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Android Developers Unionize to Put Pressure on Google

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As worker unions have been making big news around the United States lately, a group of Android developers have decided to band together in an effort to demand a better market experience from Google. The group, calling themselves the Android Developers Union, recently launched their own website and blog complete with a list of demands for Google and the rantings of some seriously ticked off developers.

Among the groups chief complaints is the percentage cut Google takes on applications sales. Currently, Google skims 32 percent off the top for their own coffers, a fee one developer so kindly details:

“Since I began developing Android applications two years ago, Google has collected over $14,000 in “service fees” as part of their 30 percent tax on all sales – and the only service they have ever provided me is a threatening letter.”

The “threatening” letter came after his app was pulled from the market without warning. Several attempts to get in touch with Google led to a response from the company stating they would ban his developer account if he were to violate market rules again, he claims.

Aside from the woes of developers and their demands, the actual fact that a union of sorts has been formed around app developers is quite a bold statement for the validity of this technology sector. Whether or not google heeds their cries is another story entirely.

[via TechEye]

Kevin Krause
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75 Comments

  1. Droidsters?

  2. Group? I could only find one article, by one developer….

  3. great, another group of employees trying to take advantage of a company. If they dont like what they are getting, DONT DEVELOPE ANDROID APPS!!!! Now i dont want that to happen but shit, they arent forcing you to write apps for them. Hell the developers arent even employed by google. Its called the free market, if google is taking to much of the pie, people will go write for the devil apple. But that is the free market. My rant is done, just sick of this union bs all the time.

    long live green robots…(with freakin lasers on their heads)

  4. wordpress account, lol
    They should at least use “their” own domain…

  5. I agree with Ryan. 32% really isn’t much. You could be developing for RIM or Apple which takes a lot more and have higher sign-up fees. Again, no one is forcing you to develop for Android and if you don’t like the fees, leave. Wont find cheaper ones elsewhere. Of all things Google MIGHT change, dont expect that to be one of them.

  6. uh. . . I don’t get it. Android developers don’t have to put their apps in the Android Market. They can sell it anywhere they want, unlike iOS developers.

    If you don’t like Google’s cut then go to a different app store or market it yourself.

    I can see this argument against a company that doesn’t allow their devices to install form other app stores but one that does?!?!?!?

  7. Great another union trying to ruin a great thing.

  8. The only service privided? I guess a platform on which to make money at all doesn’t count?

  9. time to call in the pinkertons. these fucking unions are destroying every industry in this country.

  10. I would like a list of developers included in this “union”. I don’t buy cars made with union hands, so I would be glad to not purchase apps from a developer in a union. Listen, I’m in sales, and my parent company takes a 24% cut. I don’t like it, and they don’t provide me anything other than a brand name. They don’t cover any of my expenses, but I’m not going to bitch about it. I still sell enough that it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Would I be better off without their brand name? No. Would this developer be better off trying to sell an apk from his website, and hoping that people somehow find the app? I bet his ROI after marketing would be equal to or less than 68%.

  11. Ah the clueless ignorant masses speak.
    32% is a blatant rip off and Google knows it.
    They also know that if you DID market it elsewhere you wouldn’t make even 10% of what you will by having it in the market as 90%+ of users will never go to alternate markets so the developer is stuck.
    These comments only serve to further prove this point as the people saying go developers for Apple/RIM or market it yourself are clearly clueless and ignorant and have no sympathy for the developers again a fact that Google is well aware of.

  12. I hope at least one of the developers post here so I can get their side of the story. As I see it from a first glance, Google should be skimming off the top as they provide the hardware, networking, and marketing for the Market. If you run a business you have costs…lease, franchise dues, taxes, etc.. Google’s fees are business costs. But I also want to see a “friendly” environment for developers to bring their work to market so us users have more enjoyment of great apps. Peace y’all.

  13. I do my best to avoid buying union, so this will be no exception. I’ll patronize the non union devs instead.

  14. I’m not concerned about the 32%. However, I do feel if Google pulls an app from the market they should notify the developer that it was removed and a description as to why. The description should be detailed enough so the developer knows what is wrong and can take steps to correct it (if they want to).

  15. Unions /= validity of technology. Such an early 20th century idea. Unions /= open source either. I guess these developers would rather make 100% of nothing, given that’s what they’d get without Google’s OS.

  16. Wow, I did not expect these kinds of responses! Its refreshing to see that people realized unions are just groups of idiots trying to make more money. If you arent making enough money raise the price of your app, but I have a feeling the developers arent as good as they think or they’d be busy working not bitching.

