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Do not download the app, use the website

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Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#91

Post by llm_nerd »

kingo55 wrote: post #48
josephcsible wrote: post #40

I wish Apple and Google would make rules to the effect of "if your app's entire functionality could be done in a regular website or PWA, then you can't put a native app on our stores".

Given how much it seems Apple detests PWAs, I don't ever see this happening. One can dream.

I feel like Apple is some lazy target for people to point to why PWAs have little uptake.

Android has long had PWA support. Almost no one uses it at all. In fact iOS users have long had significantly high web browser usage than their Android compatriots.

"It's because iOS doesn't support it...somehow. Despite entirely separate bases that could be served in entirely different ways, it's actually Apple's fault"

A couple of years ago Apple pretty much fully supported PWAs, including push notifications. Still negligible uptake on either iOS or Android. It turns out that it was the PWAs vs the Apps all along, and had nothing to do with Apple. The web and the average web technology stack has turned so toxic -- those enormous frameworks that yield an atrocious user experience -- that people prefer the app.

Still though, somehow Apple's fault. Increasingly such adherents have to reach to successively more niche weird Google additions to Chrome to justify why somehow Apple is to blame. Because Apple doesn't support the new half-baked AdBlastNoBlock3000 API that Google jammed into Chrome. Etc.

It's just weird. At some point people need to be a bit more honest with themselves about why apps are preferred over PWAs or even just basic websites when an app is avialable.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#92

Post by barbazoo »

nmstoker wrote: post #85

I wonder what people do in that one area they are so often reticent to discuss: porn. The (non-scientific) impression I have is that people don't tend to use porn apps, they stick with porn websites. Therefore, do people basically know apps aren't well behaved with their data and yet in other scenarios they turn a blind eye?

An app can’t be hidden easily, in a browser you just go incognito. Some people just don’t want others to know.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#93

Post by SketchySeaBeast »

nmstoker wrote: post #85

I wonder what people do in that one area they are so often reticent to discuss: porn. The (non-scientific) impression I have is that people don't tend to use porn apps, they stick with porn websites. Therefore, do people basically know apps aren't well behaved with their data and yet in other scenarios they turn a blind eye?

I think people want to hide porn until they don't want to hide the porn, and they don't want visible reminders on their phone.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#94

Post by barbazoo »

josephcsible wrote: post #40

I wish Apple and Google would make rules to the effect of "if your app's entire functionality could be done in a regular website or PWA, then you can't put a native app on our stores".

What you probably envision but didn’t say is that this would be in a world where a website could be a first class citizen and behave more like an app. Mobile browsers don’t have e to be so shitty.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#95

Post by esseph »

Beijinger wrote: post #87
nehal3m wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True, but it does force citizens into a contract with either Apple or Google. I don’t think that is a good idea both from the perspective of individual freedom and national sovereignty.

Nothing beats a hardware token. I would also use Yubikey for banking, but I am scared as f. what happens if I lose it while traveling abroad.

Carry two, leave another in a safe somewhere in your home country?

Otherwise, yeah... Passkey it is

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#96

Post by Tmpod »

jayd16 wrote: post #31
creatonez wrote: post #20

The Discord web app is nearly identical to the desktop app. The main things you are missing are global push-to-talk and rich presence (i.e. dicord spies on your process list and tells other people what games you are playing). I'm always surprised more people don't use it.

Is that how it works? Don't you need to call into it with the Social SDK?

Nope. Games can do that to provide richer information, but Discord Desktop does scan your process list and even let's you chose which software to show or add a custom new one from the process list.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#97

Post by esseph »

bramhaag wrote: post #70
wouldbecouldbe wrote: post #59

I understand but it’s not always with bad intentions. In the Netherlands we have a system called DigiD to login into to most government websites like your taxes and city, etc. When I contracted for the city of Amsterdam I learned they’ve been pushing hard for the DigiD app to two factor authenticate instead of text message, because of contracts Digid charges a lot per text message validation and none for app.

In this case there is also a perceivable benefit for the user. SMS 2FA is vulnerable to sim swapping, this is not possible when TOTPs are delivered in-app. The app is also FOSS [1], so even if you're paranoid you can still inspect what data is sent. There are also just some things you cannot realistically do in the browser (or over SMS) without having to ship specialised hardware to 18 million people, like reading th…

TOTP is able to be intercepted on the device.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#99

Post by immibis »

charcircuit wrote: post #80
dylan604 wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> No, it's not for you... This is key. Companies pushing apps is not for your benefit. It's so they can further monetize you right under your nose and with your full permission by accepting their EULA. This is just a furtherance of the if you don't pay for the product you are the product.

Companies still have to provide value for them to attract users. It's cynical to only look at the value the company gets and ignoring the value users and advertisers get.

Companies have to provide the perception of providing value.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#100

Post by Tmpod »

creatonez wrote: post #20

The Discord web app is nearly identical to the desktop app. The main things you are missing are global push-to-talk and rich presence (i.e. dicord spies on your process list and tells other people what games you are playing). I'm always surprised more people don't use it.

I agree, I always use Discord web over the Electron app. Beyond what you said, using it in the browser also has better backward/forward behaviour and it's easier to handle media and links. Also, being inspectable is quite nice.
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