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Why wouldn't you just do exactly what your users passionately want, and make a small app just for notifications? You may even make it paid, so that your efforts

Why wouldn't you just do exactly what your users passionately want, and make a small app just for notifications? You may even make it paid, so that your efforts are compensated -- I am sure, the users will be happy to support you.

spiderfarmer 6y ago
I am working on it. But as a web developer this "small app" and everything that comes with it is easily hundreds of hours of work, just to clumsily recreate functionality that's already working in other browsers.
- jdhawk 6y ago
  Email them? SMS Them? Its not pure notifications, but its far easier to implement.
  - danielscrubs 6y ago
    Email would get drowned with all the other apps with the same idea, which is exactly why Apple shouldn’t allow it.
    - remexre 6y ago
      Why Apple shouldn't allow websites to email you instead of causing those websites to create iOS apps?
      - CamJN 6y ago
        No, it's why apple shouldn't allow notifications from the web. People are already drowning in notification spam from native apps. To the point where Apple has added three different ways the OS prompts you to disable notifications. People just allow everything and then get overloaded by all the worthless interruptions.
        spiderfarmer 6y ago
        If Apple would make it so that websites can’t request to enable notifications, but only via manual user action, I’d still prefer that to developing an entire app to fit that goal.
        tekknik 6y ago
        You’re very much making this out to be more difficult than it actually is. If you’re a webdev throw a web browser frame in, or use react native, or just spend the few hours it takes to learn how to setup and app and push notifications and add a bullet point to your resume.
        spiderfarmer 6y ago
        Not sure what I need a resume for. I'll probably never work for an employer and I think I'm a better farmer than a webdev. I know how to design and build things with my hands. I also know how to design logos, websites and other things. I can code and enjoy building and maintaining the network of websites I built in the past 15 years. But I feel I'm spreading myself too thin when I'm also learning to code in React or Dart (Flutter) for a single one-off project. I fear I won't be able to put in the hours required to become adequately proficient in another field that's constantly changing.
        tekknik 6y ago
        No you are not spreading yourself too thin. Each new language or framework you learn will teach you something you’ll use for the rest of your time programming. You may not remember everything you learn exactly, but it will help you carry conversations or know where to start should you be tasked to need those skills in the future. Also Google is your friend, you’re never going to know some language or framework so completely that you can verbatim spit out it’s docs and signatures without some reference. The rest of what you said sounds pretty on par with the rest of the self taught programmers I’ve met (me being one of them).
  - spiderfarmer 6y ago
    I have e-mail notifications, yes. But a growing amount of people don’t check their email regularly and it gets drowned out.
- nlitened 6y ago
  I feel your pain, for me as a strictly back-end developer it is the same when I have to make front end. May I suggest trying to outsource this small app to a freelancer? It could be a quite time- and cost-effective small project for someone who already has extensive experience with iOS.
- gfxgirl 6y ago
  But that's exactly what Apple wants. They want you to invest your time in their ecosystem because that prevents you from spending time in other ecosystems. Every thing they do that makes it more work for you to make an iOS or MacOS app is time you won't be spending making things for other platforms including the web. plus, they get the added bonus that they can demand you pay 30% of various transitions that they couldn't demand if you just left it a website that happened to be PWA Their incentives are entirely aligned not to support the latest web standards and not allow any other browsers on iOS to add them
  - scarface74 6y ago
    How many apps that are just an interface to a website and could be viable as a website if only iOS Safari had push notifications would actually bring in any significant amount of revenue? Besides that, according to the latest App Store rules, apps that just surface cross platform services aren’t required to have in app purchases.
    - spiderfarmer 6y ago
      A large amount of apps could just be a website if Apple supported more API’s. It would also bring bigger budgets to webdev teams and improve the quality of their webapps.
      - scarface74 6y ago
        Care to name some web apps that are successful on Android but are required to be apps on iOS?
        saagarjha 6y ago
        You've got it wrong, because Android has much looser review policies so these apps don't have to be web pages on that platform. People (including Apple!) push web apps on iOS to not be subject to App Store review.

