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By Chris Meadows

We have covered Apple’s inconsistencies in approving or rejecting apps for its iPhone app store a number of times. They have even impinged on e-book readers in a couple of cases—such as the iPhone comic book that was rejected for being too violent, or the e-book reader rejected for being able to download the Kama Sutra.

Lately, a number of developers have gotten fed up with the whole process and announced their intention to stop developing for the iPhone altogether. In another attempt to calm the waters, Apple Vice President Phil Schiller has given an interview to Business Week in which he talks about the gatekeeping process.

Schiller insists that about 90% of rejections are for technical reasons, which the application developers are glad to correct. 10% of rejections are because the app contains or does something “inappropriate,” and 1% fall into a “gray area” and require additional research.

Over at Ars Technica, Chris Foresman has posted a rebuttal to Schiller. He points out Schiller is saying much the same things he said four months ago—that Apple is trying to “learn and improve”—but the fact that these contentious rejection issues keep happening does not suggest much learning or improvement has taken place.

It seems things have gotten to the point where having blogs raise a stink about the silliness of an app’s rejection is an important step in getting the rejection overturned and the app approved. It would be nice to start seeing a little less spin and a little more real improvement.

 
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