Programs: AC*S100K, CX Gold, AF Gold, AR Plat, SPG Gold, Hyatt Diamond, Accor Plat, Fairmont Plat
Posts: 3,657
Quote:
Originally Posted by sdm1130
There are too many ads - I don't think I've ever seen another iPhone app with 2 ads on every screen.
+1
I think there should be a quick way of refreshing a forum, emoticons should be displayed, a quick link to the top forums. I only visit AC and Trip Reports,nfor example, and rarely go into UA MP.
So, you don't believe that a back button, pagination, or the thread title is necessary information do display on a thread?
You're putting words in my mouth. Some basic functionality and information is important. Not all of it must be pinned to the screen constantly taking up valuable space that could be used for actual valuable content.
I agree with this. The app definitely feels it escape earlier than it should have. I have worked in this area for a few years, albeit with news sites, and mobile devices need a different approach - this still feels like it is using a big screen approach and crushing it down.
Some general thoughts:
- The content space is *much* smaller than it should be, and the workflow needs rethinking. You are selling ads but it shouldn't look like that is your primary intent (even if it is as we all have to make a living )
- The controls like the back button, pagination, etc. should get out of the way when it's not needed, look at the NYTimes app for an example of how this should be done.
- For me the ads turn up some distance before the content and that is just bad psychology at several levels and really should be fixed.
- The ads then just sit there taking up screen space. I would suggest they foldaway after the viewer has been on a page for a while but that might not be workable on a forum where the content isn't as dense so the reader moves faster.
- Lose the poster sidebar and move that information elsewhere.
- Likewise the topic header. Do people really need to know what the topic is once they start to read it? The sense of the original topic seldom survives beyond the first page anyway.
I understand that the app is a work in progress but purely from a usability point of view I think it has a long way to go (I am aware that this is all personal opinion). I suggest the designers go away and look at news content sites (ok - I'm biased ) to see what can be done to maximise the real estate while maintaining advertising space and usability. The underlying engine may work happily but as it stands most people are not going to get past the layout and design.
Programs: QF Plat./OW Emerald + Life Gold, IC Plat. Royal Ambassador, etc.
Posts: 2,891
Quote:
Originally Posted by COFlyerCLE
I think the feature that I would put forth as being important is the ability to see your subscribed forums, not just the subscribed threads
Absolutely.
While it is great to have an FT app. it is not very user friendly at the moment.
When one usually goes to FT many/most of us navigate there via a favorite saved in our browser, with one click being able to visit our forums.
You can't do this on the app, meaning that to get to the forums you have to go through the long and annoying process of clicking 'Home', then 'Forums', then the Category (e.g. Airline progs), and then finally the Forum itself.
This is far, far too clumsy and time consuming.
Also, don't know about the rest of you, but for me being able to access my favorite forums/pages is vastly more important to me than than accessing the Threads I subscribe to: yet on the app I have a button the latter but have no such option to do the former.
Please thus add a 'Favorites' feature cos, despite loving FT, I won't be using the app much until this happens - the app just isn't an enjoyable experience at present.
Allowing you to make one of the Forums your 'Homepage' on the app. would also be great (for all the same reasons).
And yes, too many ads. Far too many.
.
Last edited by Aisle Seat H; Dec 25, 10 at 2:44 pm..
The page numbers for threads over 1000 pages are shown as 1...
I agree with the other poster here about being able to view threads backwards, perhaps this can be a setting that can be switched on and off.
Generally as an app it's a good first attempt but needs more work. There's a lot of good points here which if you can incorporate all of these would make it a worthy paid app as opposed to free.
I have to say that I find this app to be a GREAT tool, and far, far better than using the mobile version of Flyertalk on on iPhone. I don't begrudge the ads either, as websites have to make money somehow, and Flyertalk follows a publishing model. Having said that, I echo the comments of others and would gladly pay up to $4.99 for an "ad free" version.
Unfortunately, I deleted the app from my iPhone after 2 days. Too much real estate used for ads. No other app I use has that many ads and it really makes the app unusable. Clearly, you deserve to get ad revenue on a free app, but the implementation is the worst I have seen. No offense intended.
