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It is easier for non technical people to use an app. That is why Twitter and Facebook both have apps.

by _-david-_ 6y ago

symlinkk 6y ago
Easier how? It’s funny how the goalposts keep shifting
- _-david-_ 6y ago
  Easier may not have quite been the correct word. There is pretty much an equal number of steps and ease of steps with PWAs and apps. The average person has no clue PWA even exist. If you say install app x everybody can do that. If you say install the PWA most people would be at a complete loss of how to do it. Even people who know what PWAs are would quite possibly have to look up how to install it. With more and more people not having an internet connected device other than a phone they can't easily read directions on how to get the PWA while trying to do it. It is possible to include directions on the web site, but then when you open up the share menu (on iOS) you would no longer be able to read the directions to know to click add to home page. The company would likely receive phone calls and have to walk people through how to install the PWA. You would also have people thinking the company is just being cheap and not paying people to develop the app forcing the end user to do more work (since they had to read directions to install it). Don't get me wrong. I am very much in favor of people not creating apps when it is not actually needed, but the average user is going to have issues with it since they are so used to apps.
  - rchaud 6y ago
    If they understand "search for Parler in the App Store", then it's not a stretch for them to say "got to parler.com and click "Add to Home Screen"".
rchaud 6y ago
Twitter had a 140 char limit for ages so that you could send tweets via SMS. The mobile web in 2008 was terrible. 2G/3G bandwidth, 256MB RAM and poor battery life. The browser would need to reload the tab if you went to the home screen and then went back to the browser. The persistence of native apps occurred for two main reasons: - pushing engagement by having access to system notifications - improving the quality of ad targeting by accessing a much deeper level of user data than what a regular browser would allow. Parler had the benefit of all this hindsight when they were creating the app.

It is easier for non technical people to use an app. That is why Twitter and Facebook both have apps.

symlinkk 6y ago

Easier how? It’s funny how the goalposts keep shifting

_-david-_ 6y ago
Easier may not have quite been the correct word. There is pretty much an equal number of steps and ease of steps with PWAs and apps. The average person has no clue PWA even exist. If you say install app x everybody can do that. If you say install the PWA most people would be at a complete loss of how to do it. Even people who know what PWAs are would quite possibly have to look up how to install it. With more and more people not having an internet connected device other than a phone they can't easily read directions on how to get the PWA while trying to do it. It is possible to include directions on the web site, but then when you open up the share menu (on iOS) you would no longer be able to read the directions to know to click add to home page. The company would likely receive phone calls and have to walk people through how to install the PWA. You would also have people thinking the company is just being cheap and not paying people to develop the app forcing the end user to do more work (since they had to read directions to install it). Don't get me wrong. I am very much in favor of people not creating apps when it is not actually needed, but the average user is going to have issues with it since they are so used to apps.
- rchaud 6y ago
  If they understand "search for Parler in the App Store", then it's not a stretch for them to say "got to parler.com and click "Add to Home Screen"".

rchaud 6y ago

Twitter had a 140 char limit for ages so that you could send tweets via SMS. The mobile web in 2008 was terrible. 2G/3G bandwidth, 256MB RAM and poor battery life. The browser would need to reload the tab if you went to the home screen and then went back to the browser. The persistence of native apps occurred for two main reasons: - pushing engagement by having access to system notifications - improving the quality of ad targeting by accessing a much deeper level of user data than what a regular browser would allow. Parler had the benefit of all this hindsight when they were creating the app.