[vytautask]

>It doesn't cost anything or hurt to keep older versions

First, it affects my app ratings in the application store/shop. Some user with 15-year-old device gives me 1-star rating because of some annoying bug that was already fixed 10 years ago but he can not upgrade because that newer version is using a newer API.

Also, what about bugfixes and support? I do not want to have to support (answer emails/calls and deal with bad reviews on all platforms) my ancient version of an app. This would make my app unaffordable for 99% of my users.

[ClumsyPilot]

> First, it affects my app ratings in the application store/shop

good example of systemic failure - we are destroying a real thing (functionality) to optimise for a fictional thing (rating). There is plenty of old windows software with no support, I have a game that is old enough to drink and it still works and I still sometimes fire it up out of nostalgia.

There is no reason software cannot be like an old motorbike - a 40 year old Honda motorbike can still work, if that’s what the user wants.

[latexr]

> we are destroying a real thing (functionality) to optimise for a fictional thing (rating)

Ratings are quite real. They influence if new people buy your app at all, which influences how viable it is as a business, which influences the app’s future, which influences current customers.

[cassepipe]

That could easily be fixed by preventing people using old versions to give feedback. I guess no app store currently allows that right ?

[myaccountonhn]

Yeah this is an important perspective for coming up with a solution, because it’s a very legitimate reason to not want to support old hardware…