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

I made a mobile app for my significant other and she won't use it

jerseyfonseca.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

181–190 of 310 posts

Re: I made a mobile app for my significant other and she won't use it

#181

Post by watwut »

flohofwoe wrote: post #39
askafriend wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a user, I'm very happy the stores impose stringent rules. "And there are all these stupid requirements. I need at least X screenshots, and they have to be this exact resolution blah blah blah. On top of that, it took so long to get approved. My ADHD brain really suffered waiting for the gratification." I would hate to browse a store where the products didn't have at least X screenshots with at least X resolution,…

Why would you care about applications that you wouldn't use or even know that they exist though? Do you also care about web pages you don't know about? The store just wouldn't put such "non-conforming" apps at the top of search results.

It is annoying when you are looking for an app and have to go through 1000 of similar sounding apps. Then you filter it to 300 that seem like someone put effort into and the can find the one that is actually working only after trying 20.

Re: I made a mobile app for my significant other and she won't use it

#182

Post by watwut »

dr_dshiv wrote: post #171

Oh man, I've made so much software for my wife and family. She never uses my stuff! First, wouldn't use my math apps for kids (Math Planet, Math Pop, Numbaland) bc she was against screen time. Then, for her, I made a math app that specifically doesn't involve screentime (adaptive practice where parents read out math problems) — and she still didn't use it. My kids like it, in any case: Factflow.io

I feel like a bit more communication before coding would save you a lot of time. Also, I totally get why she does not want the latest app, or literally means more boring work for her.

Re: I made a mobile app for my significant other and she won't use it

#183

Post by thitcanh »

I wouldn’t use it either, for the same reason. Choosing a movie now takes 1 second for each card since they’re displayed one at a time and I have to do something to say NO.

How about you just show me a list where I can mark what I like and then get a list at the end. Then just switch phones and see each other’s list. Instead of an exact match, you limit each other’s choice to 10 movies you just picked.

Re: I made a mobile app for my significant other and she won't use it

#184

Post by f6v »

croh wrote: post #169
f6v wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I wish you could pay devs instead of Apple to held this bar high. Let’s be honest, the majority of the apps charge in-app for every fart. At the dawn of the app stores you could find a ton of free apps and games from hobbyists, but now it’s all about squeezing money. And the guy in the article didn’t have to publish the app in the first place, could have uploaded the app to the phone directly through the dev tools.

> Let’s be honest, the majority of the apps charge in-app for every fart. Apple/Google take 30 % of that fart, so you guess what they get at end. > At the dawn of the app stores you could find a ton of free apps and games from hobbyists, it’s all about squeezing money. Well apple charge you $100 per year to upload app, are you kidding ? Plus they don't let you have another store. Everything should must go thr' their…

> Well apple charge you $100 per year to upload app, are you kidding ?

IIRC Apple charged you 100$ as early as in 2013, that's when I bought a subscription myself for the first time. But the app landscape was much different back then and it didn't stop hobby developers from publishing.

Re: I made a mobile app for my significant other and she won't use it

#185

Post by realusername »

f6v wrote: post #159
croh wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As a user, I'm very happy the stores impose stringent rules. I have seen this view lot from apple users. And I really feel sad that no body gives the enough credit to dev community because of whom you're getting these apps in first place, not from Apple directly (And I am sure, if they do, heck they will charge you like hell). Please understand it is mutual platform for apple/google, devs and consumers. Now days, A…

> I wish you could pay devs instead of Apple to held this bar high. Let’s be honest, the majority of the apps charge in-app for every fart. At the dawn of the app stores you could find a ton of free apps and games from hobbyists, but now it’s all about squeezing money. And the guy in the article didn’t have to publish the app in the first place, could have uploaded the app to the phone directly through the dev tools.

What did you expect? The process to get an app on the store is complicated, time consuming and you even need to pay for it. Hobbyists are just publishing web apps instead nowadays and couldn't be bothered to publish on the app store. It's simpler, more accessible and you're guaranteed it will work. Only companies or people who don't really have any other choice do that.

