Most of these apps are a reaction to a handful of patterns I kept seeing in consumer software. These are those patterns, explained in plain terms, with a real attempt to be fair to the other side, and an honest account of where I think they stop serving you.
The grocery list wants an account, the notepad is a subscription now, the flashlight shows ads. None of that made them better. Here's why it happened, and why a lot of these apps could just be free.
ReadAlmost every app and website records what you look at and tap. Here's how it actually works, the fair reason it exists, and the point where it stops being for you.
ReadMost free apps aren't a gift. Here's how ad-supported software actually works, the fair case for it, and the point where the incentives turn against you.
ReadA surprising number of tiny apps make you sign up before they'll do a single thing. Here's the fair reason it exists, and the point where the account stops being for you.
ReadYou download an app to do one thing, and that exact thing is the part behind the paywall. Here's the fair case for charging money, and where this specific pattern crosses a line.
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