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Shortchanging Your Business with User-Hostile Platforms

al3x.net

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Re: Shortchanging Your Business with User-Hostile Platforms

#41

Post by grantheaslip »

I think what it comes down to is that as a developer, you've lost your way if you're creating a product you personally wouldn't want to use. Even if it were the case that the average user might not be that turned off by AIR (and I'm not convinced that's the case), if you've decided to base your product on a platform that's basically a deal-breaker if you're shopping around for apps (as AIR is for me), then I think you've set a really bad tone for your future enthusiasm for what you're making.

A frequent drum-beat on HN is having passion for what you create. Even if it saved me time in the short run and got me some degree of free platform support, I think having to work on an AIR app that I would probably never use in real life would probably doom the project in the long run.

When I think about the independent software projects that I love, it's obvious that the developers behind them love them as well. I (and I don't want to speak for everyone) can't see myself loving an AIR app.

Re: Shortchanging Your Business with User-Hostile Platforms

#42

Post by Desireco »

Propane is really bad client and using this as example of native app against any AIR app is silly. I've been trying to find a way around it, tried using Sparks for ipad which has it's own issues. I would use any semi-decent AIR app any day of the week instead of propane. And they even charge moneyz for it.

Re: Shortchanging Your Business with User-Hostile Platforms

#43

Post by X-Istence »

patio11 wrote: post #20

I think developers frequently suffer from "This doesn't flatter my sensibilities, so it must be crap. There is a sense of cosmic justice, so this will hurt the business." I was told, repeatedly, that Mac owners are Jobs-loving HIG fascists who look down on Java apps. Separately, their conversion rate was double PC owners. Who am I supposed to believe, the experts or my lying eyes?

Java apps done right on Mac OS X look, feel and behave like actual Mac OS X applications, Cyberduck is a free FTP client written in Java for Mac OS X. It is a great example of what is possible in Java.

But there are plenty of apps out there that are mere ports (Qt, or Java) and you can feel it. The drag handles are in the wrong location, the app doesn't behave right when you resize it, the buttons are in the wrong place, or switched from where they are supposed to be. I will still use it, but if something "native" comes along I will switch to it in a heart beat.

Re: Shortchanging Your Business with User-Hostile Platforms

#44

Post by X-Istence »

jrockway wrote: post #27

Indeed. These group chat businesses should support open standards like XMPP or IRC. Yes, XMPP and IRC suck , but there are tons of clients available that work with each. If you support one of these, the user can use your "beautiful" web or AIR client, or they can bring their own real client. You get happy users without having to write any code. I've worked at several jobs with distributed teams, and the one that used…

The company I work at currently uses a XMPP server to do internal chat which allows us to communicate between members.

Re: Shortchanging Your Business with User-Hostile Platforms

#46

Post by al3x »

stephen wrote: post #35

Funny--he started out "after another Campfire outage this week", I thought the post was going to be about the unreliability of Campfire, its platform (ruby, dash of C, AFAIK), and the uptime issues causing user-hostility amongst 37signal's customers. Which was going to be (and still is) ironic since BankSimple is likely using the same technology stack. After being down voted: so Alex can call all AIR developers lazy…

We're using a bit of Ruby, but not C, and mostly Scala and Clojure. Either way, I think reliability is a process thing, not a technology thing.

Re: Shortchanging Your Business with User-Hostile Platforms

#47

Post by stephen »

al3x wrote: post #46
stephen wrote: post #35

Funny--he started out "after another Campfire outage this week", I thought the post was going to be about the unreliability of Campfire, its platform (ruby, dash of C, AFAIK), and the uptime issues causing user-hostility amongst 37signal's customers. Which was going to be (and still is) ironic since BankSimple is likely using the same technology stack. After being down voted: so Alex can call all AIR developers lazy…

We're using a bit of Ruby, but not C, and mostly Scala and Clojure. Either way, I think reliability is a process thing, not a technology thing.

Yes, true. I am admittedly showing my bias. Thanks for the reply.

Re: Shortchanging Your Business with User-Hostile Platforms

#49

Post by tptacek »

irons wrote: post #40
patio11 wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was telling to me at the time that actual business results directly contrary to hypothesized outcomes identified in advance are treated as having no informational value with regards to the original claim.

So, your new working hypothesis is what, that Mac users secretly prefer Java UIs? That might prove too much. I don't think it's a secret that Mac users are, by and large, more comfortable than Windows users at paying for and installing software. The paradox of choice is in less egregious effect, and they have fewer scars from past attempts.

No, that's clearly not his new working hypothesis.
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