  17. google better fix this because this what makes it there company strong

  18. For a better user experience in all ways, and more data and best lifesytle management, use Yahoo!
    I will admit google has better search results, but not as good as “duck duck go”.

  19. This obviously does not mean anything. Unless he is a google employee google owes him nothing. He chooses to develop apps for google and makes money doing it. This would be no different than me (being a independent mortgage broker renting office space from a bank) The bank owes me nothing, though the often send business, I still have to pay rent!

  20. @jr….

    What? The threat of a small groups of developers unionizing is what makes Google strong?

    What the Hell are you talking about?

  21. @Joe C…. actually its saddening to see that people think unions are just “groups of idiots trying to make more money”. If that same group of people incorporates and then in turn tries to get more money out of the consumer we praise them as being a good company and willingly pay more for less…see Apple. What people fail to realize is that labor have skills that are in demand and they are basically individual businesses selling their skills to a company. They could either sell to the highest bidder or pool their skills together and demand a higher rate for them.

    I will never understand why some of us are so anxious to see a company make more but get mad when the workers try to make more…..especially when we don’t own a company ourselves and our goals align more with the workers.

  22. @John

    You are missing the point entirely. Google is not forcing a developer to use their platform. Google does not owe the developer a viable platform for which to develop.

    The _choice_ belongs to the developer. If (s)he chooses Android, the cost is 32%. To help John see the light, I am starting a DOS based phone OS. Develop for and place your apps in my marketplace; I will only charge 1.5%. Do you understand now?

    If the brilliant unionized developers can do better, they are free to do so.

  23. Wow…just looking at some of these other comments I see now people have been brainwashed. Sure Google owes him nothing. But Google needs him and the rest of the devs to develop for Android or Google will have nothing. If this Developers Union were to gather a lot of devs you best believe Google had better start meeting some demands or loose out.

    Again. Its ridiculous how we are always against the little guy banding together unless they have Inc. behind their name.

  24. Like others have said, I will skip any app that I find out is developed by one of the union members. I don’t like unions much.

  25. I went and read the Rich’s post on the link provided and if what he is saying is true (I have no reason to doubt him) then I do agree with him on his point. He’s merely putting up a beef about customer service from Google. He’s not complaining about the fees. For the cost of doing business in the Market he deserves some professionalism from Google on issues of terms of service….which is notifications and explanations regarding terms of service.

  26. Google is the WORST at customer service PERIOD. I have never found a company so horrible. It is the same HORRIBLE service we got from the nexus phone launch , NO customer service is what we got. The forum they created for customers had 100’s of complaints before google even responded. Google help forms SUCK period. I had to submit 14 forms when my phone was stolen because they purchased apps. Google only sent a auto respnce, did not refund the money, and CLOSED my goddamn google account even though they knew the phone was recovered.

  27. Unions result in higher product costs and overpaid workers. They are fantastic for the union members but awful for end users.

  28. @ jarod
    So what is your solution ? We see you know what won’t work but how about about share what will work?

  29. Google just needs to kidnap the devs in this union and ship them off to Wisconsin, presto problem solved.

    But in all seriousness I think both sides have an argument here, Google has the right to take a chunk of each app because without their hard work they wouldn’t have any customers out there to sell the apps too. I do think Google should invest in a little more control of the market, not nearly as much as Apple, but given that 21 apps were just found to be malicious and rooting and shipping off phone’s info, some sort of basic screening should be provided.

  30. To all concerned: My opinion is this. Today it’s 32%, tomorrow it’s 40%. The unions are necessary to help protect the quality and provide the fair profit margin for the developers. Sure, Google could only accept other non union developers, but what would be the outcome of that? Would you still have the same love for Android or would you switch to IOS or Windows or webOS? Be honest. This has more ramifications than just cellphones and tablets.

  31. I wonder how many of the those commenting here actually read the what the developer had to say by going to the link before posting their comment.

    Yes, it came across that he was angry but most of the posters here point to the % taken by Google. If you read what the developer says it seems clear that that was really a side issue said in frustration by Google’s inadequate response.

    Assuming the developer is accurately relating the facts, the main issue was the developer contacted Google three times and still had no response that gave him any idea why the app was banned but only contained a threat to all his apps being removed. Could someone tell me how the developer had any chance of correcting something for which he tried three times to understand what needed to be corrected but was given no clue. Of course from this he was frustrated and probably overreacted on the other things he brought up. Who wound not be since he was left with no way to correct, or even understand what the problem was.

