ADN, whose on here?

[Disrelation]

I'm just curious, how many of you are on ADN (app.net) or have checked it out? I just joined a few days ago after being recommended by a friend, I'm impressed with it so far. It's still in it's infancy but I do like how engaging it's been.

Also, if you already have an account, feel free to follow me; https://alpha.app.net/taylorb

 

[Brandon Sheley]

I'm not interested in paying for something I have for free already.

 

[BlackJacket]

I agree. I don't even look at the ads on Facebook so there is nothing to worry about...

 

[Disrelation]

I agree. I don't even look at the ads on Facebook so there is nothing to worry about...

Think more Twitter, not Facebook. It's more than just the ads, more is explained in the video at https://join.app.net/.

 

[BlackJacket]

Not interested in yet another social networking site. In fact, I'm rather quite bored of the current lineup and would actually like to get rid of them.

 

[Brandon Sheley]

Nice domain, I'll give them that.
but what it's missing is the userbase, I don't see it really working but I may also be getting bored with social networks lately.

 

[Sim]

It's far more than a social network ... it's also an application integration platform.

How's this for an idea:

1. write a plugin for XenForo (and any other forum software you choose) which takes new threads from your forum and posts them to an app.net stream
2. write an app (web, iOS, Android, etc) which allows you to selectively subscribe to feeds from a variety of forums and display them in a easy-to-read consolidated stream of updates from your favourite forums

That's just a simple idea off the top of my head and may or may not be useful. You could even have the app allow posting back to your forums to make it two-way interactive.

Have a look at the chess game that's been written, and for the app developers - check out annotations. This is the really cool stuff which allows you to do far more than just post updates to your stream - it allows you to include any meaningful data along with your update (up to 8,192 bytes worth!).

Annotations would allow you to include long-form content along with the update for apps who wish to consume it (or users can choose to ignore it and only get the short update instead).

I was struggling to see what could be done with the API until I read about annotations - that really opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

Stop thinking 140 (or 256) character updates about your cat ... and instead think about a pub-sub messaging system for social applications.

PS. I'm @simonhampel on ADN

 

[BlackJacket]

Not helping to sell the product... They have narrowed themselves down to a handful of people willing to fork out money to enjoy annotations...

It's far more than a social network ... it's also an application integration platform.

How's this for an idea:

1. write a plugin for XenForo (and any other forum software you choose) which takes new threads from your forum and posts them to an app.net stream
2. write an app (web, iOS, Android, etc) which allows you to selectively subscribe to feeds from a variety of forums and display them in a easy-to-read consolidated stream of updates from your favourite forums

That's just a simple idea off the top of my head and may or may not be useful. You could even have the app allow posting back to your forums to make it two-way interactive.

Have a look at the chess game that's been written, and for the app developers - check out annotations. This is the really cool stuff which allows you to do far more than just post updates to your stream - it allows you to include any meaningful data along with your update (up to 8,192 bytes worth!).

Annotations would allow you to include long-form content along with the update for apps who wish to consume it (or users can choose to ignore it and only get the short update instead).

I was struggling to see what could be done with the API until I read about annotations - that really opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

Stop thinking 140 (or 256) character updates about your cat ... and instead think about a pub-sub messaging system for social applications.

PS. I'm @simonhampel on ADN

 

[Sim]

Not helping to sell the product... They have narrowed themselves down to a handful of people willing to fork out money to enjoy annotations...

Why? Because it's not free? Why does everything have to be free? I think this is a mindset that a large percentage of the internet population has got themselves into and it limits their ability to be able to see the bigger picture.

I guess you've never paid money for something useful then?

If there are so many free apps in the various phone app stores, why do people willingly pay for apps? Perhaps because they offer a Unique Selling Proposition - a differentiator which makes them worth paying for.

I can think of a lot of examples of other free services online where there is also paid version which thrives. The whole free vs paid thing does not wash - yes, charging for something will limit the userbase, but it doesn't matter if there is sufficient benefit from paying for access, there will be a large enough takeup to make it genuinely useful.

Right now, ADN is just a smallish network with not much functionality - but give it time and I think you'll see it evolve into something far more than just pictures of cats.

The people who don't want Yet Another Social Network might still (in the future) want to use the application functionality provided by innovative social applications that haven't been invented yet. For each person there may be one of many apps which convinces them to become part of the network - right now we just have a platform, the apps will come in time and then it might start to make more sense.

 

[BlackJacket]

Why? Because it's not free? Why does everything have to be free? I think this is a mindset that a large percentage of the internet population has got themselves into and it limits their ability to be able to see the bigger picture.

I guess you've never paid money for something useful then?

If there are so many free apps in the various phone app stores, why do people willingly pay for apps? Perhaps because they offer a Unique Selling Proposition - a differentiator which makes them worth paying for.

I can think of a lot of examples of other free services online where there is also paid version which thrives. The whole free vs paid thing does not wash - yes, charging for something will limit the userbase, but it doesn't matter if there is sufficient benefit from paying for access, there will be a large enough takeup to make it genuinely useful.

Right now, ADN is just a smallish network with not much functionality - but give it time and I think you'll see it evolve into something far more than just pictures of cats.

The people who don't want Yet Another Social Network might still (in the future) want to use the application functionality provided by innovative social applications that haven't been invented yet. For each person there may be one of many apps which convinces them to become part of the network - right now we just have a platform, the apps will come in time and then it might start to make more sense.

I've paid for useful work, not social networking which is what this is.

 

[Sim]

I've paid for useful work, not social networking which is what this is.

Right now, yes it is just social networking and I can forgive you for not seeing any value yet - most people won't until there are apps which create that value.

I expect it will evolve into something far more useful in the future.

As for the limiting the user base with a paid model, I think it is largely a case of "if you build it, they will come" (assuming you build something genuinely useful).

We're not there yet though!

 

[a legacy reborn]

Right now, yes it is just social networking and I can forgive you for not seeing any value yet - most people won't until there are apps which create that value.

I expect it will evolve into something far more useful in the future.

As for the limiting the user base with a paid model, I think it is largely a case of "if you build it, they will come" (assuming you build something genuinely useful).

We're not there yet though!

It will never get a user base because it charges. They should have made it free to their first million users if they wanted to have a robust user base, but instead they will just have a few people who foolishly believe that it will become big and thus spend their money on a here one day, gone the next fad.

 

[Disrelation]

It will never get a user base because it charges. They should have made it free to their first million users if they wanted to have a robust user base, but instead they will just have a few people who foolishly believe that it will become big and thus spend their money on a here one day, gone the next fad.

You speak too soon.

 

[Sim]

It will never get a user base because it charges. They should have made it free to their first million users if they wanted to have a robust user base, but instead they will just have a few people who foolishly believe that it will become big and thus spend their money on a here one day, gone the next fad.

Just hit 25,000 users about 30 minutes ago. That's up from the 18,000 users they had just over 5 weeks ago when their initial Kickstarter funding finished (where they made over $800,000 from backers).

It's very early days ... their "sample" UI (called "alpha") has only been online for just over 2 months now.