That being said, I can understand why Apple did remove it, because it doesn't make any business sense to enter a PR war over the relatively miniscule amount of profit they'd make from this app.
Well, the organisation that created this app explicitly believes that. There's nothing implicit about it.
But it's not like they're forcing this app on people. I'm assuming it's being willingly used by people who believe homosexuality is wrong and think they can stop their own homosexual urges.
If that's what they believe, let them go for it, I reckon. I don't have a right to tell them that they should be having relations that they clearly believe are wrong or immoral.
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Alan_turing#C...
I have to respectfully disagree. I'm glad they got rid of this stupid app. It's simply hate sugar-coated with psuedo-science. Apple made the right decision.
"app store removes questionable content" -- How is this news? It's not like the app store is known for being a "free" or "open" platform in the first place.
If it was hateful, I agree. But I don't think the article even says what the app does, so how do we know that it was "hate sugar-coated with psuedo-science"?
I assumed this app was supposed to help "ex-gays" (or whatever they call themselves now) somehow. If that's the case, it's probably only being downloaded by people already involved in this stuff anyway.
So if they're downloading it out of their own free will, and it doesn't incite hate or violence, I don't see why it needs to be censored.
It incites intolerance by implying that homosexuality is a disease.
This is the limit of freedom of speech under the US Constitution. This is not the limit for morally acceptable behavior, and has nothing at all to do with a private company's control over their historically tightly and arbitrarily controlled ecosystem.
edit: not even this. Incitements of violence is the limit of constitutional free speech, not mere hatred. But to believe that propaganda claiming some people can and should be "cured" of their sexuality isn't hatred is idiotic at best.
Shouldn't Apple remove all astrology apps then?
"of course you can, otherwise Apple wouldn't have approved an app that does it"
'Apple' is a name that carries authority and that can be used to lend credence to misinformation. That definitely does hurt people. Read the above as the last thing a father said to his gay son. If banning this app prevents even one tragedy, then good riddance. There are no disadvantages to applauding Apple for removing this app.
I'm not saying it should necessarily be upvoted or anything, I'm just wondering what part of it people are taking exception to.
(I am not taking that position, or any other position about the app or photophotoplasm’s comment, in this comment. I’m staying strictly on the meta level here. Void where prohibited by law. Contents may settle during shipping.)
this article mentions this: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/12/nyregion/12group.html?_r=3...
Parent not only responded to the question directly and cogently, but even cited sources. I'm bewildered.
unless I'm mistaken, it was a free app (with no ads), so they made no money off of it.