Last week I received the dreaded rejection letter from Apple for a new game I created, called Alien Splat. The rejection can be justified and sadly enough, I can agree with it. The rejection letter reads as follows:

Dear Jeff,

Thank you for submitting Alien Splat to the App Store.  We’ve reviewed Alien Splat and determined that we cannot post this version of your iPhone application to the App Store because it does not adhere to the iPhone Application Programming Guide as
outlined in the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement section 3.3.5; “Applications must comply with the Human Interface Guidelines and other Documentation provided by Apple.”

On iPod touch, it is not possible to make the device vibrate, though your application may feature vibration.  When Alien Splat is installed on an iPod touch, the user can turn the vibration switch on or off on the Setting screen.  Please see the attached screenshot.

Please take a look at the system call “sysctlbyname” and the section on “CTL_HW” from the Apple provided iPhoneOS reference documentation. It is necessary to check the machine class and machine type to determine if the device is capable of supporting vibration.

<http://developer.apple.com/iphone/library/documentation/System/Conceptual/ManPages_iPhoneOS/man3/sysctlbyname.3.html>

Furthermore, Alien Splat uses a standard ContactAdd button for an action which is not its intended purpose.   Applications must adhere to the iPhone Human Interface Guidelines as outlined in the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement section 3.3.5.

The ContactAdd button is to be used to display a people picker to add a contact to an item.  Implementing standard buttons to perform other tasks will lead to user confusion.  Please see the attached screenshot.  It would be appropriate to use a custom icon.

Please review the System-Provided Buttons and Icons section of the iPhone’s Human Interface Guideline here:
<https://developer.apple.com/iphone/library/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/MobileHIG>

In order for your application to be reconsidered for the App Store, please resolve this issue and upload your new binary to iTunes Connect.

Should you require more assistance with resolving this issue, Apple Developer Technical Support is available to provide direct one-on-one support for discrete code-level questions.  Please be sure to include any crash logs, screenshots or steps to reproduce this issue in your request.

Developer Technical Support
<idp-dts@apple.com>

Regards,

iPhone Developer Program
****************************

Once I reviewed the iPod Touch vibrate issue, it took 5 minutes to implement an easy fix. As for the Add Contact button, I just created new buttons that look nothing like Apple’s  pretty little buttons. The app was tested and resubmitted the following day, which was last week, Wednesday. Now, the waiting game is on. Will Alien Splat get rejected again or approved?  No one knows, only the all mighty Apple can make that decision.

Last Christmas I received four different character sets from The Cubes. These characters are action figures for corporate life and how I spend 8+ hours of my day at work. These toys have been sitting at my desk for about 4+ months and there has only been minor changes to their original scene setup. A few people have played with them and one of the characters is loosing a hand, but other then that, no major issues.

When I came into work today, I noticed a scene of horror. All the cube characters were murdered. I think some one is feeling the pressures of project dead lines (This is what happens when Elliott plays with toys).

Well, we finally got a message back from Apple yesterday (they always seem to send emails after 4PM) and yep, you guessed it, it’s a rejection email. Hi Jinx Pro v 1.2 was rejected a second time because of two sound bytes, “So Faded” and “Get Faded?”. This was the million dollar question we wanted to get answered from the previous rejection email. We finally now know that the Hi Jinx Pro v1.2 was rejected for two sound bytes (ones we did not even think were objectionable).  Thank you to the second App Reviewer for being specific in the rejection email (if I know your name or could inform your managers, I would write a kudos letter for you). Apple sent the following rejection email:

Dear JDMdesign,

Thank you for submitting Hi Jinx Pro to the App Store. We’ve reviewed Hi Jinx Pro and determined that we cannot post this version of your iPhone application to the App Store because it contains objectionable content and is in violation of Section 3.3.12 from the iPhone SDK Agreement which states:

“Applications must not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, etc.), or other content or materials that in Apple’s reasonable judgement may be found objectionable by iPhone or iPod touch users.”  Please refer to the soundbytes, “So Faded” and “Get Faded?”, as examples of objectionable content.

If you believe that you can make the necessary changes so that Hi Jinx Pro does not violate the iPhone SDK Agreement we encourage you to do so and resubmit it for review.

