FlyerTalk Forums

FlyerTalk Forums (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/index.php)
-   Technical Support and Feedback (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/technical-support-feedback-386/)
-   -   Flyertalk iPhone App Feedback (all versions) (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/technical-support-feedback/1162234-flyertalk-iphone-app-feedback-all-versions.html)

ansonkemp Dec 27, 2010 9:10 pm

Ads are poorly placed and very annoying
 
I was elated to hear of the iphone app, but by elation quickly faded after using the app for only a few minutes.

1. the ads poor placement make the interface hard to navigate

2. the number of ads on one page are overwhelming to my limited screen real estate

3. the navigation is hampered by too small categories for my fingers and by poor navigation elements (buttons, links etc.)

I would gladly pay $5 for a ad free version with better navigation.

vbroucek Dec 28, 2010 1:39 am

Crashes now seem to be fixed. Missing option to mark thread as read...

KIXman Dec 28, 2010 4:14 am


Originally Posted by IB-Dick (Post 15531296)
I just confirmed this.

Thanks for checking.
Just for other readers' reference, the subscribed thread completely disappears from the list of subscribed threads. So if I had 20 subscriptions before, the number of subscribed threads would go down to 19.

dstan Dec 28, 2010 12:26 pm

IB-Dick, I just downloaded it and didn't think it quite as bad as some here (although I did like learning about the WAP website upthread, because I've been using the mobile one that doesn't have the UserCP, but I digress...)

Here's some feedback, which I'm sure echoes things said upthread:

1) Home page - Delete the avatar and "Welcome, dstan" at the top - it's really a waste of real estate.

2) Home page - Also delete the avatars down the lefthand side. Few on FT use them, and while some other vB sites may have more users with them, they do not add useful information.

3) Home page - Can you add a setting so that users can select whether they want to see Newest, Top, or Subscribed as the default? I suspect that many members, like myself, read only certain forums within FT, and the FT-wide selections (Newest, Top) will not get as much use, but should be there for newbies and other members who do use them.

4) Subscribed - As I think was stated upthread, we need not only Subscribed Threads but also Subscribed Forums. This is huge (see 3 above).

5) Subscribed - The Subscribed Threads list looks incomplete for me - is it truncated? Can we have the complete list instead?

6) Definitely need to add the functionality to jump to the last unread post. That's the way most of the frequent readers, who are presumably the target audience for this app, use FT.

7) Menu button at the top - It's not intuitive that it takes you to the menu but also shows what menu item has been selected. Not sure I have a better solution, though.

8) Page numbers - You could cut down the amount of real estate this requires and perhaps merge into the bottom menu by just showing first, current, last, with left and right arrows.

9) Forums - Navigating once thru to a list of subforums is fine, but twice is too much (cf. NYC). Perhaps those second derivative subforums could all be listed together rather than requiring a second clickthru.

Thanks! :)

COFlyerCLE Dec 28, 2010 3:33 pm


Originally Posted by KIXman (Post 15535032)
Thanks for checking.
Just for other readers' reference, the subscribed thread completely disappears from the list of subscribed threads. So if I had 20 subscriptions before, the number of subscribed threads would go down to 19.

Yes, I see the same behavior as well.

IB-Dick Dec 28, 2010 4:28 pm


Originally Posted by KIXman (Post 15535032)
Thanks for checking.
Just for other readers' reference, the subscribed thread completely disappears from the list of subscribed threads. So if I had 20 subscriptions before, the number of subscribed threads would go down to 19.

I've tried to replicate this, but haven't been able to. I'll continue to try and send it over to the QA department to see if they can replicate it.


Originally Posted by COFlyerCLE (Post 15538361)
Yes, I see the same behavior as well.

That just frustrates me more! Thanks for confirming his problem though.


Originally Posted by dstan (Post 15537259)
IB-Dick, I just downloaded it and didn't think it quite as bad as some here (although I did like learning about the WAP website upthread, because I've been using the mobile one that doesn't have the UserCP, but I digress...)

Here's some feedback, which I'm sure echoes things said upthread:

1) Home page - Delete the avatar and "Welcome, dstan" at the top - it's really a waste of real estate.

