6 ms·

I still think it is crazy we assumed "everybody has a phone"

by Rhapso 2y ago

lotsofpulp 2y ago
“Everybody worth transacting with” is more accurate. Makes sense for business, but a shame when government (or an essential business that should be a government utility) does it.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
jolux 2y ago
Well as software engineers there’s not as much we can do for people who don’t have computing devices, but it’s still important that information be accessible without them.
- arp242 2y ago
  Well, people can have laptops, or "unsupported" phones (i.e. non-iPhone/Android). Locking all sorts of basic stuff to two for-profit closed platforms sounds rather non-ideal to me. It's also quite a shift from stuff being web-based, where in principle you or I could sit down and write a compatible browser and/or port an existing browser (some work, but very doable). It's not all that different from locking everything to Windows and/or Internet Explorer like it was 20 years ago, except worse because it's so much more pervasive now. The old "mandatory Microsoft tax" got replaced with a "mandatory Google/Apple tax". Any startup has basically zero chance of entering the market.
  - scarface_74 2y ago
    These were browser benchmarks not app benchmarks.
scarface_74 2y ago
Worldwide, smart phone penetration is at 70%. I don’t know if that number is just considering adults. Statistics I saw for the US is 97% of adults have smart phones
- Rhapso 2y ago
  Would you accept an engineering solution with 1 nine of reliability?
  - scarface_74 2y ago
    So do you have an engineering solution that will get bits over the internet to people who don’t have a phone or computer?
    - Rhapso 2y ago
      Probably a well supported postal service as public infrastructure! Yes, you can make an app or sell a widget without supporting transactions via mail, but many companies providing critical services are starting to require cellphones to participate.
      - scarface_74 2y ago
        Or you could just have a program where you tax cell phone and home phone bills to subsidize giving phones to people who can’t afford one…. https://www.fcc.gov/general/lifeline-program-low-income-consumers https://www.fcc.gov/general/lifeline-program-low-income-cons... This use to be limited to land line phones. But now is expanded to cell phones It’s much cheaper than physical infrastructure. But do you expect Amazon to except postal mail and work like the Sears Catalog?
        Rhapso 2y ago
        TIL This is great to see. Yes, assuming it is implemented well this is better than the sears catalog.
dotancohen 2y ago
My country has a large religious demographic with dumbphones. I'm glad to have them, as I have a smartphone but I'm not about to install an app for banking, an app for charging the car, an app for the supermarket, etc etc.

I still think it is crazy we assumed "everybody has a phone"

by Rhapso 2y ago

I still think it is crazy we assumed "everybody has a phone"

“Everybody worth transacting with” is more accurate. Makes sense for business, but a shame when government (or an essential business that should be a government utility) does it.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

jolux 2y ago

Well as software engineers there’s not as much we can do for people who don’t have computing devices, but it’s still important that information be accessible without them.

arp242 2y ago
Well, people can have laptops, or "unsupported" phones (i.e. non-iPhone/Android). Locking all sorts of basic stuff to two for-profit closed platforms sounds rather non-ideal to me. It's also quite a shift from stuff being web-based, where in principle you or I could sit down and write a compatible browser and/or port an existing browser (some work, but very doable). It's not all that different from locking everything to Windows and/or Internet Explorer like it was 20 years ago, except worse because it's so much more pervasive now. The old "mandatory Microsoft tax" got replaced with a "mandatory Google/Apple tax". Any startup has basically zero chance of entering the market.
- scarface_74 2y ago
  These were browser benchmarks not app benchmarks.

scarface_74 2y ago

Worldwide, smart phone penetration is at 70%. I don’t know if that number is just considering adults. Statistics I saw for the US is 97% of adults have smart phones

Rhapso 2y ago
Would you accept an engineering solution with 1 nine of reliability?
- scarface_74 2y ago
  So do you have an engineering solution that will get bits over the internet to people who don’t have a phone or computer?
  - Rhapso 2y ago
    Probably a well supported postal service as public infrastructure! Yes, you can make an app or sell a widget without supporting transactions via mail, but many companies providing critical services are starting to require cellphones to participate.
    - scarface_74 2y ago
      Or you could just have a program where you tax cell phone and home phone bills to subsidize giving phones to people who can’t afford one…. https://www.fcc.gov/general/lifeline-program-low-income-consumers https://www.fcc.gov/general/lifeline-program-low-income-cons... This use to be limited to land line phones. But now is expanded to cell phones It’s much cheaper than physical infrastructure. But do you expect Amazon to except postal mail and work like the Sears Catalog?
      - Rhapso 2y ago
        TIL This is great to see. Yes, assuming it is implemented well this is better than the sears catalog.

dotancohen 2y ago

My country has a large religious demographic with dumbphones. I'm glad to have them, as I have a smartphone but I'm not about to install an app for banking, an app for charging the car, an app for the supermarket, etc etc.