43 lines
2.2 KiB
Markdown
43 lines
2.2 KiB
Markdown
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# Why no kid (or kid at heart) should write an iPhone game
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I saw [this post][0] appear on HackerNews, talking about how building a game for
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iOS is "fun" and "cool". The poster lures the reader in with talk of making
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money and talks of a "unique sense of fulfillment" that comes with development
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of these games, and then goes on to invite kids to learn how to develop games
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for the iPhone (and presumably other iOS devices).
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[0]: http://blog.makegameswith.us/post/33263097029/call-to-arms
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This is a terrible idea.
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Getting children involved with hacking is an excellent idea, but introducing
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them to the evils of Apple and associating that with a feeling of pleasure does
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a great disservice; all software developed for iOS must be "purchased" (even
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if it's of zero cost) through a walled garden called the "App Store". The
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problem with this is that [the App Store is hostile toward free
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software][1]---its overly restrictive terms are incompatible with free software
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licenses like the GPL. Teaching children to develop software for this crippled,
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DRM-laden system is teaching them that it is good to prevent sharing, stifle
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innovation and deny aid to your neighbor.
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A better solution would be to suggest developing software for a completely free
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mobile operating system instead of iOS, such as [Replicant][2] (a fully free
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Android distribution). Even if Replicant itself were not used, Android itself,
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so long as proprietary implementations and "stores" are avoided[[3]], is much
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more [compatible with education][4] than iOS, since the children are then able
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to freely write and distribute the software without being controlled by
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malicious entities like Apple. Furthermore, they would then be able to use a
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fully free operating system such as GNU/Linux to *write* the software.
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Do not let fun and wealth disguise this ugly issue. Even more importantly---do
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not pass this practice and woeful acceptance down to our children. I receive a
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"unique sense of fulfillment" each and every day hacking free software far
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away from Apple's grasp.
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[1]: http://www.fsf.org/news/blogs/licensing/more-about-the-app-store-gpl-enforcement
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[2]: http://replicant.us/
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[3]: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/android-and-users-freedom.html
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[4]: http://www.gnu.org/education/edu-schools.html
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