squiggelsquirrel:

neuroticsquirrl:

acciolilyc:

samjohnssonvt:

heyheyrenay:

hermitsoul:

programmedradly:

However, this bit of nonsense single-handedly illustrates why we should never try and create an official AO3 app (aside from, you know, not even having enough personnel to build and maintain the desktop version while also dealing with server emergencies and trying to train new developers)–

–in that we would literally have to design, prototype, build, test, and refine *two* mobile apps at the same time (three if you count Windows phones) (so, two) (rimshot) and then go through an arduous app store approval process not once, but twice, and then PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND KEEP UP WITH OS UPDATES AND HARDWARE CHANGES FOR TWO. ENTIRELY. DIFFERENT. PLATFORMS. FOREVER.

(Also, we don’t even have an API yet, lol, that would be the first step, WE AREN’T EVEN CLOSE TO HAVING AN API, ALL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT APPS END HERE.)

Asking for “an AO3 app” is like asking for “a thing to get me places” and then being mad when you’re presented with the promise of a car, because you don’t have a driver’s license and what you really meant was a bike, except there are people who can’t ride bikes and would like to go places too, so the car is a good start at least, PLEASE STOP YELLING.

In addition, the people who now have to design and build a bike for you are also building the road at the same time. For free. In their spare time. While also holding down full-time jobs and taking care of their families. Also, people are yelling at them to go faster the whole time, and build that damn bike and that damn car already, it’s fucking 2015, HOW IS THERE NO AO3 APP YET GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER BITCHES.

(actual quotes)

If you’re now wondering if there are really that many people asking for an app to warrant this kind of post, isn’t the website perfectly usable on mobile, like, I was reading some fic on my phone earlier, it was fine, why would people clamor for an app–

hahaha haha hahahasjlkjdlksjdlksjd

sdfkdj.

so, what you are saying is that an app will be coming soon, right?

this killed me. i’m dead. 

Renay: 

archive of our own lol but seriously the abuse and harassment from fandom over this app what is up with the entitlement what exactly would an app do that the website doesn’t currently do companies have just convinced people everything needs an app this is a lie use the website love the website it’s a pretty great website i still think all app questions should be answered with a picture of grumpy cat saying NO and this is why sam won’t hire me for support

I really really really wish they were lying about the tone of some of the tickets.

I really do.

I’m not sure, though, exactly what an app’s supposed to do, though, that the site doesn’t. The seemingly most common request (after “it’ll look better”, which lolwut) is “allow me to read offline”. Last I asked a dev, the works database, not counting the tags linking which allows for filtering, is north of 100GB. Also, the mobile interface allows for downloads, so…

I dunno.

(For reference, when Renay says “hire for support”, she means “allow to volunteer”. We are not paid, which makes some of those tickets…even better.)

My personal vote @heyheyrenay is to answer all the tickets with “anyway, here is wonderall [LINK TO THE NO APP POST]. @samjohnssonvt will also not let me do this, idk why… xD

Ok here’s the thing: apps are a scam. Particularly apps that allow you to access content that you can otherwise access in a browser, that make that content “prettier” or “more user friendly” on mobile. There is no reason the organisations in question can’t just build a mobile website, that you can access through the browser of your choice, or make their main website look good and be usable on mobile browsers, just like AO3 does. Literally none.

But viewing websites in the browser of your choice allows you to do all sorts of other things. Use ad blockers for staters. Use “Do not track” and browser extensions that protect your privacy.

And companies where you are the product – Google, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Medium, Reddit, mainstream media and news outlets, most commercial websites – they have no interest in protecting your privacy, no interest in giving you the freedom to not look at ads, to view their website through a standard interface that you can choose and customise (i.e. a browser).

Their interest is in collecting as much of your data as possible. In pushing as many ads on you as possible. In using all the data leakage from your phone (is your location on?) to build more and more detailed profiles of you, to better target ads so they can make money off you.

And that’s a hell of a lot easier if they’re in control of the technical infrastructure you use to access their site (i.e. an app) than if you are by using a browser.

You don’t need an app to read fic. You’ve just been taught to want one by people who don’t have your best interests at heart.

Web developers have spent a huge amount of time developing open standards for the web instead of leaving it in the control of big corporations  — that’s why sites like AO3 can exist in the first place, and why you don’t need to use a specific browser to view the website of your choice. It’s better for security, performance, functionality…

You don’t ask for a desktop app — in fact being told to download, install, and run an application on your desktop when you could just be viewing a website through a browser, would raise serious complaints and security concerns — frankly, it would be regarded as suspicious as hell.

Mobile apps are no different. There are times when they are appropriate, just like there are times when installing an application on your desktop is appropriate, but if it could just be a mobile-friendly website instead, it really should be.