. That would just be a waste of money on their part

Unless his program was on to something that the others haven't stumbled upon yet.

[Mister Snow]

Apple sprung some $$ maybe?

[as96]

I have a feeling this wasn't a moral decision. Or, he went like the FlappyBird dev who was overwhelmed with the sudden success or something. 

I never understood the reason behind the withdrawn of flappybird, if one of my apps got that much success I would've left it where it was an started to swim in money inside a pool.

 

[Snadzies]

My ass.

He really didn't think of "the consequences" of ad block for the days, weeks or months he spend making it, naming it, submitting it.

What a load of bullcrap.

[Oshino Shinobu]

I never understood the reason behind the withdrawn of flappybird, if one of my apps got that much success I would've left it where it was an started to swim in money inside a pool.

 

-snip-

Apparently he was getting a load of hate mail stuff, which is inevitable when you have sudden, huge success like that. People get envious.  

[ericlee30]

personally ad blockers on phone should not be a thing, unfortunately ads are needed to pay for stuff

Tell that to anyone that has data caps to worry about with their isps or mobile networks, life is unfair for them, life is unfair for advertisement companies.

[dragosudeki]

My ass.

He really didn't think of "the consequences" of ad block for the days, weeks or months he spend making it, naming it, submitting it.

What a load of bullcrap.

Not necessarily. There are good reasons why adblock is good. I guarantee that you go on certain sites (or random sites) and would much prefer the ads not be there. Of course, it requires more work on users to whitelist and stuff. Plus, there are a lot of users who are just better off without ads simply because there ads that can harm your computer. If only there was a bloatwareblock too, so that i can install that and I wouldn't have to worry about relatives unknowingly downloading some toolbar that messes around with stuff, so then causing me to go back and fix it up to be normal.

[Snadzies]

Not necessarily. There are good reasons why adblock is good. I guarantee that you go on certain sites (or random sites) and would much prefer the ads not be there. Of course, it requires more work on users to whitelist and stuff. Plus, there are a lot of users who are just better off without ads simply because there ads that can harm your computer. If only there was a bloatwareblock too, so that i can install that and I wouldn't have to worry about relatives unknowingly downloading some toolbar that messes around with stuff, so then causing me to go back and fix it up to be normal.

 

Sorry, what I'm getting at is the idea that he had a sudden change of concision and only thought of how this would effect businesses' ad revenue and such AFTER he developed and submitted it.

I find that hard to believe.

[TroubleKlef]

Tell that to anyone that has data caps to worry about with their isps or mobile networks, life is unfair for them, life is unfair for advertisement companies.

 

- nvm.

[dragosudeki]

Sorry, what I'm getting at is the idea that he had a sudden change of concision and only thought of how this would effect businesses' ad revenue and such AFTER he developed and submitted it.

I find that hard to believe.

Quote from source quoting the dude talking about his app.

 

"Peace required that all ads be treated the same — all-or-nothing enforcement for decisions that aren't black and white. If we're going to effect positive change overall, a more nuanced, complex approach is required than what I can bring in a simple iOS app."

As you can see, he points to the same thing I am saying. If there was some way to create a blacklist/whitelist option, I'm sure he would've been more fine with it, because then it allows people to choose who to support (or who not to).

[Snadzies]

Quote from source quoting the dude talking about his app.

As you can see, he points to the same thing I am saying. If there was some way to create a blacklist/whitelist option, I'm sure he would've been more fine with it, because then it allows people to choose who to support (or who not to).

 

Yeah, but he had to know that from the very start.

I don't buy that he had a sudden realization about what the app did and how it would/could effect such things.

 

I'd put more weight with the idea of a company paying to have the developer pull down a popular ad blocking app or him needing money and putting it up for a couple days to make some quick cash before "realizing what he did".

Even if he is offering a refund I doubt many people will ask for one and he'll still have a fair chunk of change.

If he had really felt bad then he would have given everyone a refund a pushed an update that made the app not function.

[patrick3027]

Funny, there's a whole article in a Belgian newspaper today describing how this app was going to change everything. I hate the journalist writing it (he's obcessed with everything Apple does) so yeah, I kinda like it

Anyway, this isn't going to change anything. Also I don't understand why people are willing to pay 3$ for an ad-blocker when:

1) a lot of websites offer you the option to pay for removing the ads (I'd much rather support the guys working on the content you enjoy than giving my money to a guy who developed an ad-blocker)

2) there are excellent free alternatives out there, like AdBlock Plus

[TroubleKlef]

Yeah, but he had to know that from the very start.

I don't buy that he had a sudden realization about what the app did and how it would/could effect such things.

 

I'd put more weight with the idea of a company paying to have the developer pull down a popular ad blocking app or him needing money and putting it up for a couple days to make some quick cash before "realizing what he did".

Even if he is offering a refund I doubt many people will ask for one and he'll still have a fair chunk of change.

If he had really felt bad then he would have given everyone a refund a pushed an update that made the app not function.

 

Yes, he should remove the choice of consumers of keeping an app they paid for. Even if refunded.

[Mushious]

I never understood the reason behind the withdrawn of flappybird, if one of my apps got that much success I would've left it where it was an started to swim in money inside a pool.

 

The fact that he was batantly ripping Nintento assets probably contributed to it being removed.

[Kurosaki Isshin]

Yes, he should remove the choice of consumers of keeping an app they paid for. Even if refunded.

who told that you "owned" anything when you buy it?

he would be completely within his rights to refund everyone on record, then break the app with an update.

 

if this was because morals, these steps would make sense. but he is keeping (minimum) some of the money, right?

I can't speak for him, but when faced with moral choices like that (money) not using/taking ANY of it is the ONLY way to keep sane.