4 ms·

Reddit's 'stop reading this on the slow mobile web and read it in our fast app' persistent dialog is a similar scourge.

evincarofautumn 9y ago
Seems like a lot of companies are trying to go “mobile first” while their apps are still missing core features found on their websites…so I just continue to use the websites, even if they are slower. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable in wanting simple things to work. Things like preserving newlines in code blocks in the Reddit app—since 95% of my subs are technical—or showing what comment of mine someone is replying to in the Imgur app—since it might be anything I’ve commented on in the past few days, or years if someone was browsing in Random mode.
- SomeStupidPoint 9y ago
  I just don't want 2 dozen 100MB apps on my phone when I can access all the same stuff with 1 100MB app. My phone barely had enough memory for the apps I do want. Their website stops working on my phone? Fine, I stop using their service.
  - heartles 9y ago
    Exactly! The number of services that actually need to be an app to accomplish their goal is staggeringly low compared to the number of apps out there. I would far rather use a well-designed website that works for everyone with a web browser over a bloated, ugly app.
dredmorbius 9y ago
The IPO announcement a few months after that abomination showed up was certainly predictable.
Traubenfuchs 9y ago
They continue doing this although their webapp is working perfectly fine. They are doing it in a very persistent and very annoying way. It keeps me from opening the first thread per browsing session with it's deliberately mislabeled "go back" button, you have to press to not leave the browser.
- d4rti 9y ago
  The old mobile site i.reddit.com is even better.
twobyfour 9y ago
My mental response to those banners - particularly on aggregator sites, but also for content sites - is "does your app support tabbed browsing? Thought not." Losing tabs is an experience downgrade. Apps are almost always worse than the browser for a site that isn't actually an application.
- Pxtl 9y ago
  Relevant xkcd https://xkcd.com/1174/ https://xkcd.com/1174/
Pxtl 9y ago
Nothing is more obnoxious than Tumblr, which blocks you reading further in the site past the last few posts unless you download their app (or request desktop site)
daemin 9y ago
Where the app is usually just a browser window with some different chrome components. Still uses the same "slow mobile web" underneath.
magic_beans 9y ago
Their app is deplorable. I got so annoyed with the prompting that I installed it, but it was just bad. Slow, didn't load more than 4 posts at a time, hard to navigate... :(

Seems like a lot of companies are trying to go “mobile first” while their apps are still missing core features found on their websites…so I just continue to use the websites, even if they are slower. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable in wanting simple things to work. Things like preserving newlines in code blocks in the Reddit app—since 95% of my subs are technical—or showing what comment of mine someone is replying to in the Imgur app—since it might be anything I’ve commented on in the past few days, or years if someone was browsing in Random mode.

SomeStupidPoint 9y ago
I just don't want 2 dozen 100MB apps on my phone when I can access all the same stuff with 1 100MB app. My phone barely had enough memory for the apps I do want. Their website stops working on my phone? Fine, I stop using their service.
- heartles 9y ago
  Exactly! The number of services that actually need to be an app to accomplish their goal is staggeringly low compared to the number of apps out there. I would far rather use a well-designed website that works for everyone with a web browser over a bloated, ugly app.

dredmorbius 9y ago

The IPO announcement a few months after that abomination showed up was certainly predictable.

Traubenfuchs 9y ago

They continue doing this although their webapp is working perfectly fine. They are doing it in a very persistent and very annoying way. It keeps me from opening the first thread per browsing session with it's deliberately mislabeled "go back" button, you have to press to not leave the browser.

d4rti 9y ago
The old mobile site i.reddit.com is even better.

twobyfour 9y ago

My mental response to those banners - particularly on aggregator sites, but also for content sites - is "does your app support tabbed browsing? Thought not." Losing tabs is an experience downgrade. Apps are almost always worse than the browser for a site that isn't actually an application.

Pxtl 9y ago
Relevant xkcd https://xkcd.com/1174/ https://xkcd.com/1174/

Pxtl 9y ago

Nothing is more obnoxious than Tumblr, which blocks you reading further in the site past the last few posts unless you download their app (or request desktop site)

daemin 9y ago

Where the app is usually just a browser window with some different chrome components. Still uses the same "slow mobile web" underneath.

magic_beans 9y ago

Their app is deplorable. I got so annoyed with the prompting that I installed it, but it was just bad. Slow, didn't load more than 4 posts at a time, hard to navigate... :(