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Comment by StavrosK | Hacker News Reader

Forgive my ignorance, but why would you ship an app with a broken login system (or whatever) in the first place?

I updated the post. The normal login flow requires swedish digital ID. Reviewers won't have access to that.

I see, thanks. I can imagine how frustrating that must be, "I don't have a Swedish ID therefore your app doesn't work".

It's very frustrating indeed! I don't know how many times I've edited and attempted to clarify the instructions, but I'm still getting bounces. I really sympathize with the reviewers who are probably under a lot of pressure. But it doesn't change the fact that a hotfix release of our app on iOS is anxiety inducing.

On a side note; Not having a Swedish ID in Sweden makes a lot of things very cumbersome and some even impossible, having one makes one of the most straightforward and convenient bureaucracy systems I have experienced.

Yeah. The increasing reliance on BankID in Sweden is a blessing and a curse. For us swedes born into the system it's incredibly convenient.

On the flip side I've heard my fair share of horror stories from expats that get locked out of necessary services only because they don't have a social security number and bank account (yet). And that process can take a while.

I hope we'll reach a point where we have a better system than a simple Social Insurance Number in Canada, which has no cryptographic protection whatsoever and can be major pain in the butt if leaked from a data breach like with had with the Desjardins Credit Union.

As a practical solution, I wonder if you could provide the reviewers with a fake id that you hardcode into the backend for test accounts. Whcih could allow them to use the same login UI (even if the underlying codepath is different)

The ID login flow is basically UI-less. The user taps the login button, a separate identification app (that basically all swedes have) is launched, and as soon as the authentication is completed the user is navigated to the logged in view. It's a very seamless experience, and a lot of swedish apps work this way.

On the other hand it means that it's impossible to determine which user is logging in until the proper auth is complete. And thus you cannot have "special accounts" using this flow.

Ah, the login flow is in a separate app. That does indeed make it tricky!

Why do people deliver software with bugs at all???

Agreed, why deliver an app with an egregious bug you know about?

Because the Powers that Be insist on making a particular release date, consequences be damned.

I am currently in this situation.

Is it my imagination, or has people's ability to detect and understand sarcasm just fallen off a cliff over the past 1-2 years?

It would appear so.

It's been longer than that. I would expect this is a sore point with people because few professions allow their practitioners to knowingly ship defective products to meet a deadline.

Alternatively, why understand sarcasm when the lack of understanding provides some folks with an amazing weapon?

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