Fluther app?

What’s wrong with using http://iphone.fluther.com ? What kind of additional functionality would you need an app to provide?

Nothing I just hate web apps they are slow and lode too much.

Technically, the web apps through Safari on iPhone and the native apps are using the exact same internet connection, so I’m not sure how a native app would be any faster.

Just try using a tweeter web app and a native of tweeter or anything like it you will see the difrence, its like a dream.

Why would you want an app to view a web page? What added functionality would that add? Its a web page its meant to be veiwed in a browser and the “web app” is nothing but streamlining to make it easier to use on the iPhone’s screen.

I agree with Lightly on this one.

There would be nothing to be gained by having it as a native app (that I can see anyways). The web app is fabulous the way it is. It might possibly make it easier to add a question or post a response, but slightly at best. Nah, web app will keep me perfectly happy and non-productive the way it is.

if there is no gain in making a native app, why was ebay at WWDC to show their native iPhone app?

No I mean I don’t see a gain in fluther becoming a native app. The web app works perfectly well.

What works for ebay doesn’t have to work for fluther after all.

idk, i think that it would be nice to have some tabs like ebay is giving across the bottom, one for activity, one for my user account management. with the webapp you can only have one page open unless you use safari to open multiple pages, which is annoying

so does that mean you want an app for your desktop to view fluther as well?

no, because the desktop version is faster because of better internet speeds, if the phone had a native app it would not involve connecting to a new page to view account info, activity… which can be pretty slow on edge

yes but your account info is also on a web page as well just like the questions. The app would only have cached stuff so sooner or later the internet has to be involved. so why would you not want to use the internet browser designed by apple to work on the platform also designed by apple?

Im all for native apps on the iphone and I cant wait till update 2.0 is here but I dont see the point of using an app when the functionality you want already exists

just take a look at the apps like ebay, aim client. things like that. i think that it would be a lot better experience as a native app

eBay, AIM, and the other native apps are generally speaking way more complex then Fluther. I think that’s why they went the route of creating apps. Also- the ebay mobile website sucks, unlike the Fluther site, which was optimized specifically for the iPhone in the first place.

That being said- I’m not against a Fluther app, but I do think they did a fine job with the iPhone site as it is now, and an app isn’t necessary.

Well, for a Fluther app to work, an API would have to be provided granting access to all the juicy bits behind the scenes. I don’t think that exists yet (if ever).

But I could certainly see where some new functionality, not available on the web, could be surfaced in an interactive app. (Much like Twirl for tweets on Twitter.)

What if, for example, you wanted to monitor everything ever said by @waterskier2007 b/c he’s your fave guy? Can’t get there today on the Fluther web site. Or what if you wanted to limit Questions/Answers shown to you from only people you’re interested in (or that meet certain tag-word requirements). Not something I’d want, just saying. Plus you’d be able to setup desktop alerts and whatnot (although Fluther’s RSS and email aren’t too bad at that.)

Of course, the Fluther gods can (and do!) add new functionality to the site, and that’s probably sufficient for most of us. But I can see where an interactive app might be worthwhile. And to be clear, I’m in full agreement on the whole data transfer/bandwith dealio already mentioned… but that’s a problem that’s handled with throttles and data pagination, if done properly. ‘Course, it’s that kind of thing that is partially responsible for keeping Twitter on the ropes.

From my point of view, in a country where mobile internet is not cheap nor omnipresent, a native app which can cache some of my questions and upload them later and also cache some of the questions downloaded so i can answer them offline would be great.

And I do not have an iphone yet, but a native app for the mac would be awesome.

Another excuse to keep on learning Cocoa and objc! :-)

there are certainly some issues with the fluther web app.. not everything is perfect. i have issues every time i want to post a somewhat lengthy response to a question, and when i want to go back and fix an error, the blinking text cursor line thing tweaks out off the text box… it is irritating as hell. i think that there would definitely be room for improvements and great additions. there is always a way to make something better. even the iphone definitely needs some work, it’s not perfect either…. even though it is God’s phone… :-)