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Do not download the app, use the website

idiallo.com

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Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#451

Post by econ »

econ wrote: post #358
johnnyanmac wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nostalgia, network effects, and boiling thr frog. Then you build on that with business incentives; you may not like Facebook, but you need to advertise there because that's where everyone is. Basically, you rely on goodwill from yester-year and slowly ad in intrusive stuff that users adjust to. Thars enshittification in its raw essence. Admittedly, this mostly works because the general user is not "active" and will n…

It is both mysterious and comical how we manage to enshitify every corner of our existence. I can't think of anything unrubbed with the magic poop wand.

Must be hard to understand or something?

The scope of the problem is much larger. If there is no "let's not use the app" movement and if there was it wouldn't be big enough to pick up on the radar.

We have bigger things to worry about as the shit is oozing out of everything.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#452

Post by W3zzy »

tempestn wrote: post #384

At AutoTempest we resisted making an app for years, because anything that a hypothetical app could do, we could do with the website. And in my opinion, when searching for cars, it's more convenient to be in your browser where you can easily open new tabs, bookmark results, etc. And for years, it was our most requested feature, by far. We had instructions for how to pin the site to your home screen, and would explain…

I would say using the web"app" give a better user experience since you always have the latest version without the need for updates. Only if offline use is possible an app would be necesarry.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#453

Post by p0w3n3d »

tempestn wrote: post #384

At AutoTempest we resisted making an app for years, because anything that a hypothetical app could do, we could do with the website. And in my opinion, when searching for cars, it's more convenient to be in your browser where you can easily open new tabs, bookmark results, etc. And for years, it was our most requested feature, by far. We had instructions for how to pin the site to your home screen, and would explain…

Thank you for this extensive analysis. In my country now's the phase that every shop, even small one, wants me to download an app (for the client identification purposes). And tbh one thing is making an app for people who want it, another is requiring an app. Those "loyalty card" apps all weigh at least 100MB because of the browser bundled inside, and they are too heavy for my phone. I mitigated it using catima, an open source loyalty card wallet, but some of the app creators started to generate time based codes, so it's no longer a viable solution for me in those cases, and I started suspecting those apps do more than showing a code

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#454

Post by signal11 »

TheDong wrote: post #448
kelthuzad wrote: post #411

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>We had instructions for how to pin the site to your home screen, and would explain to users how the website does everything an app can do. Still, constant requests for an app. This is the result of the inconsistent user experience to which gatekeepers like Apple have been actively contributing through active sabotage of web apps, such that all profitable apps can be more effectively and reliably taxed through Apple'…

[flagged]

> Apps have to update to use new APIs that are cleaner (under threat of being removed…)

WhatsApp on iOS is still not using the private photo picker* that iOS 14 introduced, and they haven’t been booted off the App Store yet.

*So that you don’t have to share your entire photo library with Meta if you want to share a photo via WhatsApp.

It’s just one example, but I suspect ubiquitous apps like WhatsApp (super popular in many geographies) might see lighter-touch enforcement. The point is that App Store governance isn’t as straightforward as one would think.

Also, websites can drop support for certain browsers, use feature detection and progressive enhancement. There’s no reason for a website to get jankier over time if web devs do their job right.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#455

Post by barrell »

TheDong wrote: post #448
kelthuzad wrote: post #411

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>We had instructions for how to pin the site to your home screen, and would explain to users how the website does everything an app can do. Still, constant requests for an app. This is the result of the inconsistent user experience to which gatekeepers like Apple have been actively contributing through active sabotage of web apps, such that all profitable apps can be more effectively and reliably taxed through Apple'…

[flagged]

so to be clear, you are suggest we move to a closed internet, where Apple (who just lost in court due to unfair monopoly practices), not only gate keeps everything, but we have to pay them for the privilege?

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#456

Post by W3zzy »

silisili wrote: post #420
tempestn wrote: post #384

At AutoTempest we resisted making an app for years, because anything that a hypothetical app could do, we could do with the website. And in my opinion, when searching for cars, it's more convenient to be in your browser where you can easily open new tabs, bookmark results, etc. And for years, it was our most requested feature, by far. We had instructions for how to pin the site to your home screen, and would explain…

My wife is one of these people. We couldn't be more different in that regard. I loathe apps and generally only install them when there's no alternative. She seems to either not understand or trust websites, and wants an app. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Every time I grab her phone I get dizzy and lost from the hundreds of apps. When she grabs mine, she wonders how I accomplish anything at all.

Your wife probably just wants a smooth user experience and an app delivers on that. Apps have a clear way of installing and onboarding.

I discovered that all our self hosted applications were easily adopted after I added SSO. My wife just wants one account to rule them all.

I got her accustomed to installing web apps by adding all the links in a shared note. She clicks the link, pins the site and uses SSO to log in. Easy.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#458

Post by JimDabell »

tempestn wrote: post #384

At AutoTempest we resisted making an app for years, because anything that a hypothetical app could do, we could do with the website. And in my opinion, when searching for cars, it's more convenient to be in your browser where you can easily open new tabs, bookmark results, etc. And for years, it was our most requested feature, by far. We had instructions for how to pin the site to your home screen, and would explain…

> People just really like apps!

This is it. I’ve worked on plenty of projects that have web/iOS/Android, and the reason for offering native apps has always been user demand. All of this “spy on the user” crap literally never even comes up in conversation. We don’t care at all. We care about native apps because users care about native apps.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#459

Post by cadamsdotcom »

This is about hijacking your plans.

Having the app installed makes the initial load instant - big dopamine rush!

Seeing their logo on the home screen, before you even open your browser, means you might forget your big plan to search for alternatives. “Oh! Airbnb! I’ll just look there!”

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#460

Post by W3zzy »

tgsovlerkhgsel wrote: post #396
IshKebab wrote: post #389

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting. Why do you think so many websites try to foist apps on you if people will voluntarily download them anyway?

My guess would be that it's because (as the above poster says) "app users are much more engaged than website users" and only "half our" moved without nudging - the sites would like more engagement from all users. That said, the harder you "nudge" me, the more I want to avoid the app and the whole business . Especially if you have any other dark patterns - I will assume you want me to download your app just so you can…

My wife and daughter seem to be very receptive to dark patterns. It's about education and understanding but you also need to care. They don't. Alas.
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