I'm not crazy about the idea of artificially limiting your app to prevent "app addiction". In fact, the idea that I can only load one snippet every 30 minutes, prevented me from even trying it. It sounds needlessly frustrating.
It also, to me, sounds more addictive than just being able to flip through snippets until you find something interesting. Instead of being able to just use the app when I want something interesting, you've made it to where I have to regularly check the app for updates until I find something interesting.
I would give it a try if the rate-limiting was optional.
The initial goal was to make a background app that ran on its own with 0 user input (books would change on their own every few minutes, and the user would just see what they saw, thus creating a sense of serendipity...that's the whole point of the project).
But that approach didn't work because of technical limitations on hybrid apps (Doze and App Standby are very aggressive). The result—30-minute delays until the user can load another book to prevent app addiction—is essentially marketing spin to cover up this technical shortcoming.
It's a subtle change, and the practical result would've been similar, but it would've felt less artificial...perhaps that would've been more acceptable to you.
So yeah I'm not sold on the approach myself. I half-heartedly released this for Android and am playing wait-and-see before I release for iOS.
It's totally possible I'll end up going another way with this...likely away from mobile altogether. Thanks for checking it out.
3 comments
[ 2.7 ms ] story [ 13.8 ms ] threadIt occurred to me afterward that I should've titled this post
> Show HN: 100 Million Books for Android – An Anti-App (Not Addictive, Not Social)
in light of all the attention smartphone addiction, digital privacy, etc. have been getting recently.
It was built from the ground-up to be unlike most apps...I posted about that here:
https://medium.com/@100millionbooks/100-million-books-now-ha...
It also, to me, sounds more addictive than just being able to flip through snippets until you find something interesting. Instead of being able to just use the app when I want something interesting, you've made it to where I have to regularly check the app for updates until I find something interesting.
I would give it a try if the rate-limiting was optional.
But that approach didn't work because of technical limitations on hybrid apps (Doze and App Standby are very aggressive). The result—30-minute delays until the user can load another book to prevent app addiction—is essentially marketing spin to cover up this technical shortcoming.
It's a subtle change, and the practical result would've been similar, but it would've felt less artificial...perhaps that would've been more acceptable to you.
So yeah I'm not sold on the approach myself. I half-heartedly released this for Android and am playing wait-and-see before I release for iOS.
It's totally possible I'll end up going another way with this...likely away from mobile altogether. Thanks for checking it out.