Application spam is a very real issue that’s been plaguing online application stores (Apple’s in particular) for some time now. Some development houses resort to seeding these virtual shelves with hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of the same application with a slight twist or variation in hopes of improving the chances of getting their applications seen. This approach works for a handful of developers, but it is endemic to one of the more unpleasant aspects of Apple’s App Store, causing the overall user experience to suffer.
This issue has been discussed and acknowledged by Palm’s own Co-Directors of Developer Relations in various presentations and interviews in the past (including a recent keynote presentation delivered at Sprint’s 2009 Open Developers Conference), and it appears that Palm’s own App Catalog is beginning to see this phenomenon. Anyone who has been monitoring the recent growth of the beta App Catalog are starting to get a better feel for how this works. The business model at issue: build a rudimentary application, make x number variants for it, where x is as large a number as possible.
These developments have lead to some interesting discussion over at the Palm Developer Network forums. Some have been suggesting an outright ban for some of these applications, suggesting that Palm expand its role as the gatekeeper to deem which wares (beyond the already established guidelines of usability and performance) are acceptable for sale and which ones aren’t. Others, such as Palm’s very own Chuq Von Rospach, have a much more practical outlook.