Android Town - social community application

[BeerBelly]

I grabbed the update, looks good.

I do just want to mention that I think it is really awesome that you are adding in the advice that you are getting from the forums. Just a couple of days ago this was just a coulple of people on the app. When I signed up the closest person to me was 7 hours away. Now there are thousands within 500 miles. I dont know what your expectations were for your app, but this thing has exploded, Congrats on the success.

Thank you for the kind words I do try and do my best to take into account any good advice I get from these forums and it's been helping me a lot with the ideas. Development is in rapid progress and with each day there's a bug fixed and an idea added to a to-do list and one crossed off

 

[88 FLUX]

Thank you for the kind words I do try and do my best to take into account any good advice I get from these forums and it's been helping me a lot with the ideas. Development is in rapid progress and with each day there's a bug fixed and an idea added to a to-do list and one crossed off

Just so you know, I'm gonna finally rate/review the app in the Market once I leave work (reception is crappy in my office). I'm giving you a full five stars. In all reality, if I was just simply rating the app itself, I would have given 3 at first due to the original force closes and other tiny bugs. And at this point, it would have been bumped to 4. But your attention to detail and willingness to accept any and all criticism/comments has earned you the full five stars in my book.

Oh, and I'll also throw in a lil comment towards those who are ranking it poorly just because they don't realize that sometimes you need to re-login to an app after it's been updated.

 

[BeerBelly]

@ock:
Thank you so much. You've helped a great deal at finalizing the decision on how to implement the "check-in" option and it's destined for the next bigger update.
The reason I listen on these forums is because I think that the best ideas come from users giving the app a chance and hoping to see it improve. Which is exactly what I want as well. (now it's off to bed for me )

 

[joker42179]

very cool app about to tell all my friends with android to install it

 

[Kage_]

Got the latest update installed and it's looking good. A few small things I've noticed:

If the GPS is turned off then your last location doesn't show up on the map nor does the location of any of the people on the map. I could see the app using your last location and showing ppl around you. If the GPS is turned off a popup notification letting the user know it's turned off maybe helpful also.

Once I turned my GPS on I noticed that my location updated, but when I was zoomed out it appeared my location was flickering from my current location to my last location about 10 miles away. After I zoomed in though the issue seemed to go away.

Under notifications:
Why is the delete message and deny friend under the same entry? I may want to delete a msg, but not deny a friend.

I deleted a msg, but the message didn't disappear until I switched off the screen and to another.

When I selected your message and selected show friend it showed an icon, but it was the same color as my icon. The sorta teal color, instead of the green, yellow or gray for a normal user.

I sent a test reply and the text box has the text vertically aligned in the middle instead of the top.

Also, I sent you a friend request. We are in separate parts of the globe though. The username is mprindle.

 

[mellisnj]

No Android phone yet but will be one of the first apps I download. This has the potential to be a premier social/location based app period.

 

[BeerBelly]

Got the latest update installed and it's looking good. A few small things I've noticed:

If the GPS is turned off then your last location doesn't show up on the map nor does the location of any of the people on the map. I could see the app using your last location and showing ppl around you. If the GPS is turned off a popup notification letting the user know it's turned off maybe helpful also.

Once I turned my GPS on I noticed that my location updated, but when I was zoomed out it appeared my location was flickering from my current location to my last location about 10 miles away. After I zoomed in though the issue seemed to go away.

Under notifications:
Why is the delete message and deny friend under the same entry? I may want to delete a msg, but not deny a friend.

I deleted a msg, but the message didn't disappear until I switched off the screen and to another.

When I selected your message and selected show friend it showed an icon, but it was the same color as my icon. The sorta teal color, instead of the green, yellow or gray for a normal user.

I sent a test reply and the text box has the text vertically aligned in the middle instead of the top.

Also, I sent you a friend request. We are in separate parts of the globe though. The username is mprindle.

Hey, valid points.
The GPS issue does seem a bit sporadic...Strange thing is that if I choose network based location, I never seem to have this problems. I think the problem with GPS is like you said using last location and maybe dropping a signal now and then. Was that the case for you?

About deleting msg/deny friend:
It's one or the other depending on the type of message. If it's a friend request you will deny it. If it's a message you will delete it but not deny a friend. I probably should make it more clear (text space was kinda limited...)