2) Home page - Also delete the avatars down the lefthand side. Few on FT use them, and while some other vB sites may have more users with them, they do not add useful information.

3) Home page - Can you add a setting so that users can select whether they want to see Newest, Top, or Subscribed as the default? I suspect that many members, like myself, read only certain forums within FT, and the FT-wide selections (Newest, Top) will not get as much use, but should be there for newbies and other members who do use them.

4) Subscribed - As I think was stated upthread, we need not only Subscribed Threads but also Subscribed Forums. This is huge (see 3 above).

5) Subscribed - The Subscribed Threads list looks incomplete for me - is it truncated? Can we have the complete list instead?

6) Definitely need to add the functionality to jump to the last unread post. That's the way most of the frequent readers, who are presumably the target audience for this app, use FT.

7) Menu button at the top - It's not intuitive that it takes you to the menu but also shows what menu item has been selected. Not sure I have a better solution, though.

8) Page numbers - You could cut down the amount of real estate this requires and perhaps merge into the bottom menu by just showing first, current, last, with left and right arrows.

9) Forums - Navigating once thru to a list of subforums is fine, but twice is too much (cf. NYC). Perhaps those second derivative subforums could all be listed together rather than requiring a second clickthru.

Thanks! :)

Thanks for the detailed feedback, dstan. I'll try to get some time to give you a detailed response, because I do have replies to some of the statements in there.

anabolism Dec 28, 2010 8:30 pm

I've been waiting for a FT app for my iPod for years! I'm glad to see it.

However:


Originally Posted by travellers4fun (Post 15495153)
I've never seen an app with more ads.

I've never seen one with this number of ads! Really, it's way OTT.


Originally Posted by baliktad (Post 15497404)
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. It boggles my mind why so much space is wasted on a row of page numbers when the overwhelming use case is simply "get me to the latest unread post." Put next/previous page links at the top or bottom of the page if you must, but make them scroll away.

I absolutely agree.


Originally Posted by dstan (Post 15537259)
1) Home page - Delete the avatar and "Welcome, dstan" at the top - it's really a waste of real estate.

2) Home page - Also delete the avatars down the lefthand side. Few on FT use them, and while some other vB sites may have more users with them, they do not add useful information.

3) Home page - Can you add a setting so that users can select whether they want to see Newest, Top, or Subscribed as the default? I suspect that many members, like myself, read only certain forums within FT, and the FT-wide selections (Newest, Top) will not get as much use, but should be there for newbies and other members who do use them.

4) Subscribed - As I think was stated upthread, we need not only Subscribed Threads but also Subscribed Forums. This is huge (see 3 above).

5) Subscribed - The Subscribed Threads list looks incomplete for me - is it truncated? Can we have the complete list instead?

6) Definitely need to add the functionality to jump to the last unread post. That's the way most of the frequent readers, who are presumably the target audience for this app, use FT.

7) Menu button at the top - It's not intuitive that it takes you to the menu but also shows what menu item has been selected. Not sure I have a better solution, though.

8) Page numbers - You could cut down the amount of real estate this requires and perhaps merge into the bottom menu by just showing first, current, last, with left and right arrows.

9) Forums - Navigating once thru to a list of subforums is fine, but twice is too much (cf. NYC). Perhaps those second derivative subforums could all be listed together rather than requiring a second clickthru.

All excellent suggestions which I second.

anabolism Dec 28, 2010 8:33 pm

"Flyertalk" by
 
BTW, when I searched for "Flyertalk" in the iTunes Store, I came across "Flyertalk" by Christian Smith :D

He also has one called "Air Miles."

KIXman Dec 28, 2010 8:53 pm

Test message

Edit:
I posted the above message by subscribing to this thread, then doing the following steps to do post it using the app:
1. click on subscribed at the bottom of the screen
2. choose a subscribed thread
3. use the page numbers at the top of the screen to scroll to the last page
4. select the last page
5. scroll to a post to reply to and select it (I tried the last post)
6. click on reply button at the bottom of the screen
7. compose reply and click done, then click submit
8. go back, then back, then back again to list of subscribed threads

Result was the same, the subscription vanished from my list. Maybe you can try checking it out in the same way?

