←back to thread

397 points opengears | 3 comments | | HN request time: 0s | source
1. RadiozRadioz ◴[] No.41898361[source]
I've been considering making a new Android app for a while. A simple one to interact with a couple of my web services with some on-device storage, nothing complicated. More than anything, the thing that's stopping me is that I _know_ if I make it, a few Android versions later, it either won't work or won't be allowed on Play. I can't predict what random piece of the Android API/policy will change, but I know something will. And I'll have to waste my time fixing something that worked fine until Google arbitrarily broke it.

I built one app before for JellyBean. I haven't been able to install it for years and I can't compile it for a new version because of a cascade of errors and required changes that I'm unwilling to do. JellyBean hadn't even reached 10 years old before my app broke, it's pathetic that app support crumbled and rotted away that quickly. It'll happen again, so I've been turned off of Android development.

I totally understand the discontentment. It makes you feel powerless.

replies(1): >>41902669 #
2. carstenhag ◴[] No.41902669[source]
Pretty valid criticism. But as an android dev, it's quite normal. We got used to it.

Build your app in the recommended way, don't do weird stuff, read the guidelines. Accept drawbacks. That's more or less what you have to do, then the Play Store/App Store will be happy.

Build tools are mostly good with 1-2y old code, after that, yeah be ready to upgrade a lot.

replies(1): >>41910776 #
3. brokenmachine ◴[] No.41910776[source]
>Build tools are mostly good with 1-2y old code

This perfectly encapsulates the modern tech enshittification treadmill that I loathe.

Redesigning the wheel every 2 years because some braindead MBA dreamed up another way to arbitrarily ruin things that work.