Reports of iOS developer account shutdowns may be erroneous

[BLiNK]

Reports of iOS developer account shutdowns may be erroneous | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

by Chris Rawson Aug 5th 2011 at 4:35PM

A report from Karthikk.net alleges that Apple has begun shutting down the accounts of iOS developers who have sold "slots" on their accounts to users wanting to run iOS 5 betas on their devices without paying the US$99 yearly development fee.

For a while now, developers have been offering to attach device UDIDs to their accounts for a fee; iOS dev accounts allow for a hundred devices to be associated with one account. Some unscrupulous developers have turned a modest-to-hefty profit by selling those slots off. (Incidentally, if you're one of those devs and try to drum up sales in our comments, the banhammer will fall upon you without mercy.)

Although the shutdown has been reported in a couple of places already, we've been unable to verify these reports. Normally if such a thing happened, our tip line would be flooded with emails from users who had illicitly gained access to the beta and subsequently had their devices remotely disabled, but so far we haven't heard credible reports from even one user or developer that's been affected by this alleged crackdown.

Karthikk claims that "many developers" have received a letter from Apple saying their accounts have been identified as a UDID clearinghouse and are subject to shutdown, but the site offers no direct evidence that such letters exist. We've reached out to the developer community to find out if any developers have been affected by the supposed crackdown. Not one has replied so far. We've also reached out to Apple for comment, but we've received no response yet.

Crucially, the first two iOS 5 developer betas expired recently. Reading through forum comments on various sites shows that only those running the now-expired iOS 5b1 or 5b2 have had their devices shut down on them. Those running the current iOS 5 beta (5b4) do not appear to have been affected.

We never heard of Karthikk.net before today. The scant evidence they offer for the "crackdown" isn't compelling enough for us to take it at face value. At this point, with various developer and jailbreaking communities saying they've heard nothing else on the matter other than the echo chamber effect of various sites reporting on it, we're inclined to believe that Karthikk's report is an erroneous interpretation of the first two iOS 5 betas expiring.

 

[kch50428]

Another Spin on the issue:

Apple Disabling iOS 5 Beta Installs and Developer Accounts Over Sales of Device Slots? [Updated: Old Betas Expiring?] - Mac Rumors

so now they're saying early betas expiring...

 

[Fausty82]

Another Spin on the issue:

Apple Disabling iOS 5 Beta Installs and Developer Accounts Over Sales of Device Slots? [Updated: Old Betas Expiring?] - Mac Rumors

so now they're saying early betas expiring...

I thought it may have been something like that all along... still, the "other" story should put the fear of Jobs in folks...

 

[ghostface147]

I do think they need to ban the fools selling their UDID slots as well as punish the ones who purchased it. Brick 'em!

 

[BLiNK]

just so i am perceiving this correctly, not only here but other places i have read;

sell/buy slots = bad

developers giving slots to family/friends = good?

 

[obutto#IM]

I do think they need to ban the fools selling their UDID slots as well as punish the ones who purchased it. Brick 'em!

You're the biggest closed-minded fool I've ever seen. Ridiculous someone actually liked your comment as well.

Why should people be BRICKED for wanting to try out a new operating system?
It seems your running iOS5 as well. I bet you just want to feel special that you have something that others don't have. Congratulations, you have a developer's account. Guess what, that doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean that you are any different from people who purchased slots because I highly doubt you have put out anything in the App Store that's even worth a look. You're still an iPhone user, just like the rest of us.

 

[Fausty82]

You're the biggest closed-minded fool I've ever seen. Ridiculous someone actually liked your comment as well.

Why should people be BRICKED for wanting to try out a new operating system?
It seems your running iOS5 as well. I bet you just want to feel special that you have something that others don't have. Congratulations, you have a developer's account. Guess what, that doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean that you are any different from people who purchased slots because I highly doubt you have put out anything in the App Store that's even worth a look. You're still an iPhone user, just like the rest of us.

At the risk of ruffling your feathers, we've been here before. The bottom line is sharing info and/or the software with anyone except another developer is strictly a violation of the TOS for the developer program. Period. In order to get into the developer program, one needs to sign an NDA. Violating the NDA is grounds for termination of the agreement. I don't make the rules, Apple does.

 

[kch50428]

just so i am perceiving this correctly, not only here but other places i have read;

sell/buy slots = bad

developers giving slots to family/friends = good?

If the devs are giving slots for fam/friends to test software for the devs - maybe good...

giving so they can just have the beta OS to just have it... not good - In my opinion anyway.

 

[ghostface147]

You're the biggest closed-minded fool I've ever seen. Ridiculous someone actually liked your comment as well.

Why should people be BRICKED for wanting to try out a new operating system?
It seems your running iOS5 as well. I bet you just want to feel special that you have something that others don't have. Congratulations, you have a developer's account. Guess what, that doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean that you are any different from people who purchased slots because I highly doubt you have put out anything in the App Store that's even worth a look. You're still an iPhone user, just like the rest of us.

