NextSharkNextShark.com

Chinese Students Get Homework App Removed from Store With 1-Star Ratings During School Cancellation

Chinese Students Get Homework App Removed from Store With 1-Star Ratings During School Cancellation

March 11, 2020
SHARE
Chinese students removed an app from the Apple App Store that teachers used to give students homework during the school suspensions in China amid the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
DingTalk, developed by Alibaba, expanded its service to provide help to teachers during the COVID-19 outbreak in China by giving them the chance to live stream classes and grade their students’ homework remotely, according to Shanghaiist.
However, the app, which was picked up by school systems in more than 300 cities in the country, suffered a major review bomb in the App Store. After hearing rumors that apps get deleted once it receives enough low ratings, several students immediately gave DingTalk one-star reviews. The app’s rating plummeted to 1.4 as a result.
As its rating took a nosedive, the app issued an apology video filled with memes and cartoon characters, singing a catchy tune with lyrics that begged for better reviews on Bilibili, TechNode reported.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

 
A couple of lines from the song goes: “I know guys, you were not expecting such a productive holiday” and “Please don’t give me any more one-star ratings. I was chosen for this job and there is not much I can do about it.”
Their efforts proved to be fruitless. As the one-star dump took place, DingTalk also received five-star reviews from the older demographic, who were not thrilled about the idea of children skipping school.
The app was never removed from the App Store, even though its rating dropped to 1.4.
Chen Hang, the CEO of DingTalk, jokingly agreed with what the students did to skip online classes.
“It’s in kids’ nature to love to play,” Chen said. “If I were in their shoes and had to take online lessons every day, I would probably give a one-star review too.”
The students responded to DingTalk’s efforts to apologize and said they were willing to give the app five stars, but only in five “installments.”
Feature Image (left) via Shanghaiist, (right) Screenshot via Bilibili
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Bryan Ke

      Bryan Ke is a Reporter for NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.