SF Mobile App Progress Update

An update and additional information for the hundred of new members that have arrived since we began working on this project as a community-

Approximately 65% of SF site usage is on a phone/tablet or other mobile device. There has always been interest in having an actual SF app to help members in using SF. While the mobile site works quite well for the majority of people, with an actual mobile app we would be able to send push notifications of key events- for example if you get a private forum message, if somebody replies to one of your threads, or if a new post or thread happens on a forum or section you are "watching".

With instant notification of when there is a reply to thread or post. it will allow peopel to reply faster and not sit there hitting refresh waiting for peopel to reply- they will know when there is a new reply and be able to respond - possibly while the other member is still online to allow more active support and conversation. In addition, if you are wanting to chat with somebody thta is not online you could send a private message to them on the forum and the app would notify them you sent a message allowing you to seek support or interact more easily with SF friends without resorting to giving out other venues of contact that risk your anonymity or privacy.

With these and other reasons in mind, we started the very large task of hacving a mobile app developed for SF. This is a very large process that first involved having a relatively expensive full site map / API completed which we already have had done, then raising funds for software development for the app. The app will of course be free to all members when complete and have no fees other than whatever data fees your carrier imposes on your device.

WE have just passed the 51% mark for donations!! Thank you and congratulations! The holiday and winter months were understandably a little slow in the collection of donations- hopefully as warmer weather comes and winter bills lessen we will speed up again and be able to to start development in the next 2-3 months. I am still hoping to have the app completed and available by summer. Now we are over half way there it shoudl go a lot easier as we are working downhill now

To donate specifically to the app please use the Donate Mobile App button on the top of the forum. If you donate in the monthly expenses area though all excess over monthly expenses automatically moves to the app savings so it will still end up in the same place (but is why it says 47% goal when we are at 51% in reality - it is excess from this monthly donations that do not show credited). It is a total of about $2350/ left to go to start development. With over 5000 monthly SF users literally would be under 50 cents per person- so small donations are more than welcome - $5 is a great and appreciated donation that adds up quickly - please do not donate more than you can comfortably or if it will cause you any difficulty or hardship.

All donors that wish will of course recive the SF supporter banner- any donation - even $1 - please do list your member name in notes on donation or send me a private message letting me know you donated so I can add your banner.

Thank you all for your support and I do hope when the app is complete it adds a new higher level of support for all members.

Click to Donate for Mobile App

All donations go through Paypal Bank - an international bank and monetary transfer system. You can use any major credit or debit card or checking account to donate and do not have to have a paypal account to donate. The donations and all personal information is handled by the PayPal 128 bit encrypted secure servers- we do not see, access, or store any of your credit card or personal information- the only information we receive is a member name if you add it to the notes and an email address to reference the donation to with Paypal. This is why we ask you to use member name or to private message letting me know you donated to give the banner - we cannot tell from the transaction record from donations on that link. On the monthly donate link it goes by member name unless you click anonymous. If you wish to confirm a donation was received or have any questions about a donation after made please send me a private conversation message on the forum

How about moving the forum on to tapatlk or something similar?

I'm psyched to be at the half way mark. That's great.

I was not familiar with it- I did look it up. The initial thought is a no because they cover it with advertising and I will not allow advertising on here. The advertising is based on the topics talked about - so it would be a lot of scam advertising for magnet bracelets to cure depression and things like that and we cannot control it- that is how tapatalk makes its money- by placing advertising on your site.

