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Welcoming Fabric to Google

firebase.googleblog.com

101–110 of 133 posts

Re: Welcoming Fabric to Google

#101
post #40

Unlikely that we'll see improvements in Fabric services for a while... presumably, engineering resources will be focused on integrating with Firebase :( Anyone recommend alternatives for Crashlytics and Digits?

As an alternative for Digits Facebook offers Accountkit (https://developers.facebook.com/products/account-kit) which provides phone number and email based login. Full disclosure, I work for Facebook.

Re: Welcoming Fabric to Google

#102

Knowing Google's reputation with abandoning developer tools and services, can anyone offer suggestions as to possible alternatives? Or counterpoints as to why I shouldn't fear this service degrading over the next year or two? We're currently using Fabric and Crashlytics for our iOS app where I work and this news has prompted us to research alternatives.

Having a popular developer tool that is already integrated with a lot of apps in both iOS and Android is valuable strategic asset for Google. Analytics and ads go hand in hand and as tracking cross-app behavior is hard, and having a library that is installed in many apps makes it easier. I'm pretty sure that this was the strategic thinking when started to invest to app developer tools (Crashlytics, Fabric, Digits, Mo…

It's definitly interesting to see them move. Google already has Google Analytics/Firebase Analytics which pretty much every app developer integrates given their generous free tier so the extra data seems to be diminishing returns for Google. Seems to be more of a loss for Twitter than Google's gain given now they won't have a GA like equivalent.

I don't think Fabric was ever used for Twitter ad targeting just by reading their TOS unlike the Google/FB world and their analytics products but I could be wrong. Seems like a case where Twitter didn't realize the full potential of Crashlytics and Answers.

Re: Welcoming Fabric to Google

#103
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We're currently using Fabric and Crashlytics for our iOS app where I work and this news has prompted us to research alternatives. I spent the last few months working on getting iOS Support going in Sentry (sentry.io). Would love to hear feedback. Not only do we provide a hosted solution but it's also 100% Open Source which should give you the confidence that it will continue working for you no matter what happens.

Bravo on Sentry - it's a terrific platform. I'm especially fond of the breadcrumbs, they're a great feature.

Indeed. I was about to write and suggest sentry for crash reporting plus extra features. I'm starting to use breadcrumbs now to test and see how they can be useful.

Re: Welcoming Fabric to Google

#104
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the case of fabric/fabfile this wouldn't matter, as fabric/fabfile looks dead anyway. No Python 3 support, no road map, last Github activity 5 months ago.

There is a roadmap: http://www.fabfile.org/roadmap.html One of the goals in the roadmap is to move part of Fabric's functionality into another library (Invoke), which does have recent activity and supports Python 3.

Unfortunately, the main dev has been saying that he'll be releasing a rewrite with Python 3 support "at the end of the month" for the past 2-3 years. There's actually a fork ("Fabric3") which fully supports both Python 2.7 and Python 3.4+, but the Fabric dev refuses to merge in any PRs that have been submitted to help with Python 3 support. It's somewhat infuriating.

https://github.com/fabric/fabric/pulls?q=is%3Apr+python+3

Re: Welcoming Fabric to Google

#105

Knowing Google's reputation with abandoning developer tools and services, can anyone offer suggestions as to possible alternatives? Or counterpoints as to why I shouldn't fear this service degrading over the next year or two? We're currently using Fabric and Crashlytics for our iOS app where I work and this news has prompted us to research alternatives.

I would say don't fear for now. Google is pouring a lot of money there and want to win developers hearts. They have GA on web, to some extend, now want to grab your mobile and web data. I see it highly unlikely that Firebase will decelerate.

As an alternative, suggesting Countly (open source) - http://github.com/countly/countly-server - with crash reporting, push notifications and analytics.

Re: Welcoming Fabric to Google

#106

I wonder whether China will start banning Fabric servers, as they'll literally be owned by Google. If that would be the case, I cant imagine the mess Chinese developers will face. Assuming they have access to Fabric services now.

twitter.com is also blocked, so no difference.

Twitter.com only, or also Crashlytics services too?

Re: Welcoming Fabric to Google

#107
More of a comment on Firebase -- as someone who was using them pre and post merge -- a whole bunch of small things are notably worse.

They said "great adoption" but it was actually forced (my previous company held on as long to the old Firebase as we could), from things to poor naming specs on export, base URL structures changing, the live-view able to handle less data points and a number of other small things, it was a bit of a let down.

Hoping this goes better.

Re: Welcoming Fabric to Google

#108
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the case of fabric/fabfile this wouldn't matter, as fabric/fabfile looks dead anyway. No Python 3 support, no road map, last Github activity 5 months ago.

The latest release was last month. Not that it would be concerning if it really was 5 months ago.

If I still would be using fabric for deployment I would be concerned.

Re: Welcoming Fabric to Google

#110

Knowing Google's reputation with abandoning developer tools and services, can anyone offer suggestions as to possible alternatives? Or counterpoints as to why I shouldn't fear this service degrading over the next year or two? We're currently using Fabric and Crashlytics for our iOS app where I work and this news has prompted us to research alternatives.

Can you please some give examples to developer tools and services Google abandoned that frustrated people? I can't seem to recall any but Google Code Project Hosting and Code Search.
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