Google’s Android Undergoing Normal Growth Pains
At first glance, the report of Ars Technica regarding Android's apparent development problems is criticizing Google for normality. Anything that's new, including the company's much-awaited mobile operating system, will have its share of bugs and kinks to work out.
But I have to give credit to Ryan Paul for giving a balanced report, notably after going through the Android development process himself:
Despite pre-release status, some of Android's weaknesses are indefensible. Google's Android team needs to get its act together and figure out how to interact with a rapidly growing community of professional and enthusiast developers. The "release early and often" strategy is generally a good thing, but it utterly fails when infrastructure isn't in place to facilitate proper handling of user feedback. Google has a habit of embracing the early release philosophy with a little too much enthusiasm, and the current situation with Android is emblematic of that approach.
What's outstanding about this final impression is that it first acknowledges that problems are normal when it comes to new platforms, then points out some things that aren't customary in a development process. Such as the lack of an effective way for Android developers to communicate any problems they may have to Google. Application development, for any sort of platform, requires support aside from a potential monetary prize.