They have premium plans where we could control the advertising or remove it but first look is it would be nearly double our monthly costs which would make it more expensive than the app by the end of the first year. The $5 and $10/month prices listed are for very very small communities- like small fb groups really- we use over 50x the max bandwidth and our DB is many ties larger than they can do on the "off the shelf" version- so I am contacting them for a custom quote. I will look more at it though and send a message to them to get full details and do genuinely appreciate the suggestion of an avenue to look into- I am always happy to look into anything that could be of benefit to the community, and to hear suggestions of places that could be a resource to help the community.

how about using websites like https://www.Rule violation.com/

We have tried that in the past - we only actually got donations from site members still and they take a little over 8% service charge on donations plus 1 1/2 % on issuing the money ao we lose about 10% off the top and only the same peopel donating,. We do get soem donations from peopl that find/read the articles and stuff on the site that are nto members already- so it still gets supported some small amount besides members- but ultimately is just a numbers things - we have thousands of active members - literally a single dollar or $2 from half the active members per month would more than cover costs- but actually less than 10% are able to donate- so it takes some time- but we are getting there.

Reminded from another post to donate to the app today. Maybe a poke from this thread will prompt someone else too.
I'm into push notifications for threads & chat (even though I don't use that but maybe it'll be better on the app!). Let's kick this along. All we need is the cash, guys.

Just donated $100. Would spare more, but it's a tough month for me Just want to say i really appreciate all the good this site does.

Ha! A hundred bucks is a tough month? I don't even wanna comment on that, @Daíthí That's awesome. We're gonna make it eventually, right? This place needs an app.

Well, lawyers salary :P This place means the world to me, if i could fund the whole thing I would...but overheads

Why are you half my age & 17 times more successful? Rhetorical. @Daíthí

Let's go guys! We need this app. Lets do this. We're over 50%. Don't drop your milk money but let's fire this up!

Click the pic to donate now

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??? I don't have access to the page of the picture

Alright- new update- and thanks fr bringing to my attention. Apparently the links in this forum were turned off - so can "see them" but not follow them. Sorry all Should be able to now.

Wow. An app would be awesome!!!

Have had a pretty good month towards the app- getting very close to 60% - Let's try to break 60% this month! We are working downhill now!! Over 100 people have donated, and we have received donations from $5 - $500 to help us build this app. Know instantly when someone replies to your post or likes your thread. Your friends can message you on the forum to let you know they are going to chatroom and want to talk and your mobile will let you know they messaged as soon as done. Know as soon as somebody post a new thread or reply in a forum or thread you are watching. The app will help make SF far more real time support environment for mobile users. If you can comfortably afford to help towards the development costs it is greatly appreciated. The app will of course be free to all members, and like all of SF be advertising and spam free.

Donate now

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Heya Ben, are we still in 60%? Seems I'm the go-to asker for this question... @JmpMster

About 63/64% - there has been some extra somemonths on the monthly running costs that is put away thta was can use towards it - though like last month we were actually a tiny bit short on thta one. The last few months the app donations have been pretty minimal. I think in retrospect was a little too big of project- takes so long to save that amount- but I still believe it is a worthwhile project and we will get there over time- just taking longer than we would like. When get close enough so I am able I will pay the rest and get it started anyway. We have raised about $3k so far total of the $4750 total that was the best estimate for complete custom app.

Thanks to all thta have donated and I am sorry it is taking longer than we initially had thought- just the donations were quite fast the first 3 months or so ($2k of the 3k in the first 3 months- 1k in last 6 months) and dropped off since. We have already paid for the site mapping (API) to be done which was very expensive so that part is done too (I beleive was about $1200) . The app will get done however just a matter of patience. Like many worthwhile endeavours - it takes time and effort if it actually has value.

While these sort of numbers are a drop in the bucket to a big online business or retail company our only source of income is donations and the extra that Freya spends or I spend for other small things (Like licence renewals, security certificates, FB publicity/post placements, new plugins or themes, etc). I will not do paid advertising which could generate a fair amount of money but then would be adverts all over site and make us into a commercial thing that I cannot stand and I don't want it to appear like we are sponsored or endorsing any products or have any commercial bias (because we do not).

I’m gunning for it :cool:

I wish I could donate more $ atm. I can donate the remnants of a (top 15% of all undergraduates) marketing degree..