META: MGoBlog HD iPhone App no longer supported?
I wondered if anyone else has this same issue. I just tried to pull up the MGoBlog HD app on my iPhone and it is telling me that it is no longer supported. Anyone else have this same problem? I know there was a stretch recently where it wasn't working at all, but it had been working just fine lately.
January 31st, 2017 at 3:48 PM ^
newer version
January 31st, 2017 at 5:39 PM ^
January 31st, 2017 at 3:48 PM ^
It was never authorized by us, and we never saw a dime from it. The MGoBlog app has been updated.
January 31st, 2017 at 3:50 PM ^
I got a response from our fearless leader, damn.
January 31st, 2017 at 7:15 PM ^
was recently passed in MGoPoints by WD. I will now be switching my allegiance over to him.
Apparel posts uber alles!
/s
January 31st, 2017 at 3:53 PM ^
maybe consider hiring that guy to fix the official app... because the HD app was beautiful and it worked. The official app looks awful and has stability problems.
January 31st, 2017 at 3:55 PM ^
I just downloaded the official app, and it's crashed 4 times already trying to view this thread.
January 31st, 2017 at 4:01 PM ^
keeps closing/crashing when I try to open.
January 31st, 2017 at 6:20 PM ^
January 31st, 2017 at 4:00 PM ^
Just downloaded the official app. It crashed twice and looks like it was last updated in 2008. Brian, would you consider hiring the HD developer to reskin the app or perhaps monetize his? Obviously we would all like the Blog team to get paid for their hard work, but the original app is pretty awful.
January 31st, 2017 at 4:24 PM ^
"Last updated in 2008"
Just like the website! (ba dum bum)
Best seriously, I love the content here, but the layout and functionality is butt. The HD app was actually the most polished and best way to view the site to me. The ability to collapse entire comment trees was awesome.
And I actually tried to reply to this initially on the HD app, but I guess its functionality was officially killed for me mid post. So, I logged on to the site on my desktop and tried to write my comment again and got about 5-6 502 site offline errors.
And since Brian has already checked in on this thread, I'll say it again and hope he sees it: please update the site. You should either have the money, or could easily raise the money via a kickstarter to do it. This is the only site I go to online that consistently crashes and has an ancient layout and functionality. Given the success of the site, it boggles the mind.
January 31st, 2017 at 7:45 PM ^
I don't use the apps so maybe I'm in the dark here but...
Did Brian like sue this guy to get the HD app taken down?
Isn't it odd someone with zero affiliation to the site created an app solely for this site with no connection to the owner?
There's an ironic humor to the fact a guy with zero affiliation created an app 10x better than the one the actual site has been able put together.
January 31st, 2017 at 8:06 PM ^
I doubt it. Likely just asked nicely or sent a standard C&D.
I'd imagine that the MGoBlog HD app had some programmatic access to the database, as it seems like they worked together recently to fix some issue that was plaguing the app. Could also have just been as simple as shutting off that access.
I really hope they figure out a way to work together to support the HD app while also supporting the site.
January 31st, 2017 at 4:01 PM ^
I agree but I will take a new website before a new app any day. Just wish Brian and team would help us help them. Lots of smart folks on here that would be more than willing to pay for or do whatever redesign they need.
January 31st, 2017 at 7:53 PM ^
It has been stated many times the userbase would contribute to site upgrades, helping fund an app, etc.. It's fairly obvious the leaders don't care. Removing the HD app, especially the day before National Signing Day, is a bit of the middle finger to us. I know, free site, I should feel grateful, etc..
Magnus - can we fund an app for your site and move all of the message board engagement over there?
January 31st, 2017 at 10:17 PM ^
I wish Magnus and MGoFish would join forces and provide some competition. Magnus has good insight, and Fish has good recruiting updates. Throw in a better message board layout and I'll happily move over.
Or.....maybe when Scout finishes going under and Sam is cut free, he and Magnus can team up and create a site. That would likely be the nail in the MGoCoffin.
January 31st, 2017 at 4:01 PM ^
Hire? Just ask him nicely. TTBOMK, he wasn't monetizing it as-is, and he came up with a much better app just for the sake of doing it.
January 31st, 2017 at 4:17 PM ^
this is the part i don't get. why not just work with the guy to monetize it? get your payday and give him a slice, keep the user happy.
January 31st, 2017 at 4:18 PM ^
this is the part i don't get. why not just work with the guy to monetize it? get your payday and give him a slice, keep the user happy.
January 31st, 2017 at 5:35 PM ^
January 31st, 2017 at 7:39 PM ^
Don't you have some Russian IT hackers on call who could whip us up a killer app in a few hours?
I mean what your people have been able to do with Twitter bots is incredible, this should be a piece of cake.
January 31st, 2017 at 4:09 PM ^
but if being able to actually post from the app, then yeah.
Only the HD app lets me post & doesn't crash.
the official app hasn't worked for me in over a year.
