May 9, 2026
Gatekeep, gaslight, notarize
Apple is increasing my cortisol levels
Apple wants cash, webcam proof, and your patience — commenters are split between “deal with it” and “burn it all down”
TLDR: A developer says Apple makes it absurdly hard and expensive to share a tiny Mac app, with warnings, fees, and a frustrating ID photo check. Commenters split hard between “this is normal, just click through it” and “if the safety system annoys you, disable it,” turning the thread into a debate over whether Apple protects users or punishes hobbyists.
A small app maker went in expecting to share a simple Mac utility and came out sounding like they’d survived a reality show challenge. The big complaint? On Windows and Linux, the app basically behaves. On a Mac, Apple throws up scary warnings, asks for paid membership, and then sends the developer into an ID-check selfie saga with a laptop camera that apparently belongs in a museum. The vibe of the post is less “minor inconvenience” and more “why does releasing tiny software feel like applying for a passport while being heckled?”
And the comments? Oh, they absolutely turned this into a fight. One camp basically shrugged and said, calm down, this is annoying but manageable: click through the warning, approve it in settings, move on. Another crowd came in with the classic power-user energy of “if you hate the lock, just turn the whole lock off”, which of course sparked the eternal internet argument over whether removing safety features is practical or unhinged. Then there were the ultra-technical know-it-alls dropping “notarize it and staple the receipt” like everyone was born knowing Apple’s secret ritual menu.
But the funniest reactions were the ones treating the whole thing as a stress meme. One person deadpanned that Siri has the same effect as Apple-induced cortisol, while another dragged Zoom for forcing users to leave calls just to grant screen-sharing permission. In other words: this wasn’t just one dev’s bad day. The crowd turned it into a full-blown support group for people bullied by Apple pop-ups.
Key Points
- •The article is about a Go-based utility being developed to simplify management of Claude Code profiles, including configurations using DeepSeek and OpenRouter models.
- •The author says distributing the tool for Windows and Linux is straightforward, but macOS applies quarantine protections to downloaded binaries.
- •The article states that avoiding macOS warnings through official signing would require paying for the annual Apple Developer Program.
- •The author says the expected revenue from releasing the utility on Itch.io would likely not cover the recurring Apple developer fee after taxes and platform cuts.
- •The article describes repeated failures during Apple’s ID verification process using a MacBook webcam, leading the author to try an external webcam instead.