spiderfarmer 6y ago

I am working on it. But as a web developer this "small app" and everything that comes with it is easily hundreds of hours of work, just to clumsily recreate functionality that's already working in other browsers.

jdhawk 6y ago
Email them? SMS Them? Its not pure notifications, but its far easier to implement.
- danielscrubs 6y ago
  Email would get drowned with all the other apps with the same idea, which is exactly why Apple shouldn’t allow it.
  - remexre 6y ago
    Why Apple shouldn't allow websites to email you instead of causing those websites to create iOS apps?
    - CamJN 6y ago
      No, it's why apple shouldn't allow notifications from the web. People are already drowning in notification spam from native apps. To the point where Apple has added three different ways the OS prompts you to disable notifications. People just allow everything and then get overloaded by all the worthless interruptions.
      - spiderfarmer 6y ago
        If Apple would make it so that websites can’t request to enable notifications, but only via manual user action, I’d still prefer that to developing an entire app to fit that goal.
        tekknik 6y ago
        You’re very much making this out to be more difficult than it actually is. If you’re a webdev throw a web browser frame in, or use react native, or just spend the few hours it takes to learn how to setup and app and push notifications and add a bullet point to your resume.
        spiderfarmer 6y ago
        Not sure what I need a resume for. I'll probably never work for an employer and I think I'm a better farmer than a webdev. I know how to design and build things with my hands. I also know how to design logos, websites and other things. I can code and enjoy building and maintaining the network of websites I built in the past 15 years. But I feel I'm spreading myself too thin when I'm also learning to code in React or Dart (Flutter) for a single one-off project. I fear I won't be able to put in the hours required to become adequately proficient in another field that's constantly changing.
        tekknik 6y ago
        No you are not spreading yourself too thin. Each new language or framework you learn will teach you something you’ll use for the rest of your time programming. You may not remember everything you learn exactly, but it will help you carry conversations or know where to start should you be tasked to need those skills in the future. Also Google is your friend, you’re never going to know some language or framework so completely that you can verbatim spit out it’s docs and signatures without some reference. The rest of what you said sounds pretty on par with the rest of the self taught programmers I’ve met (me being one of them).
- spiderfarmer 6y ago
  I have e-mail notifications, yes. But a growing amount of people don’t check their email regularly and it gets drowned out.
nlitened 6y ago
I feel your pain, for me as a strictly back-end developer it is the same when I have to make front end. May I suggest trying to outsource this small app to a freelancer? It could be a quite time- and cost-effective small project for someone who already has extensive experience with iOS.
gfxgirl 6y ago
But that's exactly what Apple wants. They want you to invest your time in their ecosystem because that prevents you from spending time in other ecosystems. Every thing they do that makes it more work for you to make an iOS or MacOS app is time you won't be spending making things for other platforms including the web. plus, they get the added bonus that they can demand you pay 30% of various transitions that they couldn't demand if you just left it a website that happened to be PWA Their incentives are entirely aligned not to support the latest web standards and not allow any other browsers on iOS to add them
- scarface74 6y ago
  How many apps that are just an interface to a website and could be viable as a website if only iOS Safari had push notifications would actually bring in any significant amount of revenue? Besides that, according to the latest App Store rules, apps that just surface cross platform services aren’t required to have in app purchases.
  - spiderfarmer 6y ago
    A large amount of apps could just be a website if Apple supported more API’s. It would also bring bigger budgets to webdev teams and improve the quality of their webapps.
    - scarface74 6y ago
      Care to name some web apps that are successful on Android but are required to be apps on iOS?
      - saagarjha 6y ago
        You've got it wrong, because Android has much looser review policies so these apps don't have to be web pages on that platform. People (including Apple!) push web apps on iOS to not be subject to App Store review.