The Truth About App Developers

[Patrick Chappelle]

There was a discussion here this week about the disappointing performance of apps available via the Ning App Directory. While the criticism of these faulty apps are well deserved, the fact is this problem is not limited to Ning. Take Facebook, for instance. You can find any number of apps that are languishing in limbo because their developers have grown bored with them and have moved on. I think that must be a condition of app developers, especially the ones who offer free apps. I think it's a sort of mental self-gratification, they've got a great idea, and they need to get it out (or "off", as the case may be). These individuals are not unlike the common philanderer who can not contain his appetite, and is eager to move on to his next conquest. Last night it was the blond, tonight the brunette, tomorrow the flaxen haired woman, and so on.

Now to be fair, you get what you pay for. The great proportion of social applications are free, and you can't really complain when you've invested nothing. But how about those apps that offer free and premium versions of their apps? Surely they are worthy of our contempt when they don't deliver. Well who do we know who to trust? Can any of these app developers be trusted? Are we forever doomed to purchase applications from costly developers, or will there ever come a day when we can install quality free or reasonably inexpensive apps for our sites? Probably not. If you haven't the skills to build your own, or the money to purchase a quality application, you're going to have to settle for cheesy apps that break more times than they work, and hope the developer gets back to you before you look like a fool having a dysfunctional app on your site.

[Ed]

Tidy thoughts. I often find myself stuck in a rut for doing too many things for free (not developing apps fyi). It's a tough one but I think the key is accountability. If you're getting anything for free in life, you often have to sacrifice accountability. If you pay for a service, you have something to expect. And the same vice versa - if you do things for free you don't have the same incentive to provide a service as if someone's paying for it.

Patrick Chappelle - the thinking man's NC. Or perhaps just the thinking NC. 

Not sure about the flaxen-haired one though. Back to the blonde...

[Patrick Chappelle]

Thanks for your input and compliment, Ed.

Enjoy your blond. Haha!

[SweetPotato]

An app that would let me easily move from blonde to brunette to flaxen haired women sounds great. I wouldn't get bored of that

SP
(Sweet Player)
:-)

[Patrick Chappelle]

Now that's an app I would gladly pay for, SP! LOL

[JFarrow]

an app that would help me have tidy thoughts like Thunder X would be worth some cashola!

[Patrick Chappelle]

Haha! Thanks J!

[Ron]

Hello Patrick,

I hear you on this one and after years of custom projects and development, we are now bringing our widget service here on Ning. Still in beta but we will be formally announcing it here soon.

Rest assured and we will try our best not to disappoint.

-Ron

[Patrick Chappelle]

I will be looking forward to it, Ron.

[Ron]

Ok, will keep you all posted. thanks

[Jon Roberts]

So is it safe to say, if we bought an app through the Ning solicitation, no one is responsible but ourselves for philandering app builders? I purchased the upgrade of "Member Map" after it was advertised, through Ning Apps, that it would be a great enhancement to the free version. It didn't give me hardly anything and so, after 20 days I appealed to '[e-mail]' for a $30 refund. They never responded. It's been a week since my inquiry with them. What suggestions are out there from the Creators? Sorry for the latent post. I'm new to the site.

[JFarrow]

i have never been impressed with the member map...thats why i build my own http://creators.ning.com/forum/topics/how-to-map-your-members-on-a