AppStore: to Be Accepted or Not to Be Accepted, that’s the Lottery!?

When the AppStore was announced during the WWDC, we were questioning how strict and unbiased the selection of applications will be. Recent examples prove that we were right. Everything started when Apple authorized on the AppStore the application NetShare from Nullriver. It allows you to turn you iPhone into a modem in order to surf on the web from your Mac. Apple changed his mind and kicked the application away from the AppStore, for no real reason as it does not violate the AppStore guidelines, but rather make exclusive carrier quite annoyed to see iPhone owners surfing for free from their Mac.
Apple also refused Podcaster, a small application allowing you to download Podcast for the reason that it would compete with iTunes features, so Cupertino decided that its key application will not have any competitors. Many other applications have seen their attempt to join the AppStore rejected by Apple for real or questionable reasons, and in all cases there is no real rules/guidelines being used or available to explain such decision. If the iPhone is the new Grail for developers, by restricting its access Apple might kill it by not providing reliable procedures for accepting applications. As mentioned by some people, the main danger for Apple is Apple itself.