NetShare is missing from Apple's App Store, Aurora Feint is gone, and now BoxOffice is missing in action, too. Like the recent NetShare incident, BoxOffice was pulled from the App Store without any notification, leaving the developer and customers wondering what happened.

While Null River, the company that developed NetShare, has finally been able to open a dialog with Apple, Metasyntactic hasn't been able to find out why its BoxOffice is no longer available. NetShare's on-again-off-again status at the App Store over the past few days, however, frustrated customers who weren't sure if the application would be available at any given time, or if it would remain on their iPhone once it was pulled from the online store.

BoxOffice hasn't undergone the App Store flip-flopping NetShare has experienced. Instead, it simply disappeared.

"Apple pulled the app yesterday without giving my any notification that they were doing it, or what their justification was for removing it," the developer said on the MacRumors forums. "I've tried to contact them about the issue, but it's been a complete dead end."

When the video game Aurora Feint was removed from the App Store, customers wondered what happened, but word soon surfaced that there were privacy concerns over the way the app handled user's personal information.

Apple's all-controlling and silent stance over App Store application availability could be a problem for developers and end users alike. Pulling applications from the iTunes-based store even for a few days could have a substantial impact on smaller developer's income, and shoppers may become weary of making purchases for fear that Apple will delete apps from their handheld without warning.

Until Apple adds a level of transparency to its App Store policies, and opens a dialog with developers and App Store customers, the company will likely face a negative backlash from both sides -- and considering the issues Apple faced with its MobileMe rollout, that's a problem Apple doesn't need right now.