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Show HN: TextIt – Visually build SMS applications anywhere in the world

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Re: Show HN: TextIt – Visually build SMS applications anywhere in the world

#11

Post by nicpottier »

pak wrote: post #10

A very similar-looking product for phone applications, called QuickFuse, is here: http://quickfuseapps.com/ I think the diagram-as-programming concept has some legs for certain high-business-value, low-complexity applications. One of them is voice applications, and another is probably SMS applications. You can imagine many others: email workflows, document workflows, query tools... It comes down to the age-old proble…

QuickFuse looks really nice, congrats! I very much like that you let people play with the interface without signing up, might have to ape that. Where's the pricing though?

Obviously we agree visual interfaces have some real advantages, especially for things that are conversations (SMS, Voice, USSD). The real trick is managing to keep things simple as complexity increases.

I think the most interesting aspect for us has been to see project owners, the ones who go out to the field themselves, build applications that fit their use cases instead of having the cognitive barrier of communicating their needs to a programmer first.

Anyways, fun stuff, thanks for sharing.

Re: Show HN: TextIt – Visually build SMS applications anywhere in the world

#12

Post by ericHosick »

pak wrote: post #10

A very similar-looking product for phone applications, called QuickFuse, is here: http://quickfuseapps.com/ I think the diagram-as-programming concept has some legs for certain high-business-value, low-complexity applications. One of them is voice applications, and another is probably SMS applications. You can imagine many others: email workflows, document workflows, query tools... It comes down to the age-old proble…

> It comes down to the age-old problem of how to represent and store logic in a fashion that end users aren't afraid to manipulate.

I agree.

It's the difference between someone who builds a car and someone who drives it. Building the car using diagram-as-programming is probably going to be complex.

Using the car in a diagram/visual environment is, in my opinion, the sweet spot of such systems.

Re: Show HN: TextIt – Visually build SMS applications anywhere in the world

#13

Post by josh2600 »

nicpottier wrote: post #2

Hi HN, We've been working in Rwanda for the past three years building interactive SMS systems for NGOs. This is our take on how to build a platform instead of custom systems to handle a lot of the needs here. We think it probably has some uses in the west as well. Happy to answer any questions and respond to comments, curious to hear everybody's feedback. (please be gentle, not in the face!)

Hi!

Thanks for submitting this. I'm a big telecom geek and I am curious about your connection to the phone network (specifically, how are you enabling these SMS to actually go out?).

Is this sitting on top of something like Twilio, or do you have an underlying switch? What's the magic here? Is this just an interface for laying out SMS strategies or is there more to this?

It looks visually appealing, I think you did an excellent job on the site, but the technical portion is difficult for me to divine.

Thank you for the hard work!

Edit: Wait, is this not SMS and actually just a messaging service delivered over the top? If so, calling it SMS is sort of dubious. Would adore some clarification.

Re: Show HN: TextIt – Visually build SMS applications anywhere in the world

#15

Post by mbesto »

pak wrote: post #10

A very similar-looking product for phone applications, called QuickFuse, is here: http://quickfuseapps.com/ I think the diagram-as-programming concept has some legs for certain high-business-value, low-complexity applications. One of them is voice applications, and another is probably SMS applications. You can imagine many others: email workflows, document workflows, query tools... It comes down to the age-old proble…

I had a look QuickFuse. Do you still work on that project?

Just some advice - in the pitch quickfuse is addressing business customers, but is littered with technical language (not programming language, but written communication technical people would understand). Quickfuse might want to provide some examples of how these business applications get created...for example "this is how a doctor's office sends SMS's" etc

Re: Show HN: TextIt – Visually build SMS applications anywhere in the world

#19

Post by enewcomer »

josh2600 wrote: post #13
nicpottier wrote: post #2

Hi HN, We've been working in Rwanda for the past three years building interactive SMS systems for NGOs. This is our take on how to build a platform instead of custom systems to handle a lot of the needs here. We think it probably has some uses in the west as well. Happy to answer any questions and respond to comments, curious to hear everybody's feedback. (please be gentle, not in the face!)

Hi! Thanks for submitting this. I'm a big telecom geek and I am curious about your connection to the phone network (specifically, how are you enabling these SMS to actually go out?). Is this sitting on top of something like Twilio, or do you have an underlying switch? What's the magic here? Is this just an interface for laying out SMS strategies or is there more to this? It looks visually appealing, I think you did a…

Hey Josh,

One of the devs here..

There's several different ways your TextIt app can be deployed depending on where you are located. When you sign up, we present the geographically appropriate options for you. In some cases you will see Twilio, others you will get direct connections with a carrier.

However, no matter where you are we also have a pretty robust Android app (free on Google Play) that can facilitate 2-way SMS anywhere in the world.

Re: Show HN: TextIt – Visually build SMS applications anywhere in the world

#20

Post by nicpottier »

andrelesa wrote: post #16

Hi Nic, This is nice, I am the developer on Ureport Zambia and we are currently using RapidSMS http router. Thanks alot and good work on all. Now am off to look at textit!!

Hey hey!

I think you guys should give a hard look at TextIt, it was very much built with UReport and the like in mind, essentially taking things that worked really well and polishing the hell out of them. Definitely reach out via email if you have any questions or if we can do something to help out, integrating with an SMSC is totally possible.

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