PSUhorty Dec 29, 2010 7:53 am

Holy freaking ads.
It is also VERY bothersome to have the ads scroll. The fact they take up so much space is bothersome enough as it is. Thanks for the second kick to the nuts.

sgblack Dec 29, 2010 11:45 am

Thanks for developing this. I just downloaded it today and after working with it here are my comments:

Agree that the avatars and number of posts bubble could be deleted. They just take up room and don't add value to a "mobile" app version.

Also there should be a way to navigate directly to the newest posts in your subscribed threads

I think one ad is acceptable but two is unusual for an iPhone app. In the FT app, having the same ad on the top and the bottom of the page seems really OTT.

Appears you have fixed the crash problem iOS 4.2.1.

tomh009 Dec 29, 2010 5:32 pm


Originally Posted by yosithezet (Post 15493406)
I sell enterprise software. As much as I understand why you are saying this, from my perspective this is the FT implementation of the app and I dont care about the other forums. I actually want to use expletives each time i see this response. It seems that someone is confusing generic product with specific implementation. Build generic infrastructure but make sure you are releasing to me something that takes into account how and why I use your forum. This app does a very poor job of providing value in my opinion. Build something specific for the more complex customers and then cut it down to something generic would be a better way to go.

Alas, this really looks like a generic mobile vBulletin implementation, with only light skinning for FT. I'd bet money that the "IB" in IB-Dick stands for Internet Brands, the owners of vBulletin.

IB-Dick Dec 29, 2010 5:56 pm


Originally Posted by KIXman (Post 15540003)
Test message

Edit:
I posted the above message by subscribing to this thread, then doing the following steps to do post it using the app:
1. click on subscribed at the bottom of the screen
2. choose a subscribed thread
3. use the page numbers at the top of the screen to scroll to the last page
4. select the last page
5. scroll to a post to reply to and select it (I tried the last post)
6. click on reply button at the bottom of the screen
7. compose reply and click done, then click submit
8. go back, then back, then back again to list of subscribed threads

Result was the same, the subscription vanished from my list. Maybe you can try checking it out in the same way?

Thanks. I'll try that.


Originally Posted by tomh009 (Post 15545602)
I'd bet money that the "IB" in IB-Dick stands for Internet Brands, the owners of vBulletin.

No, it stands for Internet Brands, the owners of Flyertalk. It just so happens that the Internet Brands that owns Flyertalk is the same Internet Brands that owns vBulletin. Nice detective work though.

dstan Dec 29, 2010 9:25 pm



Originally Posted by KIXman (Post 15540003)
Test message

Edit:
I posted the above message by subscribing to this thread, then doing the following steps to do post it using the app:
1. click on subscribed at the bottom of the screen
2. choose a subscribed thread
3. use the page numbers at the top of the screen to scroll to the last page
4. select the last page
5. scroll to a post to reply to and select it (I tried the last post)
6. click on reply button at the bottom of the screen
7. compose reply and click done, then click submit
8. go back, then back, then back again to list of subscribed threads

Result was the same, the subscription vanished from my list. Maybe you can try checking it out in the same way?

Thanks. I'll try that.


Originally Posted by tomh009 (Post 15545602)
I'd bet money that the "IB" in IB-Dick stands for Internet Brands, the owners of vBulletin.

No, it stands for Internet Brands, the owners of Flyertalk. It just so happens that the Internet Brands that owns Flyertalk is the same Internet Brands that owns vBulletin. Nice detective work though.
One thing I'm noticing posting right now from the app is that when you quote a prev post, the quote does NOT include the QUOTE=xyz coding to link to the immediately quoted post but DOES include the embedded quote as well as the link to that quote. None of that is standard behavior on the web version.

Also, I find the formatting palette too close to the last line of text as it gets in the way when I want to place the cursor to edit, etc.

Finally, I find the page numbers too small to hit accurately, particularly when jumping to the last page.

Hope this helps & thanks!

COFlyerCLE Dec 30, 2010 10:17 am

I have noticed that when you post from the App - you also have options to post a pic or video... although I have not had any success with this.

Is this really functional? It sure would be nice to be able to post a photo directly into FT rather than just linking to a website...

Anyone have any insight into this?


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 3:00 pm.


This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.