Linked List: February 21, 2025

Friday, 21 February 2025

‘Ready’ Is the New ‘Approved’ 

File this one under “precise words matter”. Remember the whole thing a few weeks back, where AltStore PAL — an EU alternative app marketplace for iOS — published Hot Tub, a hardcore porno app, and billed it as “approved” by Apple because that’s the word Apple used for apps that were merely notarized for distribution? I wrote then:

If we want to get nitty-gritty over verbs, I’d argue that Apple accepts apps — like Hot Tub — for notarization, not approves. Begrudging acceptance is more of a thing than begrudging approval.

AltStore’s Riley Testut today noted a change in Apple’s notarization confirmation emails.

  • February 11: “The following app has been approved for distribution”
  • February 19: “The following app is ready for distribution”

I only wish I’d thought of ready as an even more neutral-in-terms-of-conveying-approval word than accepted. I’d have bet my house that Apple would change this language in some way. Ready is perfect here — in no way a euphemism, but in no way conveying approval.

The 40th Anniversary of ProVUE at Macworld Expo 

Jim Rea:

Forty years ago today the doors opened for the very first Macworld Expo in the Brooks Hall basement in San Francisco. For most of you this event probably seems like ancient history, somewhere back in the mists of time. But for me this was a very real and exciting event that I participated in as an exhibitor, the start of my amazing journey with the Mac community, a journey that continues on today.

As I recall there were two or three dozen software booths that first year. Some of the software on display included Multiplan (Microsoft), PFS:File, Think Tank, FileVision, Mac Slots, Habadex, Mac Draft, Mac Lion, Music Works, Click Art and of course OverVUE (the direct predecessor to today’s Panorama X). Of course all of these companies have long since disappeared, except for two — Microsoft and ProVUE Development. I’d say that’s a pretty nice club.

I’m quite proud to have kept ProVUE Development in the Macintosh database business every single day from then to now. The RAM based database concepts I started with in 1984 are still the core of the software today, of course much further developed. In fact, if you look at screen shots of the original OverVUE from 1984, and Panorama X from 2025, the family resemblance is unmistakeable. On the left is 68k assembly code using the original Mac ROMs, on the right is Objective-C using AppKit, but the concepts are the same. There are even databases that have been brought forward from the left all the way to the right — in continuous use over four decades!

There are old-school Mac developers still going strong, and there are old school Mac developers still going strong. I’m not sure about this “Microsoft” company, but ProVUE’s achievement here is quite remarkable. Read through for Rea’s 40% discount code to celebrate this 40-year anniversary. (Also, check out the screenshots and those crazy menu bar titles in the 1.0 version from 1984.)

Yankees Loosen The Boss’s Facial Hair Policy 

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner:

“In recent weeks I have spoken to a large number of former and current Yankees — spanning several eras — to elicit their perspectives on our longstanding facial hair and grooming policy, and I appreciate their earnest and varied feedback. These most recent conversations are an extension of ongoing internal dialogue that dates back several years.

“Ultimately the final decision rests with me, and after great consideration, we will be amending our expectations to allow our players and uniformed personnel to have well-groomed beards moving forward. It is the appropriate time to move beyond the familiar comfort of our former policy.”

The appropriate time to change this was years ago, but better late than never. It’s the most Yankees story possible that this policy change is much bigger news than the fact that the team today also signed manager Aaron Boone to a two-year extension through the 2027 season. MLB reporter Bryan Hoch:

The grooming policy dates to George M. Steinbrenner’s purchase of the team. As the legend goes, its roots grew in 1973, when Steinbrenner observed his team on the first-base line for Opening Day against the Cleveland Indians.

Steinbrenner was not yet “The Boss,” so new in the role that he could not identify the players by their faces. Instead, he focused upon their hair — unkempt mustaches, mutton chops and shaggy locks. He scowled, scribbling uniform numbers on a scrap of paper urgently dispatched to manager Ralph Houk. Tell these men to get a haircut, Steinbrenner commanded.

My favorite Yankee, Don Mattingly, not only ran into grief over this policy with George Steinbrenner, but again with the next team he played for.