I remember when we didn’t have app stores. All we really need is decentralized app publisher trust. Centralized app publishing will always be abused by the publisher in the long run. It’s just too powerful and tempting to not stack the deck in your favor as the app store owner.
What if the choice really is to only make things lucrative for restrictive shop owners vs malware authors? So far those have been the only two options.
I think Microsoft did a good job with its drivers program. It was solving different (but similar) goals, and the bar was kind of high, but they essentially did a good job with their driver signing system. A web of trust approach is not horrible. You should know the reputation of software publisher before you install an app. App stores do a lot of static analysis and screening, and they yank unsavory apps, but their profit motive is suspect and inevitably biases them towards maintaining that model rather than giving the optimal environment that favors users and publishers.
What if choice to maximize revenue by all means. Like creating extra costs for developers or creating obstacles for developers who have lucrative business and it wants to control it too.
Btw, curating is basic responsibility of every storefront. It's something even your Brick and Mortar Store does.