    Quote from developer’s blog:
    “Without any warning or notification, the application was removed. I only noticed when I went to check my sales and noticed I had not made any money for the previous week and a half.

    When I contacted Google (through a web form which didn’t work the first few times I tried it), I was able to inquire about my situation. All I received was an automated reply with no useful information.

    I tried the form again, and received another automated reply. The third time I tried, I received an actual reply, though it contained no specific information and threatened me, saying that if I violated the rules again, my account would be deactivated and all of my applications would be removed from the Market. This would mean that I wouldn’t have any source of income and wouldn’t be able to make my rent payments.”

  32. UNION? What makes the developers who have so many optional outlets feel they can dictate what another businesses operational aspects can be? What bunk.

    This is capitalism. Google makes the rules for making money from them. Don’t like it – don’t threaten and try to throw your weight around like you’re some mucka-muck who’s s#!t don’t stink!

    All this energy wasted on griping & moaning because Google takes a piece of the action. What retailer doesn’t? How much does WalMart take from Mattel on their toys or Phillips on TVs? I mean really. Don’t put your stuff on Google’s shelves if you don’t like the terms.

    But DICTATING & DEMANDING just sounds like what my 11 year old keeps trying to do. All it gets her is more time without a cellphone, tv or laptop. Never once has it been successful in her winning a damn thing she demanded.

  33. @ Firelight READ what 31.Droid X Owner wrote. THe money is a SIDE issue. The main issue is how Google SUCKS at communication and customer service. You are asshat anyway, but thought I cold point you to something you may READ and try to comprehend.

  34. I love it when people think unions are a bad thing.

    It’s called having a voice. It democratises things.

    Democracy.. bad?

  35. @TF “Droidsters”

    HA!
    definitely using this in future conversations…sadly, it’ll involve me, as i have an Evo.

  36. All of these comments have finally made me understand what the Tea Bag movement couldn’t. I’m with you now. Bow to our corporate masters. I’m going to march into my employers office and demand minimum wage, 12 hour work days and a 6 day work week. Hell, maybe we can all move to India to string soccer balls for Nike.

    Seriously, the anti-union among you should educate yourselves on why unions were forced to exist in the first place. The pay and benefits many of you enjoy today are the result of unions. Americans are sadly gullible.

  37. @23

    Exactly!

    Android, or any OS for that matter, wouldn’t be shit if there are no decent apps for it.

  38. I too am pleasantly surprised by the real antipathy towards unions. Now, if we could only get them out of government we would all be a lot better off…

  39. Only area I agree on is that 32% seems quite high and from what I have read/heard, google does not take the time to work with developers when programs are pulled from the market. Google needs to spend more 1 on 1 time with developers when things are pulled from the market.

    They’re all there to make money. Its dumb on Googles part not to help clarify the problem

  40. Being an ex-union rep, its hard to believe how naive and stupid people are regarding unions in general. A unions job is to make sure workers environment is safe, fair and people are paid what they are worth, nothing more, nothing less. without that, people would be working in far more dangerous environments for far less money, compare countries with unions to those without. Idiots….

    With regards to this on android market, its even more stupid as the markup is like any other market markup, how much does apple skim off the top, how much does Amazon get for book sales all high markups. But if the authors tried to sell anywhere else they wouldn’t make that money. This guy says google made 14k from him, so he would have made around 40k by dumping an app on a website, cheap registers fee (which he’s made back over 1000 times) and leaving it there, watching the money roll in, he’s not responsible for website update, software updates for market and android, server maintenance, but he want to put a union in, well maybe he could do one for Itunes, windows, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and any other website where you sell your original production on.

    One other thing is if developers are so moral, why with the recent changes to the market are they now, ignoring exchange rates and charging extra for apps in other regions. I now have to pay twice what US does for some apps because my exchange rate is stronger, who’s the crook now?

  41. dont develop for the platform if you dont like the terms. There is NO argument here. Go to iOS and see what your experience is like with apple. Try publishing with microsoft windows phone 7. Watch apple pull your app and then reject your submissions for 6+ weeks. Hey dumbass, why dont YOU get a clue?

  42. Unions! Fascists! Anti-American Commy Pinkos!

    Wow, what a bunch of Troglodytes. Thank goodness y’all have WalMart.

    Oh yeah, about the article. I appreciate the guys sense of humor, at least.

