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You would think that as the web platform is starting to pick up things like WASM and many new capabilities that there are an extremely large set of apps all of
by mdhb 3y ago
You would think that as the web platform is starting to pick up things like WASM and many new capabilities that there are an extremely large set of apps all of a sudden where you would be insane to think about
- writing it in a different language that only really runs on one operating system
- pay $99/yr for the privilege
- at any point and for any reason you can be cut off from reaching your audience
- you have to pay them 30% of your revenue (not profit) for any money your application makes
- you can’t make updates in a timely manner
- you have close to zero avenues of recourse if you disagree with any of this
- the deal can change at any time and you don’t get a say in it.
Why the fuck would anyone choose that option in 2024 if they didn’t have to? It’s no wonder Apple went out of their way to try and cripple the web for over a decade now, it was only legal action from the EU that forced them to staff Safari properly about two years ago.
And even now, they still take any opportunity they can to make it look unattractive such as hiding the ability to install a PWA deep in a series of unrelated menus.
That’s a hostage taking business. Get out of that ecosystem if you can
- JimDabell 3y ago> And even now, they still take any opportunity they can to make it look unattractive such as hiding the ability to install a PWA deep in a series of unrelated menus. That isn’t true. It takes two taps. You tap the share button, then you tap Add to Home Screen. That’s it. That’s not “hidden deep in a series of unrelated menus”. It’s a top-level option. And don’t complain about the “share” button – that’s just a bad name for what iOS users understand as the “Send/Put/Open this somewhere else” button. It makes total sense if you are an iOS user, don’t be misled by what people call it. People tap it when they want to “do something” with what they are looking at. It’s exactly the button you’d tap if you wanted to add a PWA to your home screen.
- mdhb 3y agoGo and find a random person on the street and ask them to install a website on an iOS device and watch what happens. It is absolutely set up in such a way that normal people not only can not do it but don’t even know it’s possible. I should be able to trigger an install prompt as a developer at a minimum.
- troupo 3y ago> Go and find a random person on the street and ask them to install a website on an iOS device and watch what happens. Go and ask a random person to install a website on any OS, and watch what happens
- mdhb 3y agoYou do understand that the main thrust of my argument here is that it doesn’t have to be like that correct? I should be able to prompt the user to install and it would just work.
- plagiarist 3y agoI'm not receptive to allowing websites to prompt me for any reason whatever after observing everyone's behavior for the last two decades.
- mdhb 3y agoThat’s very interesting but we aren’t designing the web around your personal set of preferences so I don’t know if it’s particularly relevant to the conversation. I’m sure when it arrives like other APIs that require certain permissions you will be able to disable it and live in peace.
- troupo 3y ago> That’s very interesting but we aren’t designing the web around your personal set of preferences Indeed. The (collective) you are designing the web around maximum profit to stakeholders. People's interests and preferences don't come in to it.
- mdhb 3y agoRespectfully what are you even talking about… How did we get from “I think app install prompts should be a thing so the web is on a level playing field with operating systems” to me somehow being responsible for the ills of capitalism? I literally said you should have an option to opt out and your response was an impassioned speech about “the will of the people”.