Should there be a bitcointalk app?

[iamsheikhadil]

As the number of smartphone users grow exponentially, I feel it would be optimistic to launch an official bitcointalk forum app.
It would enable more people to learn and discuss about cryptos and make the way for cryptos to penetrate into the mainstream market faster!
Using smartphones are easier, makes it simple to read, write and discuss than being on the web using a computer or even mobile browser

[1713954323]

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[1713954323]

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[Vod]

As the number of smartphone users grow exponentially, I feel it would be optimistic to launch an official bitcointalk forum app.
It would enable more people to learn and discuss about cryptos and make the way for cryptos to penetrate into the mainstream market faster!
Using smartphones are easier, makes it simple to read, write and discuss than being on the web using a computer or even mobile browser

1)  Smartphones are no longer growing exponentially

2)  Using a computer to read and write text is much simpler than using a smartphone.

3) Check out the new forum software, which is hopefully compliant to modern HTML standards.

[LogitechMouse]

If someone will create then its good but I don't think that it is needed since the forum is already ok for the smartphone users.

For me, it is easier to write and read on my computer rather than my smartphone.

[hd49728]

Agreed with Vod that such app are not essential for the forum. I want to point out another reason why we don't actually need such app. There are lots of users complain about spam quotes, nested/ pyramid quotes, so the key question for such app is whether it will solve this issue or only make it worse?
I doubt that such mobile app can include features to help users easier to avoid pyramid quotes, and also doubt that if there are such scripts/ features to do this, spammers will be ready to use it to keep forum cleaner. Additionally, real users rarely use mobile devices to log in and leave replies here (due to it requires more time to type same number of characters than using computers or laptops).
There is already a userscript, built by EcuaMobile to do this: User Script: Automatically remove nested quotes, and is available for Android.

[hd49728]

I hate all these apps, and the way Google keeps trying to install more. Hopefully the recent action by Trump will lead to Huawei releasing a Google free phone, and I can use that to create an efficient communication tool again.

How about this? Do you support such restrictions like IEEE recently applied?
IEEE and their restrictions on Huawei to prevent ideas stolen by Huawei & China

[rosezionjohn]

Are you having an issue browsing the forum from your mobile? I don't think there is a need for an app. There is reddit already if you badly need an app that discusses crypto.

[Pmalek]

There is reddit already if you badly need an app that discusses crypto.

The OP is asking for an official Bitcointalk app, not one for reddit.

I also agree with the previous posts and this is probably not a priority for the admins. I don't really see the benefits in browsing and writing on the forum from my smartphone. Checking the occasional thread from time to time is OK but I would never make that my standard way of accessing and posting on the forum.

[TryNinja]

Should be easier to be done when the new software forum (which AFAIK has an API) releases. Doing an app right now with SMF is pretty hard and/or inefficient because the forum has no API, so the app has to scrape the pages, deal with reCAPTCHA at the login page, Cloudflare, etc...

When you want to launch an APP on playstore you need to make compromises with Google so it is completely wrong to give details of an decentralized platform to centralized company.

BitcoinTalk is centralized.

[hd49728]

BitcoinTalk is centralized.

You likely missed this one, and ownership of Bitcointalk decentralized between some people, not only theymos.

It's surprising how well-documented history can become totally forgotten... Satoshi created the forum on Nov 22, 2009, and was head administrator until almost 2011. Then Sirius was head administrator until 2012, which is when I took over.

Cobra also owns the bitcointalk.org domain name. I consider the forum to be basically owned by or at least dedicated to the Bitcoin community, though; I don't call anyone an owner of the forum.

That wiki article is kind of terrible...

[TryNinja]

You likely missed this one, and ownership of Bitcointalk decentralized between some people, not only theymos.

This doesn’t make BitcoinTalk in no way decentralized. The forum host is centralized on theymos hands. The domain with Cobra’s... both of them could shutdown the forum whenever they want, or modify it completely. That’s centralization right there.

Are you saying Google is also decentralized because it is owned by several stakeholders?

[LoyceV]

Are you having an issue browsing the forum from your mobile?

The only real problem I have on LoyceMobile is that I have to scroll a bit from left to right to read posts. A bigger screen would solve that, unless the forum formatting could change a bit.
I don't think it's worth developing an app to offer the same features a webbrowser has already.

[TryNinja]

The only real problem I have on LoyceMobile is that I have to scroll a bit from left to right to read posts. A bigger screen would solve that, unless the forum formatting could change a bit.
I don't think it's worth developing an app to offer the same features a webbrowser has already.

If you don’t mind using Firefox as your mobile browser (and you’re using Android), there is an extension that formats the forum to fill the whole screen (as if it was responsible).

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=4500633.0

[hd49728]

I agree to disagree that the forum is centralized, instinctly. What I really meant despite of centralization of the forum, theymos always want to keep it as decentralized as possible, through different systems, from Trust to Merit. Noticing that theymos disclosed his raw plans to more decentralize the merit system. There are not too much details on his plans yet. In fact, I can not imagine how a decentralized forum can work; and one good example is decentralized exchanges. They also have staffs, support teams, and so on. Recent months, some DEX also require KYCs.