  43. @My Galaxy

    Thank you for bringing logic into this post. Seriously? All the hate for unions? The same unions that gave people realistic work hours (who wants to work 16 hr days?), better wages, safer work environments, and employee rights. If anybody is truly that much against unions then go to China.

  44. Yeah, I sure hate unions. I wish our work conditions could be more like they are in China!

  45. unions can be a great thing. in the work place they were needed and so were created to protect workers. and that is something people needed. but they protect workers. if they want to be unionized then they should only develope for google and know one else. they should be on top of there own updates and customer service about there apps every day. and in return google should be more personable about how they deal with devs. giving reason as to why an app is pulled or sharing concerns with devs. i think that would be fair.

  46. As a developer (but not part of this union), I’m bothered by some high fees too. It won’t drive me away though. those saying “IT’S A FREE MARKET. GOOGLE CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT JUST GO TO RIM/APPLE” probably don’t get that those aren’t exactly greener pastures. You’ve either got lower demand, higher rates to pay off for “services” or stricter standards you can’t meet. Or, you might be like me and be unable to work with another IDE like XCode to make those apps. Of course, that’s not the point of this union. It has little to do with how much Google is taking.

    The unionization is for better treatment of developers. Google will basically ignore them and refuse to give any useful feedback. This guy could potentially lose his source of income because Google won’t tell him why his app was banned but threatened to remove all his apps if he does the same thing. How can he avoid doing this if Google won’t tell?

    Before you write off this “union” and chalk it up as “idiots banding together” you might want to look again what they are asking for.

  47. At least he has a job….

  48. Saying that if we had no unions, our conditions would be like they are in China is simply stupid. Union membership in the private sector (US only) is hovering in the 7% to 8% range. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_unions_in_the_United_States) So I guess the other 92% of private sector workers must all make minimum wage, work 12 hour days, 7 days a week… Oh wait, no we don’t! Why don’t we? Its called companies competing for employees in a free market. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong or illegal about workers voluntarily forming a group and bargaining collectively. But, likewise, there is nothing wrong or illegal about non-union folks or scabs under-cutting the collective agreement to get a job. Companies should be free to decide if they want to A) hire only union members, B) hire both union and non-union, or C) hire only non-union members. Has a nice symmetry to it doesn’t it? The terrible crime is that (in the US) if/when a company tries to choose option C, unions through cooperation with the government sue the pants off the company. You can thank crony capitalism for that tactic.

  49. Unions should go back to the dept of motor vehicles and leave everyone else alone.

  50. You don’t need to belong to a union and forced to pay dues just to have safe working conditions. Those are mandatory for all workers. You do need to belong to a union if you want to be paid for not working very effectively.

  51. For those of you who think unions are a good thing, explain to me why the American auto worker is worth nearly double the Japanese auto worker, once you factor in pensions, benefits, etc. Last time I checked, the non-union auto manufacturers weren’t the ones who needed bail out, but they were the ones whose vehicles consistently outscore ours in owner satisfaction and reliability. Secondly, find out which automotive plant is the largest exporter of vehicles in the US, and then tell me if they’re unionized. Then research how many of the workers at that plant feel shorted or overworked in any way. Then you can talk.

  52. @Kevin
    Why are you writing about this? This article was a waste of my time. If this group contained more than one developer, I might give it credence. Also, Google’s side is never presented. As far as I can see from the web site, it is only a single developer who belongs to this so-called union.

    I read his issues with Google, but he himself acknowledges that he would have make over $32,000 (assuming this amount since Google’s 30% cut was $14,000. He went on further to say that if his apps were removed from Google’s Marketplace that “This would mean that I wouldn’t have any source of income and wouldn’t be able to make my rent payments.” Like many have mentioned he could try to do it himself or go to another marketplace, but he is implicitly acknowledging that despite all its faults, Google’s Android Marketplace is the best place for him to sell his applications. This is the service that Google provides for him – a venue to sell his product.

    Next time you write an article Kevin, make sure it is something relevant and not just a single guy who has an issue. And get the other side too.

  53. The developer wrote a torrent app. I think google is nervous that those apps tend to be used for piracy.

  54. I am a strong Anti-Union supporter , I will boycott anything by these developers from now on , thanks for letting me know who they are .

  55. @ GM You, anti-union? How about anti-safe working conditions, anti-fair labor practices, and utimately anti-American. But you are pro-establishment, pro-corporation, pro-fogeyism and pro-terrorism.