Showing a friend does take the same icon as yourself. That was kinda planned...but maybe you're right in making it a normal green icon so not to confuse people...

And I added you

 

[theoverdrive]

I've been giving this app a good work-out over the last few days.

So far, it's held up pretty good. Prior to yesterday's update(s), there were a lot of force closes, but it looks like almost all of them were fixed with the update(s).

There are a decent number of registered users, but only a few who are active - and most of them seem to be folks who have just installed for the first time. So the community is still in the infant stages.

That said, I've done my best to search for active users all over the place and strike up conversations. The app appears to hold up pretty well with me constantly searching and responding to messages, etc. In addition to helping to keep users active and giving the app a good pounding, it's kinda fun, to be honest. There are a few bugs here and there and with just a few enhancements, this app should really take off (I've made notes of both bugs and potential enhancements in the app's forum).

 

[BeerBelly]

Aye, yesterday's updates should have fixed quite a few bugs.

It's true that not a lot of users check in regularly, but most of them check in once a day or two. So I'm trying my best to keep those users interested.
There is probably a new website coming tomorrow (well a new design).

With the app, the next things I'll concentrate on are the "check in" system, the avatars and most likely the push messaging. (those are the major updates....minor ones will be included as well that will improve usability).

@theoverdrive:
your input is very valuable and I note down anything you say My list of things to improve is now longer than the code combined

 

[icebike]

The moving the map thing is really annoying.
Mine wants to zoom back to my location periodically. Makes it hard to look around in other locations.
Shouldn't there be a mode to have the Radius circle selected be centered on the displayed map rather than on the user.
If I want to know who's at the Phillies game, even when I'm in Chicago, its pretty hard.

I've noticed an over abundance of 20-something Males among the users. I wonder how many women want to advertise their position to total strangers and also the fact they are carrying an expensive phone.

 

[BeerBelly]

Valid point. The next update will enable you to have a "check in" option.
Meaning you will only get located on the map at the first registration, afterwards you can only check in if you want to (if not it shows you at the prior location). This will be an option of course.

 

[Kage_]

The moving the map thing is really annoying.
Mine wants to zoom back to my location periodically. Makes it hard to look around in other locations.
Shouldn't there be a mode to have the Radius circle selected be centered on the displayed map rather than on the user.
If I want to know who's at the Phillies game, even when I'm in Chicago, its pretty hard.

I've noticed an over abundance of 20-something Males among the users. I wonder how many women want to advertise their position to total strangers and also the fact they are carrying an expensive phone.

Yea I noticed this also. When I was looking around the area it kept recentering the map at my current location.

 

[BeerBelly]

It should recenter only when you change radius and with search.
Did it happen at other times as well?

 

[theoverdrive]

It happens whenever I try to scroll to another part of the map (somewhere far from my location). It doesn't always happen, but definitely enough to be very annoying.

I also received a lot of complaints about the messaging system... too much clicking to see a new message, no sent history, etc. I've had a few people suggest leaving and using another messaging app, since they were getting annoyed with the interface. It doesn't bother me that much, personally... but would hate to see people leaving because of it...

 

[BeerBelly]

So would I.

The messaging is getting quite a remake. Push messaging is coming and along it, the notifications will move from the profile tab and into their own screen.
Threaded message display is also in the works. Sent history as well

All the stuff a good messaging app needs...it just takes a bit of time

 

[Kage_]

It's too late for this app, it in the future you may want to change your version structure numbering to show version numbers below 1.0 until the app is ready for a full release.

As a side note the speech to text thing on my new phone is really cool.

 

[theoverdrive]

Looks like the app is down and so is the web site. Maybe there's a big update coming...

 

[BeerBelly]

The website is already back up. The internet provider I host with had a "misfortune". I'm moving the app to my own server (getting one), so this won't happen again. I apologize for it.

There is a new website coming and so is the redesign of the app itself. I hope you're not right Kage about the app being published too long for some changes. I'm gonna do them anyway

 

[chdtpn]

Check your PM's bro.

 

[bespinct]

Neat app! It's great to see you proactive in getting feature requests and using the community for bug reporting. Keep up the good work!