iOS and Mac developer
I’ve resubmitted ICHC 1.5.2, with /tag/g-rated specified for FAILblog & Engrish Funny, the two sites that support it.
Apple requested that I rate it appropriately, but there’s no way to change the rating in iTunes connect – everything in the ratings screen is completely grayed out. If this is rejected again, I won’t resubmit it. I’ll withdraw it from sale instead.
Barnes & Noble’s eReader contains no content and doesn’t access internet content directly. All content comes from books downloaded from your B&N account. It has to display all of these warnings, yet it gets a 12+ rating. In this case, the parental control restrictions should be set in the B&N account rather than restricting the application.
PS – KRAPPS picked up the story of ICHC’s latest rejection.
I’ve found definite proof that app store ratings are seriously broken. As KRAPPS pointed out, some pretty raunchy applications are getting a 12+ rating while ICHC and any other app that accesses user generated content is forced to get a 17+ rating. ICHC has much less sexual content than this app.
I just got another rejection notice from Apple:
Dear Mr. Cohen,
Thank you for submitting I Can Has Cheezburger 1.5.2 & I Can Has Cheezburger (Ad Free) to the App Store. We’ve reviewed I Can Has Cheezburger 1.5.2 &I Can Has Cheezburger (Ad Free) and determined that we cannot post these versions of your iPhone applications to the App Store at this time because they are not appropriately rated. Our review indicates that the applications’ contents are not consistent with the current rating. I Can Has Cheezburger 1.5.2 & I Can Has Cheezburger (Ad Free) contain user-generated content, which can include frequent mature or suggestive themes. Applications must be rated accordingly for the highest level of content that the user is able to access.
Please visit iTunes Connect to resubmit your binaries and rate your application appropriately.
I don’t want ICHC to be rated 17+. I’d rather just pull it completely rather than continue to fight with Apple.
I’ve submitted version 1.5.2 of ICanHasCheezburger, both free & premium versions. Since I still had 1.5.1 in review, I had to reject it and replace it, which means it’s back at the beginning of the review queue. It’ll be interesting to see whether both are approved at the same time.
New features:
I have a solution to get movies from Viddler working in ICHC. I’ll try to get it ready to submit in the next day or so.
I got the following email this morning:
Mike;
I really appreciate the fact that you designed and made available an app for the iPhone that shows the ICHC site. I’m not bashing you for that.
However, your unchecked ad campaign is a bit asinine. “Unibrows: since 1969” is not an ad. It’s annoying space taking designed to annoy the user into buying the 99 cent version of the app. I must say that it is effective, since I will be buying it as soon as I can get to my computer.
Anyway, thanks again. Even though you’re an ass.
Sincerely;
[name withheld]
Sent from my iPhone
The ICHC Web site has switched from YouTube to Viddler for embedded videos. Unfortunately their videos aren’t compatible with the iPhone (even in Mobile Safari they’re broken). I currently don’t have any work-around until they can provide iPhone compatible videos.
I’ve figured out a possible solution to avoid future rejections due to “mature or suggestive” content. I can append “/tag/g-rated” to the URL for FAILblog, which will prevent it from returning any such content.
I’ll probably add that tag to the free version, allowing it to get a 4 rating, but omit it from the premium version, allowing a more mature rating. On the other hand, it may not even be necessary depending on what’s appearing at FAILblog when Apple’s review visits it.
Apple has rejected the I Can Has Cheezburger 1.5.1 update due to “mature or suggestive themes”.
Thank you for submitting I Can Has Cheezburger (Ad Free) to the App Store. We’ve reviewed I Can Has Cheezburger (Ad Free) and determined that we cannot post this version of your iPhone application to the App Store at this time because it is not appropriately rated. Our review indicates that the application content is not consistent with the current rating because it contains sexual content and mature or suggestive themes.
Please visit iTunes Connect to resubmit your binary and rate your application appropriately.
The content in question was these items found at FAILblog.
