6 ms·

I don't understand why everything needs to be an app. Why not a webpage? And always these user agreements that require approval..

by mongol 3y ago

onion2k 3y ago
The irony is that it probably is a webpage, displayed in a webview, in an app wrapper. Very few companies with these tiny apps built them as native apps.
- kredd 3y ago
  A decent chance that it’s a React Native shop that’s pumping these apps. Worked with some subcontractors that did those.
userbinator 3y ago
Companies seem more keen on worming their way into your life and collecting information about you than making it easier to purchase their products.
- scarface_74 3y ago
  I keep seeing this posted on HN. What information do you think they can collect in an app without your permission that they can’t collect over the web?
  - hef19898 3y ago
    Access to data on the phone for example. Just from top of my head: camera, stored data, contacts, location, microphone... I am firmly in the browser-over-app camp. One of the reasons I have close to zero third party apps on my phones.
    - scarface_74 3y ago
      And none of that information is available unless you explicitly give the app permission. On the other hand using standardized APIs, a web page can access everything you mentioned except for contacts
      - hef19898 3y ago
        Good. And now how many people out there do look at app permissions exactly?
        scarface_74 3y ago
        What do you mean look at them? If they mindlessly click yes to allow an app to have permission when it asks them, why wouldn’t they mindlessly click yes on the same confirmation on a website?
        hef19898 3y ago
        You just showed so little worda why consumer protection laws are so god damn important.
        scarface_74 3y ago
        Yes because we really need to give the government more power…
        hef19898 3y ago
        When it comes to prtect from unhinged capitalism and greedy corporations, well, yes, we absolutely do.
        scarface_74 3y ago
        Only the government has a legalized monopoly on power. I can avoid any one tech company much easier than I can avoid government.
ThrowawayTestr 3y ago
Apps exist on your homepage, websites don't. (And yes you can turn bookmarks into app icons but most people never use those)
- Thiez 3y ago
  There is only so much place on the home screen. Most apps will never live there no matter how much effort the company puts in it.
- prox 3y ago
  But it’s fairly trivial to run the same logic on two routes (on the app and on the web) Especially simple stuff like bookings and so on. It all goes into the same data storage.
danielheath 3y ago
Apps give cleaner/more trusted usage stats, which are important when the product you are optimising is your share price.
- scarface_74 3y ago
  How so?
  - d-s 3y ago
    You can block a lot more in an browser - like links to surveillance stat systems (mixpanel). It still possible to do that with an app, but it’s much more involving
    - scarface_74 3y ago
      That’s also a permission on iOS to allow tracking. But there is still nothing stopping a company from doing server side analytics and tracking.
sorenjan 3y ago
I think the easiest answer is that a majority of consumers prefer it that way, if you don't have an app you don't exists as far as they're concerned. Remember that a lot of students doesn't understand file paths[0], they're so used to smart phones that they've never learned basic computer skills. Add to that that even before smart phones a lot of people didn't understand URLs or even used bookmarks, they just googled whatever site they wanted, like facebook login. Having the app icon on your home screen is much easier for them, and they're more likely to use it again and not forget it. [0] https://www.theverge.com/22684730/students-file-folder-directory-structure-education-gen-z https://www.theverge.com/22684730/students-file-folder-direc...
- mvolfik 3y ago
  I don't understand why this is being downvoted, from my casual observations I think pretty much the same. Every day when I step out of my social bubble of people daily working in/with IT, I get reminded that so many things that I consider obvious are a puzzle to the common folk
mrweasel 3y ago
My non evil take: Because design interfaces for humans to interact with is expensive. You can save yourself a bunch of R&D, manufacturing and maintenance if you can have the users provide the interface design. That basically what the majority of smartphone apps are for. Sure some of it is convenience for the end user, but for everything that needs to interact with something in the real world it's a cost saving measure. As to why not webpages.... don't know, seems less serious I suppose. Personally I can't deal with more apps on by phone.