  56. @ ari-free where is the proof of the torrent app? @ ckeegan look at the working conditions and political climate of China, Korea, etc. Would you work there? Would you LIVE there? Go there for one year and then come back and preach about the evils of unions. If ya didn’t know, this good ole U S of A is an UNION of states.

  57. Oh boy…please no union….they’ll develop half the apps and charge twice the price!

  58. I know, let’s find out who these guys are and boycott them. Now they get a tast of their own ideas…

  59. Pro union here not only did the unions give us equal rights but it also gave us the weekend:-) so all you workers out there because if it wasn’t for union you would be working 7 days a week

    Go devs

  60. Here is what I think, There is ONLY one person posting on this site, therefore, stating that HE is a UNION will only further cause issues for developers. I feel that the best way to go about this would to get a legitimate GROUP OF DEVELOPERS(Not a union) and contact and talk to google. Make requests, not demands. This will not work out for the developers if done wrong. It could cause raised fees, among other problems.

  61. Amazing how the conotation of the word ‘union’ is the issue. If they chose to call themselves an ‘association’ instead Im sure it would be fine right.

    Have fun with no NFL this year as their ‘union’ and owners cant agree on a deal, sorry I mean association.

  62. You people have been brainwashed. Please educate yourselves about unions.I have worked open shop as well as being a union member.its very sad the image we have.anti union????don’t bash the unions Just because ur a republican.I’m proud of my union. I have a voice.I’m safe at work.I’m paid fair.I’m trained well. Would u like ur hospitals built by a unqualified unliscensed person or a person with at least 5years of schooling and experience???? It will always be UNION TILL I DIE!!!!!!!!!

  63. @Lee – So by your logic, non-union manufacturing plants in the US (and there are plenty) should have the same working conditions as those in China, Korea, etc. Let me know if that’s correct, but I already know the answer.

  64. These developers who are complaining are a bunch of whiny bitches! 99.8% of them have other jobs and only make apps on the side to supplement their incomes. If you don’t like Googles rules than develop for RIM or iOS.

  65. @ckeegan, i think your kinda missing the point here, you can have companies that don’t have a union and are fair to their worker, but sorry to say, that’s more a rarity than an fact.

    Those who say we have laws that protected worker, erm, yes we do to some extent and remember how we got those laws, by people standing up for themselves in the workplace and to some extent unions protecting that person so they could have a voice against management. Regular pay rises above inflation, a reasonable working week, not being force to work weekend or more flexible hours, redundancy pay above government minimal requirement etc these are the kind of things i use to negotiate and people here are making that sound like it evil. Take if from someone who know, once you get rid of unions, then companies will literally be able to do what the hell they want and you wont have a say and don’t give me any waffle about the law protecting you as the law if you took time to look at it is more sympathetic to the company.

    Going back to android, all that need to be done is setting up a group of developers that talk directly to google and their team regularly, simple, no union needed there…

  66. Phandroid – please don’t legitimize this one misguided individual’s attempt to form a union. He’s one guy who wrote an app to make downloading pirated content easier and he’s unhappy with Google.

    That’s not what unions are about….

  67. Wow that site is just a bitch and complain place.

    Demands make people just say no. The logo… brings up the phrase “In Soviet Russia…”

    I just hope they don’t do more harm than good.

  68. As long as their blog is updated regularly with a list of union developers so I can avoid purchasing their apps I’m happy. Unions were necessary in the past, yes, but are no longer needed. Unions today are basically extortionists. I like my non-union job and enjoy my safe working conditions, ensured to me by the early unions that just wanted safe and fair treatment for dangerous work, and that I can respect. Todays unions are a joke. But just as they are free to form a frivolous union, consumers are free to band together to boycott their goods/services. To paraphrase a quote from google “(they’ll) soon figure out what sells and doesn’t sell.” both google and the devs. (Though I agree google’s customer service is terrible and needs an overhaul, one reason I didn’t purchase a nexus s.)

  69. Lol, you guys think the apps are cheap now, wait until these developer unions start to organize. They will require google to charge them no more than a 10% fee, require google to provide free healthcare, pension, 200% 401k matching, and of course collect a weekly union fee to pay their union rep millions a year just to have a voice and be heard. .99 apps will go up to $5.00 because the ‘value’ the union puts on it. Pathetic attempt to ‘organize’. Google forces NO developer to use their market place. Just like our state of CT… the 2% of the population who are public sector workers in the union, who use up 30% of the damn budget in this state yearly. Get lost. No union developer will get my money.

  70. Agree with the Dec over Google’s crappy lack of follow through.

    But F him and anyone supporting unions. Got Mafia?