No offense taken. We really didn't know how to handle ads, but we're taking the feedback and the next version should be less intrusive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by freelance
I agree with this. The app definitely feels it escape earlier than it should have. I have worked in this area for a few years, albeit with news sites, and mobile devices need a different approach - this still feels like it is using a big screen approach and crushing it down.
Some general thoughts:
- The content space is *much* smaller than it should be, and the workflow needs rethinking. You are selling ads but it shouldn't look like that is your primary intent (even if it is as we all have to make a living )
- The controls like the back button, pagination, etc. should get out of the way when it's not needed, look at the NYTimes app for an example of how this should be done.
- For me the ads turn up some distance before the content and that is just bad psychology at several levels and really should be fixed.
- The ads then just sit there taking up screen space. I would suggest they foldaway after the viewer has been on a page for a while but that might not be workable on a forum where the content isn't as dense so the reader moves faster.
- Lose the poster sidebar and move that information elsewhere.
- Likewise the topic header. Do people really need to know what the topic is once they start to read it? The sense of the original topic seldom survives beyond the first page anyway.
I understand that the app is a work in progress but purely from a usability point of view I think it has a long way to go (I am aware that this is all personal opinion). I suggest the designers go away and look at news content sites (ok - I'm biased ) to see what can be done to maximise the real estate while maintaining advertising space and usability. The underlying engine may work happily but as it stands most people are not going to get past the layout and design.
Great feedback. Thank you very much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aisle Seat H
Absolutely.
While it is great to have an FT app. it is not very user friendly at the moment.
When one usually goes to FT many/most of us navigate there via a favorite saved in our browser, with one click being able to visit our forums.
You can't do this on the app, meaning that to get to the forums you have to go through the long and annoying process of clicking 'Home', then 'Forums', then the Category (e.g. Airline progs), and then finally the Forum itself.
This is far, far too clumsy and time consuming.
Also, don't know about the rest of you, but for me being able to access my favorite forums/pages is vastly more important to me than than accessing the Threads I subscribe to: yet on the app I have a button the latter but have no such option to do the former.
Please thus add a 'Favorites' feature cos, despite loving FT, I won't be using the app much until this happens - the app just isn't an enjoyable experience at present.
Allowing you to make one of the Forums your 'Homepage' on the app. would also be great (for all the same reasons).
And yes, too many ads. Far too many.
.
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mattk
The page numbers for threads over 1000 pages are shown as 1...
I agree with the other poster here about being able to view threads backwards, perhaps this can be a setting that can be switched on and off.
Generally as an app it's a good first attempt but needs more work. There's a lot of good points here which if you can incorporate all of these would make it a worthy paid app as opposed to free.
We're aware of the pagination issue and are working on a solution. Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by KIXman
Dunno if it's just me but if I reply to a post in a subscribed thread, my subscription to that thread is cancelled.
This is the first I've heard of this issue. We are investigating. Thanks for reporting it.
Dunno if it's just me but if I reply to a post in a subscribed thread, my subscription to that thread is cancelled.
When you say your subscription is canceled, do you just not receive email notifications for subsequent replies, or does the thread completely disappear from your list of subscribed threads? Do you still see it here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/subsc...n&folderid=all ?
I just subscribed to a thread (with no notification) and then replied to that thread from the app. It still showed up on the above list.
Now, if you are subscribed to a thread with instant email notification, you receive an email when someone makes a reply, but you won't receive another notification when someone else replies until you have visited the thread. It's possible that the app doesn't make the proper notation that you have viewed the thread, so you fail to receive further notification when the thread is updated (until you view the thread in a web browser). Is it possible that this is the behavior being observed?
When you say your subscription is canceled, do you just not receive email notifications for subsequent replies, or does the thread completely disappear from your list of subscribed threads? Do you still see it here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/subsc...n&folderid=all ?
I just subscribed to a thread (with no notification) and then replied to that thread from the app. It still showed up on the above list.
Now, if you are subscribed to a thread with instant email notification, you receive an email when someone makes a reply, but you won't receive another notification when someone else replies until you have visited the thread. It's possible that the app doesn't make the proper notation that you have viewed the thread, so you fail to receive further notification when the thread is updated (until you view the thread in a web browser). Is it possible that this is the behavior being observed?
)
