● Covered by 1 source · 2 reportsLow impact1 negative1 neutral
Daring Fireball Retracts App Store Rejection Story After Developer Clarifies Details
Key points
- John Gruber retracted an article on an App Store rejection.
- The original article claimed "Dark Hours" was rejected as astrology.
- Developer Terry Godier clarified the rejection was for an outdated build.
- The outdated build contained astrology content, not astronomy.
- This was Gruber's first retraction in 24 years of Daring Fireball.
Retraction Issued for App Store Rejection Story
John Gruber of Daring Fireball has retracted an article titled "App Store Rejection of the Week: Dark Hours." The original piece discussed the alleged rejection of Terry Godier's "Dark Hours" iOS application by Apple's App Store, claiming it was mistakenly identified as an astrology app despite its astronomy focus.
Developer Clarifies Rejection Reason
The retraction came after developer Terry Godier provided clarification on the actual reason for the app's rejection. Godier stated that the rejection was not due to a misunderstanding of an astronomy app, but rather because an outdated build submitted to the App Store still contained astrology content. The initial report was based on an incomplete understanding of the situation.
Impact on Reporting and Transparency
Gruber acknowledged that the premise of his original article was fundamentally incorrect. He chose to retract the entire piece rather than merely correcting or editing it, providing the original text for transparency and accountability. This marks the first retraction for Daring Fireball in its 24-year history.
Background of the "Dark Hours" App
Terry Godier's "Dark Hours" is described as an astronomy website for a general audience. The developer had previously expressed frustration over the conflation of astronomy with astrology. The initial report suggested that the App Store reviewer might have misread the submission's description, leading to the erroneous astrology classification.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Primary sources
GitHub mbeher2200/DarkHoursHow outlets covered it
John Gruber of Daring Fireball retracted an article about an App Store rejection of the 'Dark Hours' app. The retraction occurred after the app's developer, Terry Godier, clarified that the rejection was due to an outdated build that still contained astrology content, not the astronomy version.
Apple's App Store rejected the astronomy application "Dark Hours" by developer Terry Godier, citing it as an astrology app. This rejection occurred despite the app's clear focus on astronomy and the developer's attempts to clarify the misunderstanding through the review process.