Hahahaha, a nanite yapping. Actually, two people liked my comment. Thanks.

 

[Rusty Shackelford#IM]

Hahahaha, a nanite yapping. Actually, two people liked my comment. Thanks.

Ghost. Just so you know, when I get back from camping I will like your post as well.

When are people going to understand the difference between jailbreaking a device and beta testing?

If you want to be a public beta tester get a windows or android device. They are always in beta. If you want to go through proper channels to be a beta tester for apple, sign up, turn on your debug console and contribute to perfecting the OS by properly submitting bug reports.

If you are just a person who is so impatient you need to pay an eBay seller to register your UDID you might want to look into a different OS ecosystem that doesn't care enough about there customers experience and is willing to spoon feed you every little update good or bad.

 

[llfloyd79]

I see this DEV Account closing talk has calm down......seems like a big fuss over nothing

 

[Garz]

You're the biggest closed-minded fool I've ever seen. Ridiculous someone actually liked your comment as well.

Why should people be BRICKED for wanting to try out a new operating system?
It seems your running iOS5 as well. I bet you just want to feel special that you have something that others don't have. Congratulations, you have a developer's account. Guess what, that doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean that you are any different from people who purchased slots because I highly doubt you have put out anything in the App Store that's even worth a look. You're still an iPhone user, just like the rest of us.

Because they are not devs and Apple did not intend on this for everyday users. There are bugs involved obviously. People brick their phones not knowing what their doing and then blames Apple. You may ask... is Garz a dev? No I am not a dev but I am a beta testing a app and testing it on iOS 5 so thats where my UDID being added to a dev account qualifies me as a appropriate user of beta iOS 5.

 

[Guacho]

Because they are not devs and Apple did not intend on this for everyday users. There are bugs involved obviously. People brick their phones not knowing what their doing and then blames Apple. You may ask... is Garz a dev? No I am not a dev but I am a beta testing a app and testing it on iOS 5 so thats where my UDID being added to a dev account qualifies me as a appropriate user of beta iOS 5.

I get your point but wishing iphones from non developers get bricked?? really?? how old is this guy...10 years old ??

 

[Guacho]

Because they are not devs and Apple did not intend on this for everyday users. There are bugs involved obviously. People brick their phones not knowing what their doing and then blames Apple. You may ask... is Garz a dev? No I am not a dev but I am a beta testing a app and testing it on iOS 5 so thats where my UDID being added to a dev account qualifies me as a appropriate user of beta iOS 5.

back to subject...is your imessage working in beta 5?? any issues to report?

 

[Garz]

I get your point but wishing iphones from non developers get bricked?? really?? how old is this guy...10 years old ??

I get what your saying. But I do hope Apple cracks down on people selling spots. People are buying dev accounts and then turning this into a profitable business. Apple didnt intend for that.

 

[Guacho]

I get what your saying. But I do hope Apple cracks down on people selling spots. People are buying dev accounts and then turning this into a profitable business. Apple didnt intend for that.

a more mature way to put it.. .can't argue about that.

 

[Dryland]

I'm confused. If devs are selling their slots, that's between Apple and the devs. How does it affect any of you personally?

Yes, I understand when a Noob comes and complains about their beta software not working correctly, or apps not working correctly on beta software, that can be annoying.

But other than that, why the animosity against "early adopters?"

 

[Dryland]

I get what your saying. But I do hope Apple cracks down on people selling spots. People are buying dev accounts and then turning this into a profitable business. Apple didnt intend for that.

I see, non devs just doing it for the money... Guess that was bound to happen.

 

[llfloyd79]

I'm confused. If devs are selling their slots, that's between Apple and the devs. How does it affect any of you personally?

Yes, I understand when a Noob comes and complains about their beta software not working correctly, or apps not working correctly on beta software, that can be annoying.

But other than that, why the animosity against "early adopters?"

I was thinking the same thing. People up here getting mad at "early adopters", but in my opinion they should be getting mad at the DEVs lol. It was them who decided to sell the open slots lol.

But I do agree with you, I know the complaining about apps and stuff not working correctly gets annoying at times lol....but people are going to be people you know....there is no stopping that.

 

[Alli]

The majority are not devs. Anyone with $99 can buy a dev account.

The deeper issue is that these unscrupulous individuals sell slots to your so-called early adopters, who wind up coming into foroums like this and asking questions that prove that they are neither devs, nor working for devs, nor advanced enough (for the most part) to even understand what a beta is, and should have saved their money.

We understand that this does not necessarily mean you. (Generic you.) But it does mean others amongst you. (Again, generic you.) Hence the problem. It would simplify life for Apple, legitimate devs, and legitimate beta testers if early adopters would stay out of our business.

Furthermore, as I've mentioned before, some of the people who get the beta then feel compelled to email every dev whose apps don't work, or don't work right. Stick with your own [expletive deleted] app, and if you don't have one, just shut up.