Here is a new reason how applications can get rejected on the App Store, ‘Limited Utility.’ Apple is tightening its grip to avoid overcrowding the App Store with applications that are worthless, funny, offensive and finally that have no utility value.

The application that got rejected is Pull My Finger. Pull My Finger is based on the prank where a person says pull my finger and farts when it is pulled. Simple enough application with no definite purpose and performs no significant function, this is what it all does, strange. There are more than 2000 applications in the App Store and we are aware that not all the applications are good or serves any purpose.

Our question here is, will Apple start pulling down all those useless and funny applications to clean up the App Store, or will those, which are already there be kept as they are now to avoid uproar from end users? Not sure. Apple must be dogged tired of hearing too many complains by now if they know how things work in the blogs world. Out here we always complain and question why, how and never get tired counting the mistakes committed by Apple.

If all worthless and funny applications are to be removed from the App Store, I am sure the existing number will drastically be reduced making it so convenient for users to make error free purchases. We have no suggestion how selection should be done. Many developers might drop the idea of developing at all if Apple tightens its grip, but as buyers we will be more secure clicking the purchase button.

At present many applications, both in the paid and free sections, are near useless. Evaluating from a utility point of view, we wonder how one of the top paid applications “Koi Pond” gives utility value. It is just for showing off to friends. The censorship system in place at present is as confusing as ever. We have no clue how Apple is going to deal with all these. There is anger again for removing this application like the one when Murderdrome was removed.

The final thing that we still cannot comprehend is whether Apple is going to take up measures to clean up the App Store by removing all the useless applications already in the App Store. We will know about this very soon. The letter of rejection is displayed below:

Hello Developer,

We’ve reviewed your application Pull My Finger. We have determined that this application is of limited utility to the broad iPhone and iPod touch user community, and will not be published to the App Store.

It may be very appropriate to share with friends and family, and we recommend you review the Ad Hoc method on the Distribution tab of the iPhone Developer Portal for details on distributing this application among a small group of people of your choosing.

Regards,
Victor Wang
Worldwide Developer Relations
Apple, Inc.

On being rejected Pull My Finger has attracted so much readers than the possible users who might notice the application if it were deployed. Maybe the humor of the application is too much a pollution for the App Store to bear anymore. We will see more applications being pulled down. See the video here.