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I wonder if this Question, Can I update an app while it's available for Pre-Order in the App-Store, is on-topic in Stack Overflow.

It is a technical-oriented question but not exactly programming, and centers on a vendor’s application store’s operational policy.

From some similar Meta Questions, I learned the proposed Stack Exchange for App Stores failed. So I wonder what the implications are for this kind of Question on Stack Exchange.


My Question here is likely a duplicate of Are developer-centric questions about application stores on topic?. But that Question is rather broad, and some Answers there point out that there are two kinds of app-store questions:

  • Technical ones, such as “How do I sign my app with an encryption key”
  • Policy-related ones that can only be addressed by the dictates of Apple’s current store managers and is subject to change per their whims.

The particular Question I refer too seems to be smack in the middle of those two bullets. Perhaps I am over-thinking it.

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  • @JoshCaswell Wow, this is such a tricky topic. My Question here is likely a duplicate of your linked Question. But that Question is rather broad, and some Answers there point out that there are two kinds of app-store questions: (a) Technical ones, such as “How do I sign my app with an encryption key” and (b) Policy-related ones that can only be addressed by the dictates of Apple’s current store managers and is subject to change per their whims. The particular Question I refer too seems to be smack in the middle of (a) & (b). Though perhaps I am over-thinking it. Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 0:20
  • Controversial decision: not seeing this question as a dupe. I agree with @Basil in that this falls kind of in two categories and a more nuanced answer may be appropriate.
    – Makoto
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 1:10
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    No, there is nothing "technical" as in programming-related in that SO question. It is a question for a release manager, not a programmer. This should not have been reopened.
    – jscs
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 1:55
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    Notice that the accepted answer is a copy-paste of a non-technical Apple doc. No code expertise anywhere in sight.
    – jscs
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 2:03
  • @JoshCaswell: Are you saying that there can't be any expertise?
    – Makoto
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 2:26
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    @Makoto please, do not twist Josh words. "No code expertise" means in this context "software developer-specific expertise".
    – Braiam
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 13:23
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    @Braiam: That again implies that software developers don't also release their code. I'm seeing more an opportunity to pile on than an objective argument from you, here.
    – Makoto
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 16:55
  • @Makoto "That again implies that software developers don't also release their code" what the heck does that even mean? "release" what?
    – Braiam
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 20:46
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    @Makoto Many programmers do lots of things besides just program. They also manage teams, run meetings, write reports, give presentations, prioritize tasks, teach, and lots of other things none of which are on topic on SO. SO isn't for questions about anything that programmers do, it's for questions about programming problems.
    – Servy
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 21:14
  • @Makoto to put a clear example using the question linked: if I develop an application and sell it, does the one that put it in the store did any software developing just for publishing the application? What if I don't sell it at all and someone just steals it from my pc? In operational research there's a clear distinction between the production process and the distribution process. The publishing on store falls squarely on the distribution aspect of the life-cycle of the product.
    – Braiam
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 23:14
  • @Servy: Yes, I am well aware of the other things that developers do. But that's neither the point I'm making, nor the point in contention.
    – Makoto
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 23:31
  • @Braiam: My position on this is that there's a question in regards to how an application can be updated based on how it's released. You're making arguments up; absolutely nothing about what you're talking about is even remotely discussed in the question in question.
    – Makoto
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 23:35
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    @Makoto how isn't the distribution process the central point on the question? "Can I change the package to distribute for pre-order clients in the store?" (I reordered the question to include all the implied words, the answer is the same)
    – Braiam
    Commented Dec 29, 2018 at 0:51
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    @Makoto Your point was that developers do the thing that the question is asking about, so that it's not actually a programming problem doesn't make it off topic. I'm saying that the reverse is true, that programmers do it doesn't mean it's on topic here.
    – Servy
    Commented Dec 29, 2018 at 18:49

2 Answers 2

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As far as I am concerned, the question is more social or 3rd-party policy rather than technical, so unfortunately no.

I made this judge in a simple way:

  • What's a possible answer to that question?

    1. (technical) You can do it this way or that way, with jQuery or Ruby on Rails (plus code, link to / quote from documentation, etc.)
    2. (social) You can / can't. According to ... (link to non-programming information, such as App Store or Steam policy)

To me, it seems the correct option is 2, and therefore the question doesn't fit on Stack Overflow.


Well, it appears like you already stated in your question body:

centers on a vendor’s application store’s operational policy

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    I almost see your argument here but I feel like this is an overly broad brush being used to paint a very narrow picture here. Are you hinging your argument more on the fact that all questions on Stack Overflow require some form of code?
    – Makoto
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 17:03
  • @Makoto No, code is not necessary, but the question must focus on the technical side, rather than the social side.
    – iBug
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 17:05
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    I'm...not seeing that in the guidance that we provide - either positive or negative - to potential askers. Now it is easily the case that the advice on the Help site is out of date, but the issue I take with this position is that it feels like we've moved goalposts. From the perspective of one who has never released anything into Apple's App store, and who has a neutral stance on this, I genuinely see this question as one which is objective and answerable.
    – Makoto
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 17:13
  • From the perspective of someone who doesn't know of Meta or its multifarious policies, how could they possibly know better? On reflection I do largely agree with your position, but I'm not sure that we do ourselves any favors by not articulating this particular stance that the community takes with policies like this.
    – Makoto
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 17:14
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    @Makoto It's covered fairly well here meta.stackoverflow.com/questions/255745/… -- that's only 4 years old, but it addresses an issue that was boiling up to the surface for some time. (Though I agree, our Help Center is quite out of date in a lot of ways)
    – TylerH
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 18:55
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    The counter-argument I'm making to that point @TylerH is that it's inspecific and overly broad. That post talks about support requests for third parties, and this doesn't quite read like that. There's a logical argument for why this might not be a support question. In spite of the fact that the FAQ is largely hidden from the majority of users, the fact that the FAQ may be overly broad with its restrictions also hinders users trying to maintain a semblance of topicality with us.
    – Makoto
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 19:35
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    @Makoto I was merely posting the link to show that we do articulate it quite well and appropriately tag it as FAQ. However, looking at the actual question in question here, it is a question asking "will I be allowed to make changes to an app once it's in this limbo status in the App Store?" Sure, that's closer to the kind of technical-focused questions we want here, but it's still just a matter of "what is the Apple store policy on this", not "is it technically possible or impossible to do X regardless of policy limitations?"
    – TylerH
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 21:56
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I'm not seeing an immediate problem. The question is a fair question to ask of app developers, as pre-order apps may be regarded, billed or treated differently than full-release apps. Additionally, someone who has experience releasing apps (like some of us here) would be subject-matter experts and would hopefully provide a useful and detailed answer.

Don't think that I'd immediately venture to close it. It's a question asked in good faith that doesn't feel overly narrow in scope, as I would imagine many others would have this question or questions similar to this.

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    And this is why that you can answer the question, doesn't mean that it makes it on topic.
    – Braiam
    Commented Dec 28, 2018 at 12:51

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