Regards,
iPhone Developer Program

Now, if the first App Reviewer would have been specific enough in their first email, we would have been able to correct these issues and would not have wasted a week and a half waiting for another rejection email. Since the first email was not specific, I could only guess what was objectionable, and I guessed completely wrong. I never realized that “Faded” was a reference to drug use. I’ve always used the reference of getting faded as getting drunk or wasted from drinking too much, but after checking with Urban Dictionary, “Get Faded” is referred to as followed:

A phrase used to offer someone to smoke marijuana or to let other know that you are high.

Lets look at the clips; “So Faded” plays as “Titus got so faded Thursday night” and “Get Faded?” plays as “Want to get faded?”. These quotes don’t seem too obscene, but since they could be references to drug use, I can see why Apple would consider them objectionable. So, back to the drawing board again. I’ll see if I have some clips that I can replaced these two with, else I’ll just have to wait a week or two, when I will hopefully have Hi Jinx Pro v2.0.0 ready for release. The nice thing about version 2 is that the characters will be downloadable. We just have to complete coding and get the app approved through Apple, which, who knows if that will happen.

UPDATE: We resubmitted Hi Jinx Pro and Lite version 1.2 to the Apple App Store today (4/16/09). Let’s see how long it takes to get them approved or if we get another rejection letter. I’m working on version 2.0, which is about 75% completed and will resolve all these issues with characters needed to be approved.

I have to vent again about Apple’s App Approval process. Apple sent another rejection email and I’m feeling a little frustrated. Actually, not a little, a lot. A few weeks ago, I submitted another version of Hi Jinx Pro to the App Store. This version included two new characters and a few other minor features. After a 9 day waiting period, Apple finally reviewed the app and sent the following rejection email along with a screen shot of the objectionable content:

Dear JDMdesign,

Thank you for submitting Hi Jinx Pro to the App Store. We’ve reviewed Hi Jinx Pro and determined that we cannot post this version of your iPhone application to the App Store because it contains objectionable content and is in violation of Section 3.3.12 from the iPhone SDK Agreement which states:

“Applications must not contain any obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, etc.), or other content or materials that in Apple’s reasonable judgement may be found objectionable by iPhone or iPod touch users.”

If you believe that you can make the necessary changes so that Hi Jinx Pro does not violate the iPhone SDK Agreement we encourage you to do so and resubmit it for review.

Regards,
iPhone Developer Program

I replied with the following email:

App Reviewer,

Can you be a little more specific of what is objectionable content in the application? The screen shot that was sent has 16 sound clips on it, multiple images, and text. I have no idea what the objectionable content is.

The iPhone SDK Agreement states “Apple’s reasonable judgment” which means the agreement is subjective, so I need to know specifically want the objectionable content is, so it can be fixed/removed.

Please specify exactly what image, text, or sound clip is objectionable.

Thanks,
JDMdesign

I’m not really frustrated that the app was rejected. I’m just irritated with the reviewer. I mean come on. If you state that something is objectionable, state what you are objecting to. Don’t just send a picture and assume I know what is objectionable. I’m almost temped to just resubmit the app with no changes and see if another App Review is not offended and passes the app through. But, I’m sure Apple is keeping notes on each rejection and I would assume the next App Reviewer will take the time to read the previous reviewers notes, plus I don’t think I want to wait another 9 days for a rejection letter.

I’ve stared at the screen shot and tried to figure out what is the objectionable content. I can only come up with the following two issues:

• The top left button has text under it that reads, “No Bra”. Maybe this is objectionable because the user might think the sound clip has something to do with woman’s undergarment aka a bra, when it actually pertains to slang for bro aka brother. Maybe if I change the text to ready, “No Brah” or  “No Braw”, then there will be no confusion? The sound clip is “No Bro”, but the bro part sounds like bra.

• The other option would be the second button on the left side of the second row, which has the button quote as “Get Cheifed”. (This is actually misspelled and should be “Get Chiefed”). The sound clip is as followed: “I hope I don’t get chiefed again tonight.” This is the only real item that I can even think would be objectionable. The Urban Dictionary defined getting cheifed as “after a person passes out at a party, take[s] a marker pen and write[s] all over their face.” There could be a loose connection here with the meaning of the phrase that being chiefed is like being scalped by an Indian or by drawing on a persons face they are mimicking an Indian’s war paint. Either ways, it’s a loose connection.

• Is there something I’m not getting here. I don’t see anything else close that could be considered objectionable. If you see anything objectionable, please comment about it.