I don't understand why everything needs to be an app. Why not a webpage? And always these user agreements that require approval..

by mongol 3y ago

I don't understand why everything needs to be an app. Why not a webpage? And always these user agreements that require approval..

onion2k 3y ago

The irony is that it probably is a webpage, displayed in a webview, in an app wrapper. Very few companies with these tiny apps built them as native apps.

kredd 3y ago
A decent chance that it’s a React Native shop that’s pumping these apps. Worked with some subcontractors that did those.

userbinator 3y ago

Companies seem more keen on worming their way into your life and collecting information about you than making it easier to purchase their products.

scarface_74 3y ago
I keep seeing this posted on HN. What information do you think they can collect in an app without your permission that they can’t collect over the web?
- hef19898 3y ago
  Access to data on the phone for example. Just from top of my head: camera, stored data, contacts, location, microphone... I am firmly in the browser-over-app camp. One of the reasons I have close to zero third party apps on my phones.
  - scarface_74 3y ago
    And none of that information is available unless you explicitly give the app permission. On the other hand using standardized APIs, a web page can access everything you mentioned except for contacts
    - hef19898 3y ago
      Good. And now how many people out there do look at app permissions exactly?
      - scarface_74 3y ago
        What do you mean look at them? If they mindlessly click yes to allow an app to have permission when it asks them, why wouldn’t they mindlessly click yes on the same confirmation on a website?
        hef19898 3y ago
        You just showed so little worda why consumer protection laws are so god damn important.
        scarface_74 3y ago
        Yes because we really need to give the government more power…
        hef19898 3y ago
        When it comes to prtect from unhinged capitalism and greedy corporations, well, yes, we absolutely do.
        scarface_74 3y ago
        Only the government has a legalized monopoly on power. I can avoid any one tech company much easier than I can avoid government.

ThrowawayTestr 3y ago

Apps exist on your homepage, websites don't. (And yes you can turn bookmarks into app icons but most people never use those)

Thiez 3y ago
There is only so much place on the home screen. Most apps will never live there no matter how much effort the company puts in it.
prox 3y ago
But it’s fairly trivial to run the same logic on two routes (on the app and on the web) Especially simple stuff like bookings and so on. It all goes into the same data storage.

danielheath 3y ago

Apps give cleaner/more trusted usage stats, which are important when the product you are optimising is your share price.

scarface_74 3y ago
How so?
- d-s 3y ago
  You can block a lot more in an browser - like links to surveillance stat systems (mixpanel). It still possible to do that with an app, but it’s much more involving
  - scarface_74 3y ago
    That’s also a permission on iOS to allow tracking. But there is still nothing stopping a company from doing server side analytics and tracking.

sorenjan 3y ago

I think the easiest answer is that a majority of consumers prefer it that way, if you don't have an app you don't exists as far as they're concerned. Remember that a lot of students doesn't understand file paths[0], they're so used to smart phones that they've never learned basic computer skills. Add to that that even before smart phones a lot of people didn't understand URLs or even used bookmarks, they just googled whatever site they wanted, like facebook login. Having the app icon on your home screen is much easier for them, and they're more likely to use it again and not forget it. [0] https://www.theverge.com/22684730/students-file-folder-directory-structure-education-gen-z https://www.theverge.com/22684730/students-file-folder-direc...

mvolfik 3y ago
I don't understand why this is being downvoted, from my casual observations I think pretty much the same. Every day when I step out of my social bubble of people daily working in/with IT, I get reminded that so many things that I consider obvious are a puzzle to the common folk

mrweasel 3y ago

My non evil take: Because design interfaces for humans to interact with is expensive. You can save yourself a bunch of R&D, manufacturing and maintenance if you can have the users provide the interface design. That basically what the majority of smartphone apps are for. Sure some of it is convenience for the end user, but for everything that needs to interact with something in the real world it's a cost saving measure. As to why not webpages.... don't know, seems less serious I suppose. Personally I can't deal with more apps on by phone.