Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Introducing Facebook Camera

newsroom.fb.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 134 posts

Re: Introducing Facebook Camera

#41

Post by freehunter »

dominostars wrote: post #34
JCB_K wrote: post #8

I really don't see the point of separate apps. The main Facebook app, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Photos...what's next? Anyone who can enlighten me why this would be a good strategy? Seems like unnecessary fragmentation to me.

It's the iOS paradigm to make feature simple standalone apps. Why do you think Apple has both a "Photo Album" and "Camera" app? And both a "Phone" and "Contacts" app? Many users upload photos to Facebook, so there's a huge incentive to make an app that makes it simple to do this. Even if the main Facebook app has feature parity with FBPhotos, it's still going to come with all of the cruft.

It's somewhat in following with the Unix paradigm; do one thing, do it well.

Re: Introducing Facebook Camera

#42

Post by drivebyacct2 »

JCB_K wrote: post #8

I really don't see the point of separate apps. The main Facebook app, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Photos...what's next? Anyone who can enlighten me why this would be a good strategy? Seems like unnecessary fragmentation to me.

In part, for the same reason (in part) that Instagram blew up. iOS doesn't have Android's intent feature.

Re: Introducing Facebook Camera

#43

Post by dylanvee »

How interesting: I installed and launched the app expecting to see the standard "Log in with Facebook" screen, but instead there's a big button that says "Continue as [my name]" (and a smaller one, "Not you?"). I wonder how exactly they're doing this, and if it will make its way into 3rd-party apps. It made the first launch experience quite seamless.

Re: Introducing Facebook Camera

#44

Post by freehunter »

JCB_K wrote: post #15
jdcryans wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My experience with their app is that it's just so slow that being able to jump directly to Messenger when I need to use it saves me some time. I'm not sure if it's a good or a bad thing.

Making a separate app is not a solution. Speeding up your main app is.

Not easy to do on iOS when your main app relies on hooks to a web browser. iOS forces apps to use an older Javascript engine.

Re: Introducing Facebook Camera

#46

Post by patrickod »

Kylekramer wrote: post #40
patrickod wrote: post #22

They split Camera and Messenger out into their own separate applications recently on Android. This was quickly reverted seemingly due to really bad reception. It puzzles me why they're repeating this

The problem with the Android version is you got three apps in your app drawer when installing the main Facebook app. That was confusing, spammy, and impossible for the user to opt out of if they wanted to use Facebook on Android at all. A separate app is just confusing (unless you are coming from Facebook's perspective), so it is an improvement. I am positive there will be a separate Android app in the coming weeks.

"A separate app is just confusing" Is this not a new separate app on iOS? I realise it's not installed alongside the Facebook and Messenger app as it was on Android but it's still separate of the main application.

Re: Introducing Facebook Camera

#47

Post by cdcarter »

JCB_K wrote: post #8

I really don't see the point of separate apps. The main Facebook app, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Photos...what's next? Anyone who can enlighten me why this would be a good strategy? Seems like unnecessary fragmentation to me.

I like it. There's less wading through non-native in-app menus. I want to read my timeline or generally waste time? Facebook. I want to send a quick message to someone I don't text? Facebook Messenger. I want to share a new photo or three from my friend's commencement? Facebook Photos.

One tap and I'm there, and ready to do what I want to do. Maybe two, if I have the app in a folder.

Re: Introducing Facebook Camera

#48

Post by tsurantino »

JCB_K wrote: post #8

I really don't see the point of separate apps. The main Facebook app, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Photos...what's next? Anyone who can enlighten me why this would be a good strategy? Seems like unnecessary fragmentation to me.

Can the point of separate apps be justified in reinforcing that Facebook is more of a platform than just a website?

They also have Pages & Messenger. I like the idea of isolating these aspects because it gives more utility to these individual functions rather than obscuring them by combining all of the site's functionality into one, slow and poor performing app.

Overall, the app looks good but I'm not sure what's the deal with Instagram now.

Re: Introducing Facebook Camera

#49

Post by adrianhoward »

JCB_K wrote: post #8

I really don't see the point of separate apps. The main Facebook app, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Photos...what's next? Anyone who can enlighten me why this would be a good strategy? Seems like unnecessary fragmentation to me.

Anyone who can enlighten me why this would be a good strategy? Seems like unnecessary fragmentation to me.

Because they optimise a particular use case, which makes it more likely people will do something, which will make it more likely that facebook can use the shared content to drive more people towards facebook.

Take photo sharing. Photos are often spontaneous. So the more responsive, quick and simple it is to take a photo and share it the more likely it is to happen. Ideally I want to hit the photo app and by the time I've moved the camera up to my face be ready to take a photo. Facebook's new app is much closer to that experience than their current generic app. I bet that it will get more photos on Facebook. More photos == more traffic == more dollars.

You can't fix the current generic Facebook app to work as a better photo taking app - since if you made it the ideal photo taking application, it would be sub-optimal at the other things that facebook want the mobile app to do.

Re: Introducing Facebook Camera

#50

Post by MasterScrat »

JCB_K wrote: post #8

I really don't see the point of separate apps. The main Facebook app, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Photos...what's next? Anyone who can enlighten me why this would be a good strategy? Seems like unnecessary fragmentation to me.

Less click. Instead of Facebook -> Camera -> whatever you directly access the feature you want.
Post reply on HN