January 31st, 2017 at 4:09 PM ^
January 31st, 2017 at 6:26 PM ^
That would be ideal. Unfortunately I'm sure they have a contract of some kind with the other developer, so they can't just hire someone else even if they wanted to.
January 31st, 2017 at 7:06 PM ^
looks awful and has stability problemsBut that's the mgoblog signature!
January 31st, 2017 at 3:58 PM ^
But it was a far superior app. Seems like somewhat of a taxi vs uber situation to me...disappointing
January 31st, 2017 at 4:03 PM ^
I, for one, would have happily paid to use the MGoBlog HD app (assuming there was a revenue-split worked out with MGoBlog). I'm sure I'm not alone.
Is there any chance that avenue will be explored?
It's much better and more stable than the "official" app.
January 31st, 2017 at 4:05 PM ^
this is definitely a downgrade...app looks worse and continually crashes...web it is...
January 31st, 2017 at 5:11 PM ^
January 31st, 2017 at 5:44 PM ^
January 31st, 2017 at 6:00 PM ^
Engagement, in and of itself, is one of the most valuable things MGoBlog has going for it. Whether or not the engagement is directly monetized, its value is real. Simply put, damaging engagement is damaging MGoBlog's value.
January 31st, 2017 at 6:26 PM ^
The front page posts aren't what drives the million(s) of montly visits to the site -- its the message board and comment sections. Its the whole reason Brian added them a long time ago. While new front page content only happens 1-3 times a day, you generally get a dozen or two new message board posts, that each have dozens and dozens of comments on them. That the fuel the feeds the MGoBlog engine.
Now, even if like 25% of people were visiting and commenting on the site via the MGoBlog HD app, they were still commenting and driving engagement and encouraging the other 75% to get more engaged which increases traffic.
So its not a net 1:1 tradeoff.
Personally, I'm about a 50-50 HD app vs. desktop user of the site. Now that the HD app is dead, I'm not going to use the old app because its bad. And I'm not going to use the mobile site because that is also a bad experience. So the net result here is that myself and those like me will just visit the site less and be less engaged overall.
January 31st, 2017 at 6:38 PM ^
but not neccesaily with your conclusions.
While the board is very popular, I've always gotten the feeling that it's more of an afterthought for Brian & Co.
The focus seems enrtirely on the front page.
This site is run like a newspaper or a magazine. Thats why HTTV gets such star treatment.
January 31st, 2017 at 10:21 PM ^
Their focus is absolutely the front page. But whether they realize it or not, the only reason they make money is because of the message boards. I'd bet traffic generated is somewhere in the 20:1 ratio in favor of the message boards. And I wouldn't be surprised if its more in the 50:1 or higher range.
January 31st, 2017 at 5:37 PM ^
You pull the plug the day before NSD tho? Real cool B, real cool...
January 31st, 2017 at 5:50 PM ^
January 31st, 2017 at 6:02 PM ^
Is app traffic a bigger burden than web traffic? If everyone shifts from the app to safari won't we still have crashes? I'm asking for a friend who doesn't know much about these things
January 31st, 2017 at 6:33 PM ^
App traffic is a pretty big deal. I work for a very large website and can tell you that desktop vs. mobile/app traffic is about a 50-50 split these days and it keeps tilting more and more towards mobile/app.
For me, the app was the only stable way to access the site in times of high traffic. Desktop is almost completely worthless. So unless he's unveiling increased site traffic capability tomorrow, trying to shift traffic from an unsanctioned app to the site is going to go bad.
I mean, fuck. The fact that we all know the site is going to be shitty tomorrow and virtually unusable is insane. The product is so broken, that the user base just expects it to be a bad experience.
January 31st, 2017 at 7:28 PM ^
It's really a testament to the content on here, both site and user created, that we all just deal with the crappy site performance, design and app issues. So, yea team, and boo team.
February 1st, 2017 at 12:50 AM ^
We're all MGoAddicts.
January 31st, 2017 at 7:33 PM ^
January 31st, 2017 at 9:13 PM ^
lol. the only hope to increase revenue through ad views is to cram the nginx 502 error page full of ads.
January 31st, 2017 at 3:51 PM ^
I had the problem a few weeks ago. Everything seems to be working fine since then.
January 31st, 2017 at 3:53 PM ^
Thanks guys!!!
January 31st, 2017 at 3:54 PM ^
Wasn't showing content for me for the last week. Giving the old app a try now.
January 31st, 2017 at 4:26 PM ^
EDIT: Nevermind. Originally posted you just needed to update it, but it was officially killed after I posted that.
January 31st, 2017 at 3:56 PM ^
I've never understood the whole "app" thing from a mobile device. I use the browser on my phone and have all of the functionality that I have from my laptop or macbook.
January 31st, 2017 at 3:59 PM ^
For me, I like having notifications pop up. Also, I keep the app front and center for easy access as my job sucks and like to read it to make time go faster
January 31st, 2017 at 4:38 PM ^
January 31st, 2017 at 3:59 PM ^
It could give you notificiations when there were new front page posts and its GUI was designed for mobile whereas the actual website's is not.