  71. I will gladly support pro union app developers, if people actually realized what unions have done/ will continue to do for people, than everyone would be unionized. Unions stand up to greedy corporations and remind them that their employees are more than lifeless work drones. Let me ask the anti union people this, why do exceptionally successful companies like wal mart hate unions? Because they know darn well if their employees unionize, wal mart would actually have to pay their employees more than minimum wage, they will have to make their shoddy healthcare much better, they will have to try to make their employees happy, what a concept! Im all for developers being charged fees for putting their apps on any os, its only fair, but when apps are just being randomly taken off the market and google is inaccessible for developers to contact, that’s not fair. There’s nothing wrong with having a collective voice and standing up for your rights. If you still don’t get it, go to a country like china and work 12/15 hour days, 6 days a week, making 5 cents an hour, that is what happens when unions are outlawed, why do you think so many companies outsource their labor there? Remember these working conditions listed above occurred on america before unions. Union baby!

  72. nothing like the word UNION to bring the ignorant masses out to leave comments online.

    the anti-union sentiment is ignorant and misguided. people need to wake up and realize that unions will always be necessary as long as there are companies out there whos bottom line is making a buck. that bottom line will invariably be at the expense of the worker.

    boycotting union products is as anti American as it gets (for you US folks out there). stop towing the company line and wake up people.

  73. Guys I’m an Android developer and the big frustration today is not with the percentage owed. It’s about every one of us getting stiffed by Google and not paid today. Just last month we were notified AFTER they’d already changed to a 30 day payment cycle, that we would no longer be getting daily payments.

    To some who counted on that money daily for rent/bills it’s very important. Now, given time someone can change their budgets to account for having to wait 30 days to get paid. Imagine if you worked at a job full time and got paid every week let’s say. Then 4 days after you were supposed to get a check your job sends you an email that you won’t be getting paid until 30 days later!!!

    Now, fast-forward 30 days later and we’re all sitting around biting our fingernails and looking at our past due bills and not a SINGLE word from Google on where our money is. No blog updates, no emails, nothing. That is why there is a huge cloud of frustration today with every Android developer. No one has been paid in over 30 days. Some of us have families, kids, sick parents, etc. It’s not about getting paid every 30 days, I could care less if I’d had ample time to re-adjust my budget. What really ticks us all off is there is no update on where our money is. We rightfully earned that money. Google is sitting on top of this HUGE loan basically from all of us (our 60%) and isn’t telling us when we’ll get to see it.

    We were promised March 2nd and today has come and gone for most of us. I don’t care for pro or against unions. I just want a large enough voice for Google to understand they need to treat the developers who make their platform what it is with a little more respect. Sure we can quit developing and move elsewhere, but we don’t live in a fantasy world. You can’t just quit your job when you bills and responsibilities. Think about it people before you think it’s so easy to just hop up and move elsewhere. For some of us this is a full time job. And why shouldn’t it? Software development is a premium right now.

    This is a response from a real developer going through real frustrations for the past 30 days and all day today

  74. @ ckeegan if you assume you know the answer then why ask the question? I merely reference the many sweat shops around the world that pay their ‘workers’ cents so that the big corporations can make millions. Can I assume that you agree that anti union sentiments that you hold dear include supporting people who don’t have the same provisions assured by unions, especially in the aforementioned post?

  75. @Daniel

    AMEN. I’m also a dev, and in the first week in February my payments just stopped coming in. I had to go searching and searching to find an answer, and I was royally ticked that Google couldn’t even send us an email beforehand. I did manage to get my payment today, but I still wish the payments were made daily. Like you said, people have bills to pay and trying to adjust your budgets is much more difficult and stressful when all of a sudden your source of income is no longer coming in when it always did without any warning at all. I was browsing the Google Checkout site today and one thing I did notice was a little notice that kind of hinted that you might be able to adjust your payouts. I hope that’s true, because I’m STILL having a hard time trying to adjust my finances now that I get paid only once a month. Even twice a month, or at the end of each week would be perfectly reasonable, wouldn’t you say? Google offers almost no support to the developers and it’s frustrating. All this talk of just developing for another platform is absurd. Of course we could do it, but do you want us to? Sure, these devs are doing it for the money but if the guy’s making enough where Google has taken $14,000, then you can guess he’s made something worthwhile. You all bitch and moan now about the people that make your content, but if they left, you’d be stuck with shit. Hardware is only as good as the software and the operating system will get old real quick without anything to run on it.

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