This thought occurred to me recently:

If you wanted to implement Merit in a decentralized forum (ie. one in the vein of Freenet's Frost or FMS), you could do it in this way:
 - Everyone can, from their own perspective, give unlimited merit to posts, and these merit transactions are put into files which each user publishes via the decentralized system. (Like a merit.txt.xz which every user publishes.) Unlike on bitcointalk.org, you can also give people merit without an associated post.
 - For everyone who has merit, you download their merit-transactions-list, but scale down/up all of the numbers so that the total merit that they send is equal to the actual sMerit that they own. It might or might not be useful to do this via some sliding time frame scheme so that merit transaction amounts aren't just continually diminished over time as they increase in quantity.
 - Apply the above step recursively, creating a web-of-trust-style merit network

Then every user has a subjective merit score for each post (sort of like the bitcointalk.org trust system, which was inspired by FMS). And if you wish, you can assign people to be merit sources from your perspective by sending them large amounts of merit directly; these might or might not appear in the merit-transactions-list which you publish.

Thanks for sharing this one.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=4500633.0

[mk4]

Wait for Epochtalk to be developed more, for Bitcointalk to hopefully migrate to that new forum software in the future. Epochtalk is already responsive in terms of UI so an app would be quite unnecessary.

A member of this forum created a forum that uses Epochtalk, specifically to test the new software. Check it out if you're interested: https://www.cryptos-currencies.com

[darklus123]

If developing application means an easier and convenient way of posting then I'll probably go for it. Posting on computer might be much easier for now but if the application that is made can also give the same feature that is a phone friendly then we can still enjoy the benefits of posting anywhere you want

When you want to launch an APP on playstore you need to make compromises with Google so it is completely wrong to give details of an decentralized platform to centralized company.

If this forum will create an app but is quite hesitant with the centralized company like google. We can simply not put it in the playstore, by simply adding a download link in this forum is already enough. Developers can run the application without a single touch from google.

Wait for Epochtalk to be developed more, for Bitcointalk to hopefully migrate to that new forum software in the future. Epochtalk is already responsive in terms of UI so an app would be quite unnecessary.

A member of this forum created a forum that uses Epochtalk, specifically to test the new software. Check it out if you're interested: https://www.cryptos-currencies.com

I am not sure if how the mobile responsive thing can solve the UI issues or the difficulties that we are currently experiencing right now cause mostly what the mobile responsive thing can do is just to make the site looks good on your phone but It can't actually do a lot of changes when it comes to your functionality.

[mk4]

I am not sure if how the mobile responsive thing can solve the UI issues or the difficulties that we are currently experiencing right now cause mostly what the mobile responsive thing can do is just to make the site looks good on your phone but It can't actually do a lot of changes when it comes to your functionality.

Mobile responsiveness can definitely fix the issues. Check the link I provided. Mobile responsiveness can also fix UX also, not only UI.

What specific functionalities are you looking for in the first place?

[darklus123]

I am not sure if how the mobile responsive thing can solve the UI issues or the difficulties that we are currently experiencing right now cause mostly what the mobile responsive thing can do is just to make the site looks good on your phone but It can't actually do a lot of changes when it comes to your functionality.

Mobile responsiveness can definitely fix the issues. Check the link I provided. Mobile responsiveness can also fix UX also, not only UI.

What specific functionalities are you looking for in the first place?

Yeah I have seen it already I've already encountered some Ux issues which actually really makes it quite difficult to address unlike making an app which is actually made just for phones. Upon testing it this still really have to fix a lot of things.

I was actually referring to the copy pasting of quotes and filtering your quote is quite hard in mobile since you are touching it and sliding around instead of using mouse. Hopefully they can come up with idea on how to make that one easier on your phone practicing the mobile responsive site instead of an app. 

[jademaxsuy]

If someone will create then its good but I don't think that it is needed since the forum is already ok for the smartphone users.

For me, it is easier to write and read on my computer rather than my smartphone.

Yeah I agree with you that using PC has more comfort than using a smartphone. However, not all the times that we will having our PC everywhere and wishes to see forum discussions. So, smartphones can be good also because this is handy can be put inside the pocket. If there will be an app then that should be better hoping that hackers cannot copy or used a phishing one for the BTC accounts using an phishing applications.

[mk4]

Yeah I have seen it already I've already encountered some Ux issues which actually really makes it quite difficult to address unlike making an app which is actually made just for phones. Upon testing it this still really have to fix a lot of things.

I was actually referring to the copy pasting of quotes and filtering your quote is quite hard in mobile since you are touching it and sliding around instead of using mouse. Hopefully they can come up with idea on how to make that one easier on your phone practicing the mobile responsive site instead of an app. 

Yea. The new software is pretty much in it's beta phase as far as I know. It already works, but it's definitely nowhere near perfect. Give it some time. The test websites exist to check for bugs and inconsistencies in the first place.

[eternalgloom]

Are you having an issue browsing the forum from your mobile?

The only real problem I have on LoyceMobile is that I have to scroll a bit from left to right to read posts. A bigger screen would solve that, unless the forum formatting could change a bit.
I don't think it's worth developing an app to offer the same features a webbrowser has already.

Agreed, I regularly browse and post on Bitcointalk on mobile, haven't come across any issues, except the scrolling from left to right. (though not really an issue IMO)
Then again, I usually browse other websites in desktop mode, so I'm probably somewhat weird in that regard.