Either way, I’m just frustrated with the reviewer not specifically stating what the objectionable content is.

I also submitted a new version of the Hi Jinx Lite to Apple over three weeks ago and today, I got a confirmation from one of their reviewers that they are using one of the new features (user feedback form). The lite version does not have all the Kegger Keith sound clips in it. I have not recieved a rejection letter yet, but only time will tell. I believe what all this has taught me, is one thing. I need to find a way to push updates (new characters and sound clips) to the Hi Jinx app without the subjective App Reviewers approval. I’ll be waiting for the next rejection letter and in the meantime, be working on pushing my own updates to the Hi Jinx app.

UPDATE: Apple approved the Lite version yesterday (4/7/2009). It took 22 days for approval. Hi Jinx Pro was resubmitted yesterday with the buttons labeled at “No Bra” changed to “No Braw” and “Get Chiefed” chagned to “I Hope I”.

Web hosting companies really suck sometimes. Managed has just screwed me up the butt really hard this week. I have about 15 sites that all down because Managed.com blows goats and can’t migrate worth shit…

When I worked for EarthLink, shit would be hitting the fan if customer’s site were down for more than 4 hours. Hell, my sites have been down for 5 days how… What a joke…

I’m glad a started a new account with DreamHost. Hopefully they will not fuck me like Managed is…

Below is what Managed.com has to say:

Managed Migration Update

Managed Migration May, 9 2006.

Dear Migrated Customers, As you already know, your machines have been migrated from CA to a state of the art datacenter in NJ. As of tonight we are 90% done with bringing all of the servers online connected to our redundant gigabit network. We know many of you are wondering about your machines which are still not back online; please rest assured, we are in possession of your original HD and ALL of your data is safe. We plan within the next 24 hours to have ALL managed customers online in NJ on faster redundant hardware, as well as network. We understand that there has been mass confusion over the past and we greatly apologize; however, once all machines are online your customer support will resume as normal and you will not be experiencing long wait times for reboots, nor unanswered emails or tickets. Please begin contacting our support team whpsupport@webhostplus.com so they can create you a trouble ticket login on our system. Please include your First/Last Name, Server IP, and email address inside of the request so we can promptly create your login. If your machine has already come back online, you need not concern yourself with this email.

Managed Migration May, 5 2006.

As you already know, Managed.com is being migrated to a new and better datacenter. All of the clients are migrated to new and better hardware. We are switching your existing servers to State of the art SuperMicro Servers that have better and faster performance. The new datacenter will have better Network; you will have our state of the art Trouble ticket system and advanced port monitoring systems.

During the migration you may experience downtime, due to the migration to new hardware. We apologize for any downtime that you are having. Our Techs are working round the clock to migra t e your server to new hardware and confirm that the server is up and running perfectly. Please bear with us during the migration period.

After the migration you will receive an email with new trouble ticket system access. New ticket system provides better and faster response so all of your issues will be solved on the fly.

If you have any questions, please email whpsupport@webhostplus.com that our support team can assist you and create you trouble ticket login.

Thank you

WebHostPlus

I have to admit, I love the next new technology gizmos and gadgets that come out each week, but these PimpStar rims are just too kewl for words… You have to watch the advertisement about them.

I would never get caught riding around town with these on my wipe, but I have to say that they are pretty pimp-o-lishous. If I was still in the a game and on the market, these rims would definitely support the cause. I just want to give a shot-out to Ray-Ray and my cousin Earl, back in the projects… WESTSIDE!!!

I’m not even sure what needs to be said here. Is this too much bling, or is there no limit? What we have here is some chromed out “Code M” sneakers from Dada footwear that pump tunes through the included wireless headphones or out of the built-in speakers while you’re busy being that baller you are. They charge via USB, sport built-in controls, and yes, they are actually a pair of shoes, too.

Seriously, what’s not to love? Next up for Dada are more “Code M” devices such as a get-fit program for workout data, get-smart for taking your calls and a whole slew of other devices to keep you in style and feeling great about your 21st Century lifestyle.

Personally, I think these shoe are silly, but they do have a geeky kind of appeal. I’m like most any other guy, and I enjoy any new technology toy. I purchased one of the new iPod videos the day after they were announced. But, there will be one pair of shoes that I won’t be rocking around town.