1. unome12333's Avatar
    Have any devs noticed that in the past week the speed at which apps would be tested and deployed has increased dramatically from one day to what has been a week now for me for 2 applications.
    09-04-11 12:28 PM
  2. peter9477's Avatar
    I haven't submitted anything lately, but an increase from one day would not surprise me at all. They only ever promised something like 10-day turnaround, and the fact it was so quick for so long is probably because they'd staffed-up massively for the PlayBook launch, with all the developers writing apps for the initial "free tablet offer". Maybe they're gradually paring back the test house staffing levels.

    Another possibility is that those skuzzy Skylab apps have been overloading the system, assuming the test house actually checks out each one (and they'd better... otherwise what's the point?).
    09-04-11 01:28 PM
  3. unome12333's Avatar
    I haven't submitted anything lately, but an increase from one day would not surprise me at all. They only ever promised something like 10-day turnaround, and the fact it was so quick for so long is probably because they'd staffed-up massively for the PlayBook launch, with all the developers writing apps for the initial "free tablet offer". Maybe they're gradually paring back the test house staffing levels.

    Another possibility is that those skuzzy Skylab apps have been overloading the system, assuming the test house actually checks out each one (and they'd better... otherwise what's the point?).
    Yea that makes sense, I was just shocked to see such a change so quickly.

    Those apps might be the cause :P

    Also, have you noticed that RIM may be outsourcing in a different country? The replies I get from the vendor portal about app submissions are really shady and very poorly written.
    09-04-11 01:38 PM
  4. peter9477's Avatar
    Not "outsourcing" as such, but merely having locations in other countries, staffed with RIM employees. I believe we'd somehow figured out once that at least one testing location was the group in Indonesia. Others have noted the sometimes awkward English and the always too-concise and/or vague feedback and have complained, but I haven't heard that RIM ever assigned any people competent at filtering the responses better to avoid that.
    09-04-11 06:09 PM
  5. Innovatology's Avatar
    My latest update:

    Submitted: Aug 31, 2011 14:54:17
    Approved: Sep 01, 2011 07:02:06
    peter9477 likes this.
    09-04-11 06:48 PM
  6. peter9477's Avatar
    @unome1233, were these new submissions, or updates to existing apps? Also, what's the general nature of the apps, if you can say.

    (You're aware, I expect, that certain types of app get "special" treatment from RIM, apparently in the form of being stuffed in a sock, locked in a box, and shoved into the back of their closet for weeks or months.)
    09-04-11 11:23 PM
  7. Innovatology's Avatar
    I was half expecting the latest e-mail update of Files & Folders to get some extra scrutiny, but apparently that was no problem.
    peter9477 likes this.
    09-05-11 12:13 AM
  8. unome12333's Avatar
    @unome1233, were these new submissions, or updates to existing apps? Also, what's the general nature of the apps, if you can say.

    (You're aware, I expect, that certain types of app get "special" treatment from RIM, apparently in the form of being stuffed in a sock, locked in a box, and shoved into the back of their closet for weeks or months.)
    I am talking about new submissions, my updates were rolled out overnight as usual. And one is something I am sure would not be locked up like IM+ :P
    09-05-11 02:34 AM
  9. yllus's Avatar
    I waited five days, I think, for my initial approval. My updates have been rolled out in 48 hours or less.
    09-05-11 08:31 AM
  10. Morten's Avatar
    Yea that makes sense, I was just shocked to see such a change so quickly.

    Those apps might be the cause :P

    Also, have you noticed that RIM may be outsourcing in a different country? The replies I get from the vendor portal about app submissions are really shady and very poorly written.
    There is NO function testings at all - thats why so many apps don't work.(what else would explain it?)

    The only thing tested seems to be IF the app includes functions that RIM either have already - or want to include in the future... and IF they do - RIM do whatever they can to delay the process.... Sorry...
    unome12333 likes this.
    09-05-11 09:54 AM
  11. 312's Avatar
    There is NO function testings at all
    This is definitely a true statement.
    09-06-11 06:11 PM
  12. unome12333's Avatar
    I submitted another app and it was approved in less than 12 hours...and my other 2 are at over a week now. Makes me wonder what and how they are "testing"
    09-07-11 02:57 AM
  13. FF22's Avatar
    I submitted another app and it was approved in less than 12 hours...and my other 2 are at over a week now. Makes me wonder what and how they are "testing"
    I may have missed what your "so far unapproved" apps do but only if you care to share that type of information. What might rim find unacceptable or the general type??? But, again, only if you feel that info is reasonable.
    09-07-11 08:39 AM
  14. peter9477's Avatar
    There is NO function testings at all - thats why so many apps don't work.(what else would explain it?)
    Actually that's definitely a false statement.

    A true statement would be that RIM does only minimal functional testing, sometimes little more than launching the app and possibly clicking on one or two interesting looking buttons.

    They've even said as much in at least one support forum post.

    Apps which don't even launch (when RIM tries anyway) do not get approved. Apps with glaring errors associated with their main functions will sometimes, perhaps even often, get rejected as well, provided it's obvious enough to someone who spends, perhaps, less than two minutes playing.

    It's safe to think of the "functional testing" that does get done on most apps as entirely cursory, almost as an afterthought. Developers definitely cannot rely on it, other than as an indication there's a very serious problem in the cases when the test house does reject their submission.
    09-07-11 09:05 AM
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