Re: I made a mobile app for my significant other and she won't use it

#186

Post by f6v »

f6v wrote: post #184
croh wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Let’s be honest, the majority of the apps charge in-app for every fart. Apple/Google take 30 % of that fart, so you guess what they get at end. > At the dawn of the app stores you could find a ton of free apps and games from hobbyists, it’s all about squeezing money. Well apple charge you $100 per year to upload app, are you kidding ? Plus they don't let you have another store. Everything should must go thr' their…

> Well apple charge you $100 per year to upload app, are you kidding ? IIRC Apple charged you 100$ as early as in 2013, that's when I bought a subscription myself for the first time. But the app landscape was much different back then and it didn't stop hobby developers from publishing.

> Apple/Google are not valuing dev community as they used to and devs are taken granted for

I mean, it's about making money, App Store is not a public good. If developers feel there's a better opportunity they can pursue other platform, but it seems like Google and Apple succeed at making the money-making developers happy. What else should matter to a public company?

Re: I made a mobile app for my significant other and she won't use it

#187

Post by oriolid »

jariel wrote: post #175
askafriend wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a user, I'm very happy the stores impose stringent rules. "And there are all these stupid requirements. I need at least X screenshots, and they have to be this exact resolution blah blah blah. On top of that, it took so long to get approved. My ADHD brain really suffered waiting for the gratification." I would hate to browse a store where the products didn't have at least X screenshots with at least X resolution,…

"I pay Apple to uphold this bar by any means necessary. " I pay the electric company to have a store where only approved toasters and microwaves are sold so as to keep quality high! I pay my car company to ensure that only approved tires, windows, audio, windshield wiper fluid can be used. This logic is not working. Apple, and ABC corp, and any other companies can have app stores. If you want to shop at the 'absurdly…

> I pay the electric company to have a store where only approved toasters and microwaves are sold so as to keep quality high! > I pay my car company to ensure that only approved tires, windows, audio, windshield wiper fluid can be used.

I don't know about the rest of the world, but where I live there is a tax-funded Safety and Chemicals Agency whose job is to keep dangerous and malicious physical products out of the market. There is no equivalent for software.

Re: I made a mobile app for my significant other and she won't use it

#188

Post by f6v »

dreamcompiler wrote: post #163
f6v wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m still confused why people think that publishing apps to the App Store is a right and not a privilege.

Because iPhones are general-purpose computers, not video game consoles. And they are the property of their owners, not of Apple. Independent developers have not just a right but a God-given right to write code for general-purpose user-owned computers without interference from Apple, and the fact that they cannot do so means Apple is violating that right and they (Apple) should receive the pointy end of a stick until…

> Because iPhones are general-purpose computers, not video game consoles.

You just pulled that of a thin air. I mean, a latest Samsung fridge is a general-purpose computer as well, so...

> And they are the property of their owners, not of Apple. You know what you're buying, so just stop buying it. Pinephone ships in April.

Re: I made a mobile app for my significant other and she won't use it

#189

Post by oriolid »

ineptech wrote: post #168
dreamcompiler wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because iPhones are general-purpose computers, not video game consoles. And they are the property of their owners, not of Apple. Independent developers have not just a right but a God-given right to write code for general-purpose user-owned computers without interference from Apple, and the fact that they cannot do so means Apple is violating that right and they (Apple) should receive the pointy end of a stick until…

Iphones try very hard to look like general purpose computers; that's why everyone was so pissed when they pushed that U2 album, it pierced the veil.

In my opinion they're not trying very hard. It's called "phone", not "computer" to start with.

Re: I made a mobile app for my significant other and she won't use it

#190

Post by f6v »

rPlayer6554 wrote: post #158
f6v wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m still confused why people think that publishing apps to the App Store is a right and not a privilege.

When did anyone say that? Apple and Google offer a service to app developers to host their app, and some developers are complaining it's too difficult to use.

> some developers are complaining it's too difficult to use

The guy in the article is complaining it's hard to publish an app since you need to upload enough high-res screenshots. I mean, yeah? Try "publishing" your backend on AWS, it's not a walk in the part